How Wide Is Iowa? Total Distance from East to West

Iowa is a unique state known for its vast, flat geography and abundance of farmland. Its size is average compared to other U.S. states, ranking 26th by total area. This article explores Iowa’s width and includes information about its history as a U.S. state, its geography, and the interesting animals that call it home.

Iowa is 310 miles wide from east to west and 199 miles long from north to south. Its widest section runs through the center of the state, just north of Des Moines. This expanse runs from a point on the western border, between Omaha and Sioux City, to a point on the Mississippi River to the east.

Given that Iowa is the 26th-largest state, we can say that it is medium-sized. Iowa is much larger than the narrowest state but also much smaller than the widest state. So, on the one hand, Iowa is 273 miles wider than the small state of Rhode Island, which is just 37 miles wide. On the other hand, however, Iowa is 1,190 miles narrower than Hawaii, which measures a whopping 1,500 miles wide.

Overall, Iowa is similar in width to Pennsylvania, which is 283 miles long at its widest point.

Becoming Part of the United States

The land now called Iowa is home to several indigenous peoples including the Ioway, Dakota, Ho-Chuck, and Omaha. Through a combination of treaties, purchases, and war, European settlers forced many of the native people from the area. Iowa was first colonized by France, and then by the United States after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In 1838, the United States Congress officially established the Territory of Iowa. Shortly after, Iowa became the 29th U.S. state on December 28, 1846, when President James K. Polk signed its admission to the Union.

Overall Size of Iowa

Iowa has a total area of 56,273 square miles, making it the 26th largest U.S. state. It is similar in area to the states of New York and Illinois. To compare Iowa to other countries in the world, it is around the same size in total area as Nepal or Bangladesh.

As for its size by population, Iowa is home to 3,200,517 people, making it the 30th most populous state. Two other U.S. states with a similar number of people are Nevada and Utah.

Now that we have a sense of Iowa’s size, let’s explore the state’s unique geography.

Geography of Iowa

The most striking feature of Iowa’s geography is its massive expanse of farmland. Over 47,000 of Iowa’s 56,273 square miles are farms, an amount of land approximately the size of Pennsylvania or Mississippi. Aside from farmland, Iowa’s geography mainly consists of lowland prairie and savanna. It is relatively flat and low elevation, with the highest point at only 1,670 feet above sea level. In addition to being mainly flat farmland, another notable feature of Iowa’s geography is its many beautiful rivers. Iowa is bordered by the Big Sioux and Missouri Rivers to the east, and the Mississippi River to the west. These rivers provide excellent wildlife habitat, which brings us to our next topic.

Let’s explore some of the amazing wildlife living in Iowa.

Wildlife in Iowa

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, there are over 1,100 species of wildlife in Iowa. Some of the most common large mammals in Iowa include white-tailed deer, coyote, red fox, gray fox, and bobcats. As for small mammals, raccoons, opossums, river otters, and muskrats are common.

In addition to mammals, Iowa is home to many fish and amphibians in its rivers and wetlands. Some common fish species include catfish, walleye, and crappie. As for amphibians, Iowa is home to the bullfrog, American toad, and several other frogs and toads.

Lastly, Iowa is home to an incredible array of birds, including many waterfowl. The trumpeter swan, snow goose, and wood duck are all found in Iowa. Additionally, many species of songbirds live in Iowa including the cedar waxwing, house sparrow, and hermit thrush, among many others.

Despite its many interesting wildlife species, Iowa’s only official state animal is the American goldfinch.

Final Thoughts

Iowa is average sized compared to other U.S. states, at 310 miles at its widest point. While Iowa is known for its farmland, it also has some incredible wildlife habitat along its mighty rivers. The state is home to many interesting species including several types of waterfowl.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Natalia Kuzmina/Shutterstock.com