1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons
Iowa ranks 42nd among states and provinces with markers in this database. Iowa is a state in the United States of America located in the American Midwest. It is also in the Upper Plains region. Iowa is some 58 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 3.2 million people. The state is divided into 99 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Iowa we have discovered historical markers in 233 cities and towns lying in 243 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 993 historical markers in Iowa, by our count. We have cataloged 971 historical markers and 215 war memorials—each individually presented on 1,164 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another 22 historical markers in Iowa that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Iowa marker in the database, Iowa’s Confederate General, was added September 18, 2007. It was photographed in Bentonsport in Van Buren County and was erected in 2007. The last one added was submitted on March 29, 2024, and titled Oakland Cemetery. It is in Keokuk in Lee County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Iowa was erected in 1866. It was this one: Yellow Spring Township Civil War Monument, and one of our correspondents found it in Kossuth in Des Moines County on September 14, 2021.
Iowans don’t want to forget their Industry and Commerce history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Iowa about Industry and Commerce—277 of them—than about any other historical topic. It is followed by Architecture with 244 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Industry and Commerce topic was Panther, added May 17, 2010. It had been erected near Adel in Dallas County. The last one submitted was submitted on March 3, 2024, and titled Decorah: A Walk into the Past. It had been erected in Decorah in Winneshiek County. The earliest marker erected with the Industry and Commerce topic that we have listed was erected in 1907. It is The National Humane Alliance Fountain, found in Council Bluffs in Pottawattamie County on April 17, 2016.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Iowa? What we know is that The Confederate Invasion of Iowa Monument is the most viewed entry in the database from Iowa since it was added in 2007. It is located in Bloomfield in Davis County. This year so far, the most viewed Iowan entry is located in Decorah in Winneshiek County. It is Decorah, Northeast Iowa, & the Neutral Ground.
Counties, Cities and Towns
The Iowa county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Scott County, with 62 of them. It is followed closely by Madison County with 59 markers. The Davenport area of Scott County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 43. In Madison County the area with the most markers, 59, is Winterset.
Checking the database for the city or town in Iowa with the most markers we again find Winterset at the top of the list with 59 markers in or near it. And Davenport also shows up again in next place, with 43 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 50273 at the top of the list with 59 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 50273 is assigned to Winterset IA.) It is followed by ZIP Code 52632 with 39 markers. (52632 is assigned to Keokuk IA including the Mooar, Sandusky, and Summitville delivery areas.)
Historical Markers Near These Iowa Cities and Towns
Getting back to Scott County, the first marker added to the database from there, Marion G. Crandell, was added July 16, 2010. It was erected in 1979 in Davenport. The last one submitted was uploaded on August 9, 2023, and is titled St. Ann's Church, near Long Grove. The earliest marker erected in Scott County that we have listed was erected in 1881. It was The Soldier's Monument, found in Davenport on July 13, 2022.
By Jason Voigt, March 28, 2024
Latest Entry from Iowa “Oakland Cemetery”
And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Winterset. The first: Winterset Civil War Memorial, was added October 9, 2009. It had been erected in 1867. The last: George Leslie Stout added on March 20, 2022. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1867: Winterset Civil War Memorial, added on October 9, 2009.
Who Puts Up Historical Markers?
There is no organization in charge of erecting official historical markers state-wide in Iowa today. A number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Iowa have been marked with history. Check out Chickasaw County, Butler County and Buchanan County. We've only found one historical marker in each. Visiting one or more of these parts of Iowa might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Iowa ranks 42nd among states and provinces with markers in this database. Iowa is a state in the United States of America located in the American Midwest. It is also in the Upper Plains region. Iowa is some 58 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 3.2 million people. The state is divided into 99 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Iowa we have discovered historical markers in 233 cities and towns lying in 243 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 993 historical markers in Iowa, by our count. We have cataloged 971 historical markers and 215 war memorials, each individually presented on 1,164 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another 22 historical markers in Iowa that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Iowa marker in the database, Iowa’s Confederate General, was added September 18, 2007. It was photographed in Bentonsport in Van Buren County and was erected in 2007. The last one added was submitted on March 29, 2024, and titled Oakland Cemetery. It is in Keokuk in Lee County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Iowa was erected in 1866. It was this one: Yellow Spring Township Civil War Monument, and one of our correspondents found it in Kossuth in Des Moines County on September 14, 2021.
Iowans don’t want to forget their Industry and Commerce history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Iowa about Industry and Commerce, 277 of them, than about any other historical topic. It is followed by Architecture with 244 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Industry and Commerce topic was Panther, added May 17, 2010. It had been erected near Adel in Dallas County. The last one submitted was submitted on March 3, 2024, and titled Decorah: A Walk into the Past. It had been erected in Decorah in Winneshiek County. The earliest marker erected with the Industry and Commerce topic that we have listed was erected in 1907. It is The National Humane Alliance Fountain, found in Council Bluffs in Pottawattamie County on April 17, 2016.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Iowa? What we know is that The Confederate Invasion of Iowa Monument is the most viewed entry in the database from Iowa since it was added in 2007. It is located in Bloomfield in Davis County. This year so far, the most viewed Iowan entry is located in Decorah in Winneshiek County. It is Decorah, Northeast Iowa, & the Neutral Ground.
Counties, Cities and Towns.
The Iowa county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Scott County, with 62 of them. It is followed closely by Madison County with 59 markers. The Davenport area of Scott County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 43. In Madison County the area with the most markers, 59, is Winterset.
Checking the database for the city or town in Iowa with the most markers we again find Winterset at the top of the list with 59 markers in or near it. And Davenport also shows up again in next place, with 43 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 5 0 2 7 3 at the top of the list with 59 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 5 0 2 7 3 is assigned to Winterset IA.) It is followed by ZIP Code 5 2 6 3 2 with 39 markers. (5 2 6 3 2 is assigned to Keokuk IA including the Mooar, Sandusky, and Summitville delivery areas.)
Getting back to Scott County, the first marker added to the database from there, Marion G. Crandell, was added July 16, 2010. It was erected in 1979 in Davenport. The last one submitted was uploaded on August 9, 2023, and is titled St. Ann's Church, near Long Grove. The earliest marker erected in Scott County that we have listed was erected in 1881. It was The Soldier's Monument, found in Davenport on July 13, 2022.
And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Winterset. The first: Winterset Civil War Memorial, was added October 9, 2009. It had been erected in 1867. The last: George Leslie Stout added on March 20, 2022. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1867: Winterset Civil War Memorial, added on October 9, 2009.
Who Puts Up Historical Markers?.
There is no organization in charge of erecting official historical markers state-wide in Iowa today. A number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path.
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Iowa have been marked with history. Check out Chickasaw County, Butler County and Buchanan County. We've only found one historical marker in each. Visiting one or more of these parts of Iowa might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Iowa ranks 42nd among states and provinces with markers in this database. Iowa is a state in the United States of America located in the American Midwest. It is also in the Upper Plains region. Iowa is some 58 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 3.2 million people. The state is divided into 99 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Iowa we have discovered historical markers in 233 cities and towns lying in 243 different ZIP Codes. 