Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Johnson |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ross Wilburn |
| Elevation | 668 ft (204 m) |
| Population (2006 Census est.) | |
| • Total | 62,649 (city proper) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Website | http://www.icgov.org/ |
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, USA. It is the principal city of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of both Johnson and Washington counties. As of the 2006 census estimate, the city had a total population of 62,649, making it the sixth-largest city in Iowa. It is the county seat of Johnson CountyTemplate:GR and the home of The University of Iowa. Iowa City was the first state capital of Iowa, until the capital was moved to Des Moines in 1857. The Old Capitol building is a major landmark, and stands as a tourist attraction in the middle of the University of Iowa campus. The University of Iowa Art Museum and Plum Grove, home of the first governor of Iowa, are other tourist attractions.
Geography
Iowa City is located at 41°39′21″N 91°31′30″W / 41.65583°N 91.52500°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (41.655816, -91.524991)Template:GR, along the Iowa River.
The city has a total area of 63.3 km² (24.4 mi²). 62.6 km² (24.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (1.15%) is water.
The elevation at the Iowa City Municipal Airport is 668 ft. (203.6 m) above sea level.
Transportation
Iowa City has a general aviation airport - the Iowa City Municipal Airport - on the south side of the city. The nearest airport with passenger service is The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, about 20 miles (32 km) to the northwest.
Interstate 80 runs east-west along the north edge of Iowa City. U.S. Highway 218 and Iowa Highway 27 (the Avenue of the Saints) are co-signed along a freeway bypassing Iowa City to the west. U.S. Highway 6 and Iowa Highway 1 also run through Iowa City.
Iowa City is served by the Iowa Interstate Railroad and the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CRANDIC or CRandIC).
Iowa City Transit[1], Coralville Transit[2], and the University of Iowa's "Cambus" system[3] provide public transportation.
Metropolitan area
The Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Johnson and Washington counties in Iowa; Washington County was added to the MSA after the 2000 census. It had a 2000 census population of 131,676, and a 2006 estimated population of 139,567.[1]
Iowa City is flanked by Coralville and North Liberty. University Heights is completely contained within the boundaries of Iowa City, near Kinnick Stadium. Tiffin, Solon, and Hills are other small towns within a few miles. These cities, along with Cedar Rapids to the north, are often referred to in the area as "The Corridor", due to the fact that they are all found within the Interstate 380 corridor.
Sports
Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa's athletic teams, known as the Iowa Hawkeyes. The football team plays at Kinnick Stadium, while men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and the wrestling teams compete at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Culture
Iowa City is the home of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, whose graduates include John Irving, Flannery O'Connor, T.C. Boyle and many other prominent American authors; the nation's leading Non-Fiction Writing Program; the Iowa Playwrights Workshop; the Iowa Summer Writing Festival; and the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated International Writing Program, a unique residency program that has hosted writers from more than 120 countries.
This literary heritage is also shown in the Iowa Avenue Literary Walk, comprised of a series of bronze relief panels that feature authors' words as well as attribution. 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 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.
In 2004. Forbes Magazine named Iowa City the third Best Small Metropolitan Area in the United States.[4]
Utne Magazine ranked Iowa City eighth in its 1997 survey of "America's 10 Most Enlightened Towns".[5]
In June 2006, Kiplinger's rated Iowa City #10 on its list of the Top 50 Smart Places to Live. [6]
The Iowa Biennial Exhibition [TIBE] [7] began in 2004 as an international survey of contemporary miniature printmaking held its initial exhibition at the University of Iowa. The 2006 [8] exhibition, currently underway, 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.
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.[2]
In the fall of 2001, the cupola of the Old Capitol 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 as it appeared during the time Iowa City was the state capitol. 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.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 62,220 people, 25,202 households, and 11,189 families residing in the city. The population density was 994.3/km² (2,575.0/mi²). There were 26,083 housing units at an average density of 416.8/km² (1,079.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.33% White, 3.75% African American, 0.31% Native American, 5.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.95% of the population.
