Iowa is The 29th State

Welcome to The 29th State — where we celebrate Iowa, and where Iowans find one another. Here, we use history not as a museum piece, but as a bridge—linking past to present, place to person, story to soul. This is a place for names you’ve heard and ones you haven’t. For towns marked by water towers and welcome signs—and for those that live on only in memory, maps, and quiet corners of the prairie. What Cheer. Exira. Gravity. Stanzel. Blue Point and many, many more. Since 2009, I’ve been visiting Iowa’s communities with camera in hand, listening. Listening for what made them, what shaped them, and what remains. There are more than 930 incorporated towns in Iowa, but that number doesn’t come close to telling the whole story. The old ones, the faded ones, the unincorporated ones you pass without thinking—they matter too. The 29th State is about seeing them. Remembering them. Connecting through them. Thanks for being here. There’s a lot to discover.

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A bit about The 29th State:

The 29th State is where Iowa’s history comes alive and stays within reach. Our blog explores the stories of today’s thriving communities and the ghost towns that shaped our past. Dive into our museum page to discover Iowa’s many remarkable local museums—each preserving a piece of who we are. And don’t miss our store, where you’ll find merchandise that celebrates, educates, and inspires Iowa pride. Plus, learn how to book Dave, The 29th State's resident historian and author for fun and fascinating history programs.

Ghost Towns

Iowa has more than 1,500 ghost towns—former townsites, post offices, and railroad stops that once buzzed with life and now exist only in memory, maps, or the occasional crumbling foundation. Some were boomtowns built around coal mines, especially in southern and central Iowa. When the mines shut down or the railroads pulled out, the people left, and the towns faded. Others were early settlements that lost out to nearby rivals or simply weren’t built to last. A few still have a church or a house or two, but many have vanished completely, reclaimed by cornfields or timber. The coal towns are especially haunting. Places like Buxton, Muchakinock, Angus, and Coalport were once packed with workers, families, schools, churches, even opera houses. Entire communities rose and fell in just a few decades. These ghost towns aren’t just curiosities—they’re reminders of the industries that built Iowa and the people who came here chasing work, land, and opportunity. Even if the buildings are gone, the names remain etched into maps, memories, and the deep layers of Iowa’s history.

Come Visit Our Cities!

Iowa has 940 incorporated cities as of 2025, ranging from major population centers like Des Moines to tiny communities like Beaconsfield. An incorporated city in Iowa is a place that has formally established its own local government under state law. These cities have clearly defined boundaries, the ability to elect officials like a mayor and city council, and the authority to levy taxes, pass ordinances, and provide public services such as police, fire protection, utilities, and zoning regulation. Incorporation gives a community legal standing as a municipal corporation, separate from the county, and allows for greater local control over governance and development. While Iowa law treats all incorporated places as “cities” regardless of size, unincorporated areas remain under county jurisdiction and do not have their own municipal governments. Many Iowans live in small incorporated cities, and for some communities, incorporation is a way to access funding, manage growth, and maintain a distinct civic identity.

Visit the Villages

Iowa has hundreds of unincorporated villages—some with a few dozen people, some with just a name on a sign. These places aren’t legally cities and don’t have their own governments. That means no mayor, no city council, and no ability to pass ordinances or levy taxes. Instead, they’re under the jurisdiction of the county, which handles things like road maintenance and law enforcement. What they do have is history, identity, and in many cases, a strong sense of place. Some unincorporated villages were once thriving towns that lost population, businesses, or railroads and eventually disincorporated. Others never incorporated to begin with but built churches, schools, or general stores around a crossroads or railroad stop. You’ll still see signs for them—places like Littleport, Knoke, Slifer, or Norwoodville—even if there’s not much left. These villages may not have official status, but they remain woven into Iowa’s rural landscape and its stories.

Iowa Museums

Iowa is home to hundreds of museums, ranging from major institutions to one-room schoolhouses and volunteer-run gems tucked away in small towns. You’ll find world-class art collections in Des Moines, a museum dedicated Danish Settlers in Elk Horn, and interpretive centers that honor everything from barnstorming pilots to rock and roll, to Iowa’s role in the Underground Railroad. Every county has at least one museum—and some have dozens. Many communities have local historical societies that operate out of former courthouses, train depots, or Carnegie libraries. Some focus on a particular industry, person, or moment in time. You’ll find coal mining history in Melcher-Dallas, communal life in the Amana Colonies, Native American history at Toolesboro and the Effigy Mounds, and exhibits about POW camps, movie theaters, orphan trains, hobo conventions, state fairs, rural medicine, and musicians across the state.

These places are more than collections of artifacts. They’re Iowa’s memory. Run by passionate people—often volunteers—they help preserve the stories that don’t always make it into textbooks. Whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, stop into a museum the next time you’re passing through an Iowa town. Odds are, you’ll learn something new about where you’re from or where you're going.

Celebrating Iowa. Connecting Iowans.