Iowa City
Iowa City is located in eastern Iowa, approximately 50 miles/80 km west of the Mississippi River. The city was founded in 1839 to be the new capitol of the Iowa Territory and served as capitol of the Iowa Territory and the State of Iowa from 1841 until 1857. When the state capitol was moved to Des Moines in 1857, the Old Capitol Building and other land belonging to the state government were transferred to the University of Iowa. The Old Capitol Building remains the center of the University of Iowa campus and the most recognizable building in the city.
Iowa City was the western railroad terminus for a period of time in the 1850s and thousands of Mormons set out from Iowa City pulling handcarts on their way to Utah. Towards the end of the 19th century, many German and Czech immigrants found their way to Iowa City and the local "German Mafia" built a number of breweries. As home to the Iowa Writers Workshop, the city has long enjoyed a lively literary scene and was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008. The first city in the United States to achieve this distinction.
Iowa City was the western railroad terminus for a period of time in the 1850s and thousands of Mormons set out from Iowa City pulling handcarts on their way to Utah. Towards the end of the 19th century, many German and Czech immigrants found their way to Iowa City and the local "German Mafia" built a number of breweries. As home to the Iowa Writers Workshop, the city has long enjoyed a lively literary scene and was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008. The first city in the United States to achieve this distinction.