Eastern Iowa
Eastern Iowa is the central region along the Mississippi River in Iowa, home to several of the state's main population centers. The region is both somewhat characteristic of the rest of the state in terms of demographics but also unique in both its geography (bluffs and rolling hills) and its denser population. In many respects, it shares more in common with the nearby Illinois and Wisconsin regions than the rest of Iowa.
Cities
Understand
Eastern Iowa is most heavily populated and developed area of Iowa outside of Des Moines. It includes the counties of Dubuque, Linn, Jones, Jackson, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, Clinton, Scott, Muscatine, and Washington. Note that Iowa City is in Johnson County, not Iowa County.
Get in
Eastern Iowa is located along two of the country's major east-west thoroughfares (I-80 and US 30) and the Highway of the Saints, a designated route of shared highways between the Twin Cities and St. Louis. I-380 serves a secondary route connecting Iowa City to Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.
The entire region is also serviced by airplane via the Eastern Iowa Airport, located just south of Cedar Rapids.
See
- 🌍 Field of Dreams, 28995 Lansing Rd, Dyersville, toll-free: +1-888-875-8404. Considered one of baseball's most-treasured landmarks. The field is the same used in the film Field of Dreams, nominated by the Academy Awards for Best Film of the Year of 1989. The film, based upon W.P. Kinsella's book Shoeless Joe, starred Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. At the time of filming, the field straddled two farms, with most of the field owned by one family but left and center field owned by another. Both families opened up separate tourist attractions, causing much controversy for years. Eventually, they made peace, with the owners of left and center field selling their slice of the movie site to the other family. Various events, including baseball and softball games, take place on the field at various times during the year. Approximately 200 mi (322 km) NE of Des Moines via I-80 and US Hwy 20. About 500 feet (150 m) away on a separate property is a ballpark that Major League Baseball built in 2021 to host a regular-season game marketed as MLB at Field of Dreams. The 2021 game drew the highest TV ratings for any regular-season game in at least 15 years, leading MLB to make it an annual event. With that ballpark seating far fewer spectators than normal MLB parks, tickets for the 2021 game were sold via a lottery system open only to Iowa residents. Free.
Eat
- 🌍 Ladora Bank Bistro, 811 Pacific St, Ladora (on Highway 6), ☏ +1 319 623-7766, info@ladorabank.com. Th–Sat, 4–9PM; Sun, noon to 6PM. Small, upscale restaurant serving craft beer and shared plates in a century-old bank building, which was built in the famed "Jewel Box" style. Reserve your table a few days in advance. No large groups are accepted, and sometimes the entire restaurant is closed for private events. Four broad steps up, with no handrails, means that this building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is completely inaccessible to wheelchair users. Restrooms in the basement.