It’s a new year, so it’s time to set the record straight with the rest of the country about Iowa. There are certain assumptions and questions that non-Iowans have about us and where we live that really just don’t ring true. Here are 11 things every Iowan wants the rest of the country to know.
- Why would we want to live in Iowa?
Flickr/Rich Herrmann Hmm…let’s see. Awesome people, low cost of living, low crime rate, great education, good food, low unemployment…need I go on?
- We’re not Ohio, or Idaho.
Flickr/Carl Wycoff We’re not that place with the potatoes, and we’re not known as the Buckeye State. We’re the one with all the corn.
- But we’re not just cornfields.
Flickr/Jason Mrachina Yes, we do have a lot of cornfields. But, we also have the most charming small towns you’ll ever see, as well as some big and interesting cities.
- We may be landlocked, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy the beach.
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn With plenty of lakes and rivers, and even an island town (Sabula), we enjoy our water recreation as much as anyone!
- Our sweet corn really IS better.
Flickr/regan76 If you haven’t tried it yet, you haven’t really lived.
- Our weather can be…shall we say…erratic.
Flickr/Doug Chapman We could enjoy a day of warm, sunny weather and then suddenly be getting an inch of snow. You really have to be careful when you put your plants outside in the spring.
- The state fair is a really big deal.
Flickr/Joe Kristan It’s not just some rinky dink fair. It’s actually one of the biggest fairs in the country, and it attracts more than a million visitors a year. Plus, the food is insane!
- Sloppy Joes and Maid-Rites are not the same thing.
Flickr/rayb777 Sloppy Joes have sauce. Maid-Rites are seasoned to perfection and don’t need anything else. Except maybe cheese sauce.
- We’re home to the world’s largest truck stop.
Flickr/Kurt The Iowa-80 truck stop is like a small city, and it’s not just for truckers. It’s a destination in and of itself.
- We have our own hidden ocean floor.
Flickr/Alan Light It was exposed in the 2006 floods, and it contains 375 million-year-old fossils.
- We love Iowa.
Flickr/bourgeoisbee And we’re proud to call it home.
Does this list cover it, or are there other things you’d add? For more about Iowa, here are 10 Reasons Why Living In Iowa Is The Best – And Everyone Should Move Here.
Flickr/Rich Herrmann
Hmm…let’s see. Awesome people, low cost of living, low crime rate, great education, good food, low unemployment…need I go on?
Flickr/Carl Wycoff
We’re not that place with the potatoes, and we’re not known as the Buckeye State. We’re the one with all the corn.
Flickr/Jason Mrachina
Yes, we do have a lot of cornfields. But, we also have the most charming small towns you’ll ever see, as well as some big and interesting cities.
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn
With plenty of lakes and rivers, and even an island town (Sabula), we enjoy our water recreation as much as anyone!
Flickr/regan76
If you haven’t tried it yet, you haven’t really lived.
Flickr/Doug Chapman
We could enjoy a day of warm, sunny weather and then suddenly be getting an inch of snow. You really have to be careful when you put your plants outside in the spring.
Flickr/Joe Kristan
It’s not just some rinky dink fair. It’s actually one of the biggest fairs in the country, and it attracts more than a million visitors a year. Plus, the food is insane!
Flickr/rayb777
Sloppy Joes have sauce. Maid-Rites are seasoned to perfection and don’t need anything else. Except maybe cheese sauce.
Flickr/Kurt
The Iowa-80 truck stop is like a small city, and it’s not just for truckers. It’s a destination in and of itself.
Flickr/Alan Light
It was exposed in the 2006 floods, and it contains 375 million-year-old fossils.
Flickr/bourgeoisbee
And we’re proud to call it home.
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