There were 25,202 households out of which 21.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 2% were households with same-sex couples (2000 U.S. Census), 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 16.2% under the age of 18, 32.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
Iowa City is commonly known as a "university town". It is home to the University of Iowa and also a small campus for Kirkwood Community College. The population increases during the months when the two schools are in session.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,977, and the median income for a family was $57,568. Males had a median income of $35,435 versus $28,981 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,269. About 2.7% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
Iowa City is tied with Stamford, Connecticut, for the US metropolitan area with the highest percentage of the adult population holding a bachelor's degree or higher; 44 percent of adults hold a degree. (US Dept of Commerce @ www.census.gov)
2006 tornado
On the evening of April 13, 2006, one or more tornadoes struck Iowa City, causing severe property damage and displacing many from their homes, including many University of Iowa students. It was the first tornado ever to be recorded to hit Iowa City directly. No serious injuries were reported in the Iowa City area, but one person in rural Muscatine County died in a related storm. [9]
A popular Dairy Queen [10] which had been in business for 54 years was a victim of the storm (but was reopened in late September), along with two large car dealerships, and several other businesses along Riverside Drive and Iowa Highway 1. The 134-year-old Saint Patrick's Catholic Church was heavily damaged only minutes after Holy Thursday Mass, with most of its roof destroyed. The building was ruled a total loss and has since been demolished. The downtown business district as well as the eastern residential area and several parks suffered scattered damage of varying degree.
Additionally, several houses in the sorority row area were destroyed. The Alpha Chi Omega house was completely destroyed though no one was injured. Cleanup efforts were underway almost immediately as local law enforcement, volunteer workers from all over the state, and Iowa City residents and college students worked together to restore the city. The total cost of damage was estimated at around $12 million. A map of the damaged areas, links to photo archives, and more information can be found at the Iowa City Public Library tornado page.
Local color
- The car-free Pedestrian 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 Jazz Fest. The Pedestrian Mall area contains restaurants, bars, retail, hotels, and the Iowa City Public Library.
- 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.
- Hamburg Inn No. 2 is a popular family restaurant and 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 US Presidents, including Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan. It was featured in the New York Times for its widely renowned "pie shakes." Other famous local restaurants include Pagliai's Pizza and The Mill.
- Under the leadership of Professor James Van Allen, the University of Iowa has played an important part in the American space exploration program.
- On June 9, 1856, 500 Mormon handcart pioneers left Iowa City and headed west for Salt Lake City, Utah, carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled handcarts. They had arrived by train. At that time, Iowa City was the westernmost rail terminus.
- Local historian Irving Weber[11] distinguished himself through his articles about various important Iowa City landmarks. A school in the area is named after him. Read the articles online through the Iowa Heritage Digital Collections [12]
- ACT college testing services is headquartered in Iowa City.
- As part of the cable franchise agreement with Mediacom, the city's lone cable provider, the Iowa City community is served by an Iowa high of seven Public, educational, and government access [PEG] television channels. They are as follows: City Channel 4, Infovision [channel 5], Iowa City Public Library Channel [channel 10], Kirkwood Television Services [channel 11], University of Iowa Television [channel 17], Public Access Television (PATV) [channel 18], and the Iowa City Community School District [channel 21].
Notable natives
- Thomas R. Cech, the 1989 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry
- Tim Dwight, an NFL player with the Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots and New York Jets. He played high school football at Iowa City High School and college football at the University of Iowa.
- Dan Gable, Olympic gold medalist; served as head wrestling coach for the Hawkeyes, leading the program to 21 Big Ten conference championships and 15 national championships.
- Nate Kaeding, another NFL player, is a kicker for the San Diego Chargers. He played at Iowa City West High School and the University of Iowa.
- Janet Guthrie, female NASCAR driver
- Actor Hill Harper
- Greg Brown, folk musician
- John T. Struble (1831-1916) early builder and farmer.
- Joey Woody, World Champion sprinter.
- Maxime Tremblay, Famous prohibition-era moonshine smuggler, later Nascar driver.
- Emma J. Harvat (1870 - 1949), first female mayor in the USA of any city over 10,000 people (1922).
- Zach Johnson (B. 1976), PGA Tour Player. Winner of 2007 Masters.
See also
References
- ^ Iowa Data Center. "Population Estimates and Components of Population Change for Iowa's Metropolitan Areas (2003 Definition): 2000-2006" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-04-06.
- ^ NCI designation, from the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Website. Accessed April 7 2007.
External links
- City of Iowa City
- Iowa City Public Library
- Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce
- University of Iowa
- Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Iowa City Alive - Restaurant/Bar Reviews
- Hancher Auditorium
- Iowa City Press-Citizen newspaper
- The Englert Theatre
- Iowa City Community Theatre
- Daily Iowan newspaper
- Agudas Achim Congregation
- Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City
- [13]
- April 13th Iowa City Tornado Outbreak -Includes image gallery and over 900+ high-resolution images.
- Iowa City Beat
- Irving B. Weber Information
- Iowa City Summer of the Arts Organization
- Art
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