Iowa City, Iowa, United States

🇺🇸 Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the centre of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the state's fifth-largest city.

The metropolitan area encompasses Johnson and Washington counties. The Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is also a part of a Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with the Cedar Rapids MSA. This CSA plus two additional counties are known as the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids region.

Iowa City was the second capital of the Iowa Territory and the first capital city of the State of Iowa. The Old Capitol building is a National Historic Landmark in the centre of the University of Iowa campus. The University of Iowa Art Museum and Plum Grove, the home of the first Governor of Iowa, are also tourist attractions. In 2008, Forbes magazine named Iowa City the second-best small metropolitan area for doing business in the United States.

History Iowa City was created by an act of Legislative Assembly of the Iowa Territory on January 21, 1839, fulfilling the desire of Governor Robert Lucas to move the capital out of Burlington and closer to the centre of the territory.

While Iowa City was selected as the territorial capital in 1839, it did not officially become the capital city until 1841; after construction on the capitol building had begun. The capitol building was completed in 1842, and the last four territorial legislatures and the first six Iowa General Assemblies met there until 1857, when the state capital was moved to Des Moines.

Iowa Old Capitol Building John F. Rague is credited with designing the Territorial Capitol Building. He had previously designed the 1837 capitol of Illinois and was supervising its construction when he got the commission to design the new Iowa capitol in 1839. He quit the Iowa project after five months, claiming his design was not followed, but the resemblance to the Illinois capitol suggests he strongly influenced the final Iowa design. One surviving 1839 sketch of the proposed capital shows a radically different layout, with two domes and a central tower. The cornerstone of the Old Capitol Building was laid in Iowa City on July 4, 1840. Iowa City served as the third and last territorial capital of Iowa, and the last four territorial legislatures met at the Old Capitol Building until December 28, 1846, when Iowa was admitted into the United States as the 29th state of the union. Iowa City was declared the state capital of Iowa, and the government convened in the Old Capitol Building.

1843 cemetery Oakland Cemetery was deeded to "the people of Iowa City" by the Iowa territorial legislature on February 13, 1843. The original plot was one block square, with the south-west corner at Governor and Church. Over the years the cemetery has been expanded and now encompasses 40 acres. Oakland Cemetery is a non-perpetual care city cemetery. This cemetery is supported by city taxes. The staff is strongly committed to the maintenance and preservation of privately owned lots and accessories. Since its establishment, the cemetery has become the final resting place of many men and women important in the history of Iowa, of Iowa City and the University of Iowa. These include Robert E. Lucas, first governor of the territory (1838–41); Samuel J. Kirkwood, governor during the Civil War (1860–64), again in 1876, a U.S. senator in 1877, and subsequently secretary of the interior and U.S. minister to Spain; well-known presidents of the university, Walter A. Jessup (1915–33) and Virgil M. Hancher (1940–64); Cordelia Swan, daughter of one of the three commissioners who selected the site for Iowa City and the new territorial capitol; and Irving B. Weber (1900–1997), noted Iowa City historian. It is also home to the legendary monument called the "Black Angel", which is an 8.5-foot tall monument for the Feldevert family erected in 1912. The facts behind the Black Angel long ago gave way to myths, superstitions and legend surrounding its mysterious change in color from a golden bronze cast to an eerie black.

1847 University founding Founded in 1847, today's University of Iowa offers more than 100 areas of study to 31,112 students. The university includes a medical school and one of the United States' largest university-owned teaching hospitals, providing patient care within 16 medical specialties. Iowa City is also the location of Mercy Hospital. The University of Iowa College of Law is located there.

Geography Iowa City is located in eastern Iowa, along the Iowa River, on Interstate 80, approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Illinois).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.28 square miles (65.47 km²), of which 25.01 square miles (64.78 km²) is land and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km²) is water. The elevation at the Iowa City Municipal Airport is 668 ft (203.6 m) above sea level.

Economy Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), the state's only comprehensive tertiary care medical center. The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center in Iowa City is an NCI-designated Cancer Center, one of fewer than 60 in the country.

