Iowa is an agricultural, liberal state with only four larger metropolitan areas, which stands for the typical American lifestyle.
According to Acronymmonster, Iowa has been the 29th state since joining the United States in 1846. Located in the American Midwest, it is known for growing corn and its expansive nature. The only exceptions to the village and small town structure are the metropolitan areas of Sioux City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport. About ninety percent of the area is used for agriculture.
The clocks tick differently in Iowa
Along with eleven other states, Iowa is part of the American Midwest. These very rural states are not considered particularly exciting by either the Americans or the tourists. This state with largely untouched nature has some attractions to offer that are sometimes still an insider tip. If you want to get to know the typical American lifestyle away from the big cities, Iowa is the place for you. Here time seems to have stood still in many places. The small towns and villages are predominantly agricultural, because Iowa is part of the so-called Corn Belt, the country’s granary and pantry. Livestock farming is just as influential as the cultivation of corn, potatoes and soybeans. Numerous dairies ensure that milk is processed properly. In some regions of Iowa the fields seem to be endless. Americans with German roots make up the largest group of the population.
Iowa: a rural, but very liberal state
Although Iowa does not have any dramatically beautiful national parks to offer, it does have an archaeological area called “Effigy Mound National Monument”. This area is home to 2,500 year old mound sculptures made by native American Indians. 190 of these sculptures are spread over seven square kilometers. You won’t find any mountains here. A detour to the regions of the Missouri River and Mississippi River is definitely worthwhile. In the Iowa Great Lakes region there are several nature parks characterized by numerous lakes. Besides the capital Des Moines there are only three other metropolitan areas.
Iowa as a pioneer in liberalization
As early as 1839, the Supreme Court declared slavery illegal, more than 20 years before the American Civil War resolved this issue at the national level. Other liberal decisions concerned the abolition of racial discrimination in 1873 and access for women to legal professions in 1869, also long before decisions were made at the national level.
Largest Counties in Iowa by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in Iowa are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | Kossuth County | 2,520 km2 |
| 2 | Pottawattamie County | 2,471 km2 |
| 3 | Woodbury County | 2,261 km2 |
| 4 | Plymouth County | 2,238 km2 |
| 5 | Clayton County | 2,018 km2 |
| 6 | Sioux County | 1,989 km2 |
| 7 | Fayette County | 1,893 km2 |
| 8 | Jasper County | 1,891 km2 |
| 9 | Tama County | 1,867 km2 |
| 10 | Linn County | 1,860 km2 |
| 11 | Benton County | 1,854 km2 |
| 12 | Webster County | 1,852 km2 |
| 13 | Crawford County | 1,849 km2 |
| 14 | Harrison County | 1,805 km2 |
| 15 | Clinton County | 1,800 km2 |
| 16 | Monona County | 1,795 km2 |
| 17 | Winneshiek County | 1,787 km2 |
| 18 | Allamakee County | 1,658 km2 |
| 19 | Jackson County | 1,647 km2 |
| 20 | Johnson County | 1,590 km2 |
| 21 | Dubuque County | 1,575 km2 |
| 22 | Guthrie County | 1,531 km2 |
| 23 | Shelby County | 1,531 km2 |
| 24 | Lyon County | 1,523 km2 |
| 25 | Dallas County | 1,518 km2 |
| 26 | Iowa County | 1,518 km2 |
| 27 | Poweshiek County | 1,515 km2 |
| 28 | Franklin County | 1,507 km2 |
| 29 | Wright County | 1,505 km2 |
| 30 | Butler County | 1,502 km2 |
| 31 | Cedar County | 1,502 km2 |
| 32 | Keokuk County | 1,500 km2 |
| 33 | Delaware County | 1,497 km2 |
| 34 | Pocahontas County | 1,497 km2 |
| 35 | Cherokee County | 1,494 km2 |
| 36 | Hamilton County | 1,494 km2 |
| 37 | Sac County | 1,492 km2 |
| 38 | Buena Vista County | 1,489 km2 |
| 39 | Jones County | 1,489 km2 |
| 40 | O’Brien County | 1,484 km2 |
| 41 | Story County | 1,484 km2 |
| 42 | Boone County | 1,481 km2 |
| 43 | Marshall County | 1,481 km2 |
| 44 | Warren County | 1,481 km2 |
| 45 | Buchanan County | 1,479 km2 |
| 46 | Hancock County | 1,479 km2 |
| 47 | Mahaska County | 1,479 km2 |
| 48 | Calhoun County | 1,476 km2 |
| 49 | Polk County | 1,476 km2 |
| 50 | Adair County | 1,474 km2 |
| 51 | Carroll County | 1,474 km2 |
| 52 | Clay County | 1,474 km2 |
| 53 | Hardin County | 1,474 km2 |
| 54 | Washington County | 1,474 km2 |
| 55 | Cerro Gordo County | 1,471 km2 |
| 56 | Greene County | 1,471 km2 |
| 57 | Black Hawk County | 1,469 km2 |
| 58 | Cass County | 1,461 km2 |
| 59 | Palo Alto County | 1,461 km2 |
| 60 | Madison County | 1,453 km2 |
| 61 | Marion County | 1,435 km2 |
| 62 | Ringgold County | 1,393 km2 |
| 63 | Page County | 1,386 km2 |
| 64 | Taylor County | 1,383 km2 |
| 65 | Decatur County | 1,378 km2 |
| 66 | Wayne County | 1,362 km2 |
| 67 | Lee County | 1,339 km2 |
| 68 | Fremont County | 1,323 km2 |
| 69 | Chickasaw County | 1,308 km2 |
| 70 | Davis County | 1,303 km2 |
| 71 | Grundy County | 1,303 km2 |
| 72 | Floyd County | 1,298 km2 |
| 73 | Appanoose County | 1,285 km2 |
| 74 | Van Buren County | 1,256 km2 |
| 75 | Howard County | 1,225 km2 |
| 76 | Mitchell County | 1,215 km2 |
| 77 | Scott County | 1,186 km2 |
| 78 | Audubon County | 1,147 km2 |
| 79 | Muscatine County | 1,137 km2 |
| 80 | Mills County | 1,132 km2 |
| 81 | Jefferson County | 1,127 km2 |
| 82 | Henry County | 1,124 km2 |
| 83 | Humboldt County | 1,124 km2 |
| 84 | Monroe County | 1,121 km2 |
| 85 | Ida County | 1,119 km2 |
| 86 | Wapello County | 1,119 km2 |
| 87 | Clarke County | 1,116 km2 |
| 88 | Lucas County | 1,116 km2 |
| 89 | Bremer County | 1,109 km2 |
| 90 | Adams County | 1,098 km2 |
| 91 | Montgomery County | 1,098 km2 |
| 92 | Union County | 1,098 km2 |
| 93 | Des Moines County | 1,077 km2 |
| 94 | Louisa County | 1,041 km2 |
| 95 | Winnebago County | 1,036 km2 |
| 96 | Worth County | 1,036 km2 |
| 97 | Osceola County | 1,033 km2 |
| 98 | Emmet County | 1,026 km2 |
| 99 | Dickinson County | 987 km2 |