The Midwestern state of Iowa, also called the Hawkeye State, is famous for its quirky attractions, beautiful scenic trails, beer and breweries, and agritourism. Superlative oddities abound in Iowa. Whether it’s the world’s largest strawberry, the world’s oldest ice cream parlour in Wilton, the USA’s widest street in Onawa, the world’s largest bull in Audubon, or the world’s largest corn stalk in Shelby, get ready to be filled with surprises whenever you book cheap flights to Iowa for a vacation. Plan to visit a wonderful state where breathtaking natural beauty in the countryside is waiting to be unravelled.
Top Cities to Visit in Iowa
Des Moines: Iowa’s capital and largest city offers plenty of things for you to experience. Named after Des Moines River, the state’s capital is ready to attract you with its rich history, cultural attractions like the State Capitol building, botanical gardens, zoo, music, arts festival, and entertainment options like Adventureland. The Broadway show taking place many nights throughout the year is also a major attraction for tourists. Flights to Des Moines will bring you to an amazing family-friendly destination where you will be offered excellent restaurants and child-centric museums as well.
Dubuque: Iowa’s oldest city Dubuque is historic, and has successfully transformed itself as a lively destination for tourists with its Mississippi River waterfront. A great destination for cruises, Dubuque is also ready to attract you with its iconic National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, where you can see six big aquariums full of river creatures, tour a 1934 steamer, and experience touch tanks. Special events like log rolling and ice sculpture take place in the city throughout the year. Dubuque was first town founded in Iowa in 1833, and acts as a bridge between rural and urban Iowa.
Sioux City: Situated in northwest Iowa, Sioux City is hugely popular for its art and history museums, especially the Sioux City Public Museum and the Sioux City Art Center. History buffs will enjoy visiting the Sergeant Floyd River Museum and learn about the industrial history of the town surrounding the Missouri River. The interactive attractions at the Children’s Museum will keep the kids and families entertained endlessly. Also, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is a must visit for the families.
Cedar Rapids: A perfect family-friendly destination, Cedar Rapids is absolutely one of the best cities for kids in Iowa with its extensive list of restaurants, entertainment and other attractions. Some of the popular attractions worth visiting in Cedar Rapids include Play Station, the Cedar Rapids Public Library, the Newbo City Market, the Speedeez Indoor Karting, and the Iowa Children's Museum.
Best Time to Visit Iowa
The best time for visiting Iowa is during the fall season from September to October, and sometimes even into the first half of November. The weather is pleasant with significant drop in humidity due to the summer rain drying up. The daytime temperature at this time hovers in the 70s F. Along with lovely weather, the farm harvest season and the changing colors of the trees also provides tons of fun activities and some of the best scenery for you to enjoy. Iowa is also great to visit during the shoulder seasons of April and May.
Best Things to See and Do in Iowa
Iowa might be an underrated destination for many. However, the state has much to offer with its charming towns with a deep history inspired by a glorious Dutch heritage, and unique beach towns offering waterside amusement parks. Iowa will keep you entertained in many ways no matter whatever season you choose to visit the state. Take delightful walks along the river when visiting in the autumn, play golf during spring, enjoy festivals, drive-in theatres and shop at flea markets in summer, or go for snowmobile excursions in winter. Here’s how to experience Iowa at its best.
- Make group flight reservations to visit Iowa River in the tranquil and quaint city of Iowa Falls with your family. Spanning over 320 miles, this tributary of the mighty Mississippi is one of the most scenic waterways in the western USA. While the Iowa River is magical, the city is also ready to attract you with its restaurants, shops and parks
- Visit the Amana Colonies, listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1965, to learn about the history of a group of pietists who left Germany in the 19th century in search of religious freedom and finally settled seven villages in Iowa. Thousands of visitors are attracted to the Amana Colonies every year to know about the lifestyle of the community, their faith, farming, hard work and hospitality
- For all those who love parks and sculpture, the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines is the perfect place to visit. The 28 oversized sculpture in the beautiful 4.4-acre park is a contemporary art mecca in downtown Des Moines. You will surely admire the sculptures made by some of the world’s famous artists associated with the Des Moines Art Center
- Explore the eponymous covered bridges of Madison County, which inspired a movie and a novel. Six of the original 19 covered bridges still exist in Madison County. Search for student flight discounts with best online travel agents like FlyOfinder to visit Iowa with your college friends to learn about the history of the covered bridges and also attend the covered bridge festival in October. This unique, unforgettable experience must be treasured on your Iowa trip
- Take advantage of senior travel deals to visit the classic vacation spot of the Iowa Great Lakes, located 210 miles northwest of Des Moines. This string of glacial lakes covering an area of about 15,000 acres is one of the best places in the state for fishing, swimming and glass-bottom boat tours to see marine life. Carnival rides and tons of entertainment is also waiting for you at an amusement theme park
Airlines to Iowa
American Airlines: Top routes served by American Airlines from Iowa include Dallas (DFW), Philadelphia (PHL), Washington (DCA), Charlotte (CLT) and San Francisco (SFO)
United Airlines: Top routes served by United Airlines from Iowa include Boston (BOS), Washington (IAD), Dallas (DFW), San Francisco (SFO) and Seattle (SEA)
Delta Airlines: Top routes served by Delta Airlines from Iowa include Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS), Minneapolis (MSP) and Detroit (DTW)
Southwest Airlines: Top routes served by Southwest Airlines from Iowa include Orlando (MCO), St. Louis (STL), Las Vegas (LAS), Denver (DEN) and Phoenix (PHX)
Frontier Airlines: Top routes served by Frontier Airlines from Iowa include Seattle (SEA), Phoenix (PHX), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX) and Las Vegas (LAS)
Allegiant Air: Top routes served by Allegiant Air from Iowa include Austin (AUS), Chicago (MDW), Destin (VPS), Las Vegas (LAS) and Los Angeles (LAX)
