Central Iowa

Central Iowa wraps around Des Moines and the broad agricultural plains at the geographic center of the state. The terrain is gently rolling — the result of repeated glaciation — with the Des Moines, Raccoon, and Skunk rivers cutting across it on their way south toward the Mississippi. Polk County holds Des Moines proper, with Dallas, Story, Boone, Jasper, Marshall, Greene, Poweshiek, and Tama counties forming the surrounding ring. Anchor towns include Des Moines, Ames (home to Iowa State University), Ankeny, West Des Moines, Newton, Marshalltown, Boone, Grinnell (with Grinnell College), and Jefferson. Saylorville Lake handles most of the regional water recreation; Adventureland sits in Altoona; the Iowa Speedway runs in Newton. Most visits build outward from Des Moines. The capital handles the urban half of the trip — museums, the East Village, and the State Capitol — and the smaller towns within an hour’s drive supply the rural counterweight: Iowa State’s campus in Ames, Newton’s Maytag and racing history, and the historic squares at Marshalltown and Grinnell. The Iowa State Fair in August remains the region’s largest single draw.