13 Surprising Things About Moving To Iowa

So you’re thinking about moving to Iowa or have just moved here? Or maybe you’ve been here a while and want to reminisce on some surprises you had when moving here for the first time. Either way, this article details some surprises one might have when moving to America’s Heartland.

It isn’t just flat! We may not have mountains, but we have the Loess Hills.

Michael Leland/Flickr

There is so much more than cornfields. The Iowa Great Lakes, for instance?

Alex Egeland Photography/Flickr

There is tons of culture here. Have you ever been to the Czech Village in Cedar Rapids, or walked around East Village in Des Moines?

Mike Willis/Flickr

There is so much history here. From historic landmarks to museums, a piece of Iowa’s past is never far.

C.h.carroll/Wikimedia Commons

From cave exploring to white water rafting to hot air ballooning, there is so much to do here.

blaidd/Flickr

Plus, we have some pretty amazing state parks. Eighty-five of them, to be exact.

nome joy/Flickr

We bet you didn’t know there are some pretty amazing beaches here too…

A. M. A. Campbell/FLickr

And yes, we even have our own island.

CJ Oliver/Flickr

And if you live here, don’t be surprised if you stumble across some famous film site…

J. Stephen Conn/FLickr

Or the childhood home of any number of famous Hollywood actors.

John Jacobsen/FLickr

Plus, the Iowa State Fair really is as amazing as they say it is.

Brian Abeling/Facebook

And you will never run out of delicious places to eat.

Jenni Konrad/Flickr

But what will surprise you most of all is how nice your neighbors really are. You heard Iowans were friendly, but you had no idea they were this friendly… They just came over to welcome you to the neighborhood with a pan of something they called scotcharoos?

Teressa/Flickr

What are some more surprising things you might not expect when moving to Iowa? Share your thoughts, or personal experiences, with us!