ACT college testing services is headquartered in Iowa City.

In 2004, Forbes magazine named Iowa City the third Best Small Metropolitan Area in the United States.

In June 2006, Kiplinger's Personal Finance rated Iowa City No. 10 on its list of the Top 50 Smart Places to Live.

Economy: Top employers According to Iowa City's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city include: 1 University of Iowa and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; 2 Iowa City VA Medical Center; 3 Iowa City Community School District; 4 Mercy Hospital; 5 ACT Inc.; 6 Procter & Gamble; 7 Hy-Vee; 8 City of Iowa City; 9 Pearson; 10 Johnson County.

Arts and culture In the early 1970s, the Old Capitol was renovated and university administrative offices were relocated to Jessup Hall. All but one of the major rooms were restored to their appearance when Iowa City was the state capital. In November 2001 the cupola caught fire during the renovation of its gold leaf dome. The cupola was destroyed and the building was heavily damaged. In 2006, after an extensive restoration, the building re-opened to the public. The building now serves as the Old Capitol Museum, as well as a venue for speeches, lectures, press conferences and performances in the original state senate chamber.

The Iowa Avenue Literary Walk, a series of bronze relief panels that feature authors' words as well as attribution, is a tribute to the city's rich literary history. The panels are visually connected by a series of general quotations about books and writing stamped into the concrete sidewalk. All 49 authors and playwrights featured in the Literary Walk have ties to Iowa.

In November 2008, UNESCO designated Iowa City as the world's third City of Literature, making it a part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. It was the only American city to receive the honor, until Seattle, Washington was designated a City of Literature in 2017.

In 2004, the Old Capitol Cultural District was one of the first Cultural Districts certified by the State of Iowa. The district extends from the University of Iowa Pentacrest, south to the Johnson County Courthouse, east to College Green Park, and north into the historic Northside Neighborhood.

Cultural events Iowa City has a variety of cultural events. It has a strong literary history and is the home of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, whose graduates include John Irving, Flannery O'Connor, T.C. Boyle, and many other prominent U.S. authors; the nation's leading Non-Fiction Writing Program; the Iowa Playwrights' Workshop; the Iowa Summer Writing Festival; and the International Writing Program, a unique residency program that has hosted writers from more than 120 countries.

Iowa City also sponsors a variety of events in the Summer of the Arts program. These include a nationally renowned Iowa City Jazz Festival, Iowa Arts Festival, open-air summer movies series called Saturday Night Free Movie Series and free concerts every Friday night in the pedestrian mall called the Friday Night Concert Series (Ped Mall).

The Iowa City Book Festival began as an annual summer event in 2009 sponsored by the University of Iowa Libraries and in 2013 it was moved to October when management was handed off to the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature. It features readings from prominent authors and literature themed events.

The Iowa Biennial Exhibition [TIBE] began in 2004 as an international survey of contemporary miniature printmaking held its initial exhibition at the University of Iowa. The 2006 exhibition, received a 2007 "ICKY" award nomination in Visual Arts Programming from the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance for its exhibition at the University of Iowa's Project Art Gallery.

Downtown Iowa City arts venues include the historic Englert Theatre, a live music and performing arts center; Riverside Theatre, a professional theatre company with an annual season that includes an outdoor Shakespeare festival; and FilmScene, a non-profit film organization and art house movie theater with two locations and five screens plus a seasonal outdoor cinema.

The Englert Theatre produces Mission Creek Festival each spring, focusing on community events, performance and literary programming featuring over 100 writers each year. Witching Hour takes place each fall and focuses on exploring the unknown, discussing the creative process and presenting new work.

