View source for Iowa River

{{short description|Tributary of the Mississippi River in Iowa, United States}}
{{for|the list of rivers|List of rivers of Iowa}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name              = Iowa River
| image             = Iowa River.jpg
| image_size        = 
| image_alt         = 
| image_caption     = The Iowa River upstream of [[Marshalltown, Iowa]]
| map               = Iowarivermap.png
| map_size          = 
| map_alt           = 
| map_caption       = Map showing the Iowa River (to the left) and its tributary the Cedar River
| name_native       = 
| name_native_lang  = 
| name_other        = 
| country           = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = [[Iowa]]
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = confluence of East Branch Iowa River and West Branch Iowa River
| source1_location   = [[Belmond, Iowa|Belmond]]
| source1_coordinates= {{Coord|42.860524|-93.6138214|region:US-IA_type:river_source:gnis|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = 
| mouth              = [[Mississippi River]]
| mouth_location     = near [[Toolesboro, Iowa|Toolesboro]]
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|41|9|38|N|91|1|26|W|region:US-IA_type:river_source:gnis|display=it}}
| progression       = 
| location          = 
| etymology         = 
| length            = {{convert|323|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref>{{GNIS|457834|Iowa River}}</ref>
| discharge1_location=[[Oakville, Iowa]]
| discharge1_avg    =14,109 cu/ft. per sec.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/uv/?site_no=05465700&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060|title=Iowa River|website=USGS}}</ref>
| basin_size        = 
| river_system      = [[Mississippi River]]
| tributaries_left  = [[Swisher Creek]], [[Cedar River (Iowa River tributary)|Cedar River]]
| tributaries_right = [[English River (Iowa)|English River]]
| custom_label      =
| custom_data       =
}}

The '''Iowa River''' is a [[tributary]] of the [[Mississippi River]] in the state of [[Iowa]] in the [[United States]].  It is about {{convert|323|mi}} long<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |date=2012-03-29 }}, accessed May 13, 2011</ref> and is open to small river craft to [[Iowa City, Iowa|Iowa City]], about {{convert|65|mi}} from its mouth. Its major tributary is the [[Cedar River (Iowa River tributary)|Cedar River]].

==Course==
It rises in two branches, the West Branch and East Branch, both of which have their [[headwaters]] in [[Hancock County, Iowa|Hancock County]], each about {{convert|38|mi}} long and which join in [[Belmond, Iowa|Belmond]].<ref name=NHD/>

The Iowa then proceeds roughly in a southeast direction, passing through the city of [[Iowa Falls, Iowa|Iowa Falls]], through a scenic valley to [[Steamboat Rock, Iowa|Steamboat Rock]], then through the cities of [[Eldora, Iowa|Eldora]], [[Marshalltown, Iowa|Marshalltown]], [[Tama, Iowa|Tama]], and [[Marengo, Iowa|Marengo]], and through the [[Amana Colonies]] in [[Iowa County, Iowa|Iowa County]]. In [[Johnson County, Iowa|Johnson County]], it becomes impounded by the Coralville Dam in the [[Coralville Lake|Coralville Reservoir]], which turns southward to the spillway. The river runs generally south and passes through [[Iowa City, Iowa|Iowa City]] and the [[University of Iowa]] campus. A [[lowhead dam]] at Burlington Street in Iowa City is the last dam before the river's confluence with the Mississippi. South of Iowa City, it is joined in [[Washington County, Iowa|Washington County]] by the [[English River (Iowa)|English River]], and then in [[Louisa County, Iowa|Louisa County]] it is joined by the [[Cedar River (Iowa River tributary)|Cedar River]] to flow into the Mississippi.

==Uses==
The Iowa River is noted for recreational and commercial fishing. Game fish include [[largemouth bass|largemouth]] and [[smallmouth bass]], [[walleye]], [[northern pike]], [[channel catfish|channel]] and [[flathead catfish]], [[crappie]] and other [[panfish]]. The Coralville Reservoir is [[commercial fishing|commercially fished]] for [[carp]] and [[ictiobus|buffalo fish]].

[[Pine Lake State Park]] is located on the Iowa River at [[Eldora, Iowa|Eldora]].

==Floods==
The Iowa can flood, notably in the [[June 2008 Midwest floods]], and the [[Great Flood of 1993]]. The Cedar and its tributaries, including the [[Shell Rock River]], can contribute to flooding events.
It tore down the historical swinging bridge in Charles City, Iowa.

==August 2022 jawbone discovery==
On the afternoon of August 8, 2022, Marshall County Conservation staff discovered a jawbone from a prehistoric Native American of middle age or older in the Iowa River in Marshall County.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/sheriff-human-remains-believed-to-have-been-discovered-along-iowa-river-marshall-county/40871293 |title=Sheriff: Human remains believed to have been discovered along Iowa River |work=[[KCCI]] |date=August 11, 2022 |access-date=23 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mollenbeck |first=Andrew |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/jawbone-found-in-iowa-river-belonged-to-prehistoric-human/41319743 |title=Jawbone from prehistoric times found in Iowa River |work=[[KCCI]] |date=22 September 2022 |access-date=23 September 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Homer D. Calkins]]
*[[List of rivers of Iowa]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Collier's Poster}}
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{gnis|457834|Iowa River}}
*{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Iowa (river)|short=x|display=Iowa. A river in the State of Iowa}}
* [https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atestirc Iowa River Collection]

{{Minnesota tributaries of the lower Mississippi drainage basin|state=collapsed}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Iowa River|*]]
[[Category:Rivers of Iowa]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the Mississippi River]]
[[Category:Rivers of Hancock County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Rivers of Iowa County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Rivers of Johnson County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Rivers of Hardin County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Rivers of Marshall County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Rivers of Tama County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Mississippi River watershed]]