Iowa Cities and Special Topics

Dubuque

Located on the Mississippi River, Dubuque is the oldest city in Iowa, and was long a center of the woodworking trade, importing wood from the Northwoods, and shipping its products south to cities such as St. Louis. It has seen a revitalization as the old factories and warehouses have been renovated around downtown.

Cedar Rapids

Sitting abreast the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids is home to Quaker Oats and other industry. Now located along a string of cities in between Iowa City, the former capital and university town and the twin cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls, the metropolitan region is part of a larger industrial heartland in the agricultural state of Iowa.

Northeast Iowa

Independence

Located along the banks of the Wapsipinicon River in Northeaster Iowa, the town of Independence boasts many historic landmarks. There is an intact mill sitting along the river in downtown, which features its own preserved Italianate streetscape. Outside of town there is a renovated Kirkbride-style Second Empire psychiatric facility still operating in its original buildings.

Northeast Iowa

Northeastern IowaThe northeastern corner of Iowa is much different that the rest of the state due to the glaciers that once passed over this area tens of thousands of years ago. Almost rugged in some ways, there are ancient effigy mounds left by the earliest humans in North America, rolling farmland and river towns along the Mississippi.