Local landmarks • Hancher Auditorium often hosts nationally touring theater, dance and musical shows, and has commissioned more than 100 works of music, theater and dance during the last 20 years. This facility was badly damaged during the Iowa flood of 2008 and the facility has been rebuilt farther uphill, away from the Iowa River and reopened in Fall of 2016. • Hamburg Inn No. 2 is a favorite campaign stop for political candidates. It was featured in a 2005 episode of the political drama The West Wing. It has also been a favored campaign stop for many U.S. Presidents, including Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan. It was featured in The New York Times for its widely renowned "pie shakes". • Oakland Cemetery contains graves of notable locals as well as the "Black Angel" statue. • Plum Grove Historic House was the residence of Robert Lucas, the first territorial governor of Iowa, and the novelist Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd. • Moffitt cottages, built in a unique vernacular architectural style, are scattered around eastern Iowa City. "These mystical dwellings look as if Germanic elves constructed houses for Irish pixies", is how one writer described them. • Prospect Hill • Ned Ashton House, built as a private residence by Iowa bridge engineer Ned Ashton in 1947, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Today, it is a popular venue that can accommodate up to 100 people for meetings, reunions, parties, weddings and receptions along the banks of the Iowa River.

Pedestrian Mall City Plaza (commonly called the Pedestrian Mall or simply Ped Mall) serves as a gathering place for students and locals and draws large crowds for its summertime events such as the Friday Night Concert Series and the annual Iowa City Jazz Festival and Iowa City Arts Festival. The Ped Mall area contains restaurants, bars, retail, hotels, and the Iowa City Public Library. It is known for its appeal to various local artists and musicians, and its wild bar scene. The Coldren Opera House was located on the street which has now become the mall.

Sport Iowa City is home of the University of Iowa's athletic teams, known as the Iowa Hawkeyes. A member of the Big Ten Conference, the football team plays at Kinnick Stadium, while men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and the wrestling and gymnastics teams compete at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes football team regularly sends players to the NFL, including Super Bowl Champion all-pro Baltimore Ravens guard Marshall Yanda, 2004 2nd overall draft pick Robert Gallery, and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, among many others. Kirk Ferentz is the longest tenured head coach in NCAA FBS dating back to the 1999–2000 season.

Iowa City's three public high schools, City, West, and Liberty, are members of the Mississippi Valley Conference. Regina competes in the River Valley Conference.

The Iowa City Gold Sox were a semi-professional baseball team that called Iowa City home from 1912 through 1913.

Parks and recreation Iowa City is home to many public spaces. Most of the facilities are operated by the City of Iowa City Parks & Recreation Department, while some are owned by the University of Iowa, and others held by private entities such as the Bur Oak Land Trust.

Some of the more significant parks include Waterworks Prairie Park which is a naturalized sand pit and the largest park in the city at 231 acres. City Park contains the Bobby Oldis Fields, an outdoor pool complex, many picnic areas and playgrounds, as well as the Riverside Festival Stage. Hickory Hill Park is a large wooded park on the north side of town. Hubbard Park is a green space directly south of the Iowa Memorial Union building and used for many campus events.

There are three golf courses within city limits. Finkbine Golf Course is an 18-hole course owned by the University of Iowa. Pleasant Valley Golf Course is a public 18 hole course located south along the Iowa River. Elks Lodge Country Club is a private 9 hole course located near the Peninsula Neighborhood.

The Iowa City Kickers Soccer Complex can hold more than 17 soccer fields depending on layout and is home of the Iowa City Kickers soccer club. Napoleon park is located along the Iowa River and has 8 baseball diamonds. Bobby Oldis Fields are located within City Park and has 8 baseball diamonds. Hawkeye Recreation Fields is in the University of Iowa and contains to 12 soccer fields, 4 beach volleyball pitches, and 4 basketball courts. Bill and Jim Ashton Cross Country Course is one of the few dedicated cross country courses in the country. The University of Iowa also operates the Fieldhouse, Campus Recreation & Wellness Center, and Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex which contain fitness space as well as indoor sports pitches and pools.

Iowa City has many miles of cycling trails. There are dedicated trails along the Iowa River, Clear Creek, Willow Creek, and Ralston Creek. The Iowa City trail system connects to the north-west to Coralville, Tiffin, and North Liberty's trail systems.