Meet the #1 Largest Landowner in All of Iowa

Iowa is a state practically made for farming. If you drive through the area, you’re likely to see farms along most of your drive. In truth, large-scale farms take up a lot of the land in the state. It would make sense if you assumed some sort of farm was the largest landowner in all of Iowa.

However, you may be surprised to learn that while farming is popular, it’s not a farm that owns the most land in the state. If you want to know who owns the most land in Iowa, you’ll have to continue reading below.

Who Is the Largest Landowner in Iowa?

Many people believe that the largest landowner in Iowa is a family, specifically the Holding Family. This family owns an oil and gas company.

To be fair, they do own quite a bit of the land in Iowa, about 400,000 acres. However, there is one group that owns more land. This is the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

How Much Land Do They Own?

Iowa’s Natural Resources Department is the number one landowner in Iowa. It beats out the next largest landowner by 25,000 acres.

So how much land do they own? A whopping 425,000 acres. This is about 1.2 percent of the total land in Iowa.

The department has bought land slowly since the 1930s, with the biggest purchase in the 1990s. In the 1990s alone, the department acquired almost 70,000 acres.

What They Do With the Land

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources uses the land they own in several different ways. A good portion of the land, about 29,000 acres, is leased to farms. The farmers that lease the land have to follow more sustainable farming practices, but they get the benefit of rich soil and plenty of natural resources around.

Another chunk of the land, about 68,000 acres, is made up of state parks. These are protected lands to keep important habitats and the animals that live upon it safe, while still making it available to the public.

Most of the other land is wildlife management areas. These areas are still protected, but not quite as heavily. They’re also made for recreational use for people, allowing fishing, hiking, trapping, and birdwatching among others.

Do They Own Any Land Outside of Iowa?

Because it’s specifically Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources, they only technically own land in Iowa. However, they are a government branch.

In the US, the federal government alone owns about 650 million acres of land. This is roughly 30 percent of the entirety of the United States. Much of this goes towards mining and natural resources. However, some of it is also dedicated to protecting wildlife and important habitats.