Discover the Hawkeye State: Top 14 Fun and Fascinating Facts About Iowa You Never Knew

1. Iowa's Digital Birth

Who needs Silicon Valley when you've got Iowa, where corn isn't the only thing grown: Iowa State University birthed the world's first electronic digital computer, the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, built by Professor John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry from 1937 to 1942. This computing marvel was a pioneer in storing information on its main memory and featured design elements that still influence modern computers today, ultimately winning the title of the true progenitor of computing in a landmark court case.
Source => thegazette.com

2. Swine City, USA

Move over humans, there's a new boss hog in town: Iowa takes the prize for being the largest producer of swine in the United States, housing a whopping 23.6 million hogs compared to its 3.2 million human counterparts, even after a slight 1.3% decrease in their hog population as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The pork industry is no laughing matter, as the National Pork Producers Council acknowledges its support of over 610,000 jobs and $57 billion in gross domestic product in the good old U.S. of A!
Source => thegazette.com

Discover the surprising origin of Arbor Day in Nebraska, where J. Sterling Morton and his wife started a leafy legacy that spread across the nation! 🌳💚

=> Fun Facts about Nebraska

3. Behold, the Maid-Rite Sandwich

When Iowa cried out "Where's the beef?!" in 1926, little did they know they'd soon be sipping on the answer in a legendary sandwich. And no, we're not just Maid-Riting this one up: The iconic Maid-Rite sandwich was invented in Muscatine, Iowa by local butcher Fred Angell, who steamed ground beef instead of frying it and added a special blend of spices and beefy, vegetable-y liquid. The name "Maid-Rite" came from a delivery man's praise, the first humble stand had a dirt floor, and the Angell family eventually began franchising until 1982. Today, sandwich pilgrims can savor a Maid-Rite at various locations across the state.
Source => qctimes.com

4. Iowa's Field of Dreams

If you build it, they will come – and they sure did: Dyersville, Iowa, is home to the legendary "Field of Dreams," constructed on Don Lansing's farm with the help of expert sod-layers behind Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl. Today, this cinematic baseball utopia continues to attract tourists, fulfilling their dreams of playing catch on the very same field from the iconic movie.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. The Literacy Capital

Iowa: where not knowing how to read would be the ultimate plot twist in a Stephen King novel: Proudly boasting the highest literacy rate in the United States at over 99%, Iowa stands tall as a beacon of education, complete with renowned institutions like the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, and the legendary Iowa Writers' Workshop, which has turned out countless Pulitzer Prize-winning authors.
Source => familysearch.org

6. Captain Kirk's Hometown

They say the future is written in the stars, but who knew the barber shop chair held the secret to Captain James T. Kirk's origins?: Riverside, Iowa officially declared itself as the birthplace of Star Trek's legendary character, Captain Kirk, after a councilman named Steve Miller proposed the idea based on Gene Roddenberry's book, Making of Star Trek in 1985, and it was eventually acknowledged by the creators of the Star Trek reboot movie in May 2009.
Source => roadsideamerica.com

7. Pocahontas' Iowa Retreat

If Pocahontas traded her canoe for a tractor, she'd feel right at home in Iowa: In the town aptly named Pocahontas, a colossal 25-foot-tall statue of the famed Native American woman presides over Princess Park, complete with a teepee, a history-rich cabin, and mesmerizing murals that narrate the area's intriguing past.
Source => discoverpoco.com

8. The Elusive Prairie Chicken

Why did the Greater Prairie Chicken stop crossing the road? Turns out, Iowa hunted it into near-extinction: Once bountiful in Iowa, these chickens were massively overharvested and faced habitat loss due to agriculture. The last known native nesting took place in 1952. However, since the 1980s, Iowa's Department of Natural Resources has made several reintroduction attempts, with the most successful one in Ringgold Wildlife Area. Nowadays, these birds have a small population in parts of Iowa and Missouri, keeping them protected under state law.
Source => iowadnr.gov

9. The Real American Gothic

In a twist straight out of an M. Night Shyamalan movie, the American Gothic house is not a farmhouse at all but rather a spooky mansion with a fondness for windows: The iconic abode, located in Eldon, Iowa, was built in 1881 by Charles Dibble, and it features a classic Carpenter Gothic design—most notably, the distinctive, arched window that grabs viewers' attention. The house's chilling charm seduced the likes of artist Grant Wood, inspiring his renowned masterpiece, American Gothic. Today, you can still visit the eerie homestead and delve into its secrets at the adjacent visitor center!
Source => americangothichouse.org

10. A World of Food in Iowa

As they say, "the corn is always greener in Iowa," especially when it's joined by global food fanatics in a week-long grand buffet of ideas: Iowa hosts the World Food Prize Foundation's week of events, gathering over 1,200 participants from 60+ countries in Des Moines, featuring activities like the Borlaug Dialogue and the Global Youth Institute, and awarding the esteemed World Food Prize to honor food superheroes working to improve the world's cuisine quality, quantity, and availability.
Source => worldfoodprize.org

11. Heaven on the Highway

If you're ever in need of some divine intervention or simply a pitstop on the highway to heaven: Look no further than the Iowa 80, the world's largest truck stop located in Walcott, Iowa. This hallowed ground boasts a superbly spacious area of 220 acres, parking for over 900 trucks, and amenities such as a movie theater, chapel, and a trucking museum for all you road warriors out there!
Source => lakecountyca.gov

12. A Balloon Bonanza

What do sore legs, sky-high achievements, and Iowa have in common? A museum that's an uplifting experience in more ways than one: The National Balloon Museum and U.S. Hall of Fame Gallery in Capital Country showcases a breathtaking assortment of hot-air and gas ballooning artifacts, documenting the skyward journey of these floaty fellows and their extraordinary pilots since 1783 right up to present day. Be sure to catch this lighter-than-air exhibit Wednesdays through Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., though beware, it's grounded during holidays and the chillier new year months of January and February!
Source => traveliowa.com

13. Tractor and Engine Mania

Hold onto your overalls and grease up your gears, folks: The John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum in Waterloo, Iowa is not only a tire-tread-trippin', sodbustin', iron-horse homage to a time when green and yellow were the colors that painted the heartland, but is a free, family-friendly destination filled with interactive displays and exhibits that capture the history of this quintessentially American company and its far-reaching impact on agriculture and rural communities.
Source => tripadvisor.com

14. Pigs, Humans, and Symphonies

In a state where pigs converse with their humans in a swine symphony, Miss Piggy would surely be their queen: Iowa State Fair features a one-of-a-kind hog-calling contest where participants demonstrate their finest porcine persuasions, along with many other family-friendly events during the fair festivities.
Source => scoop.upworthy.com