Iowa City, IA Road Trips

Iowa City was the first capital of the State of Iowa, established in 1839 by the then-Territory of Iowa, which at the time was rapidly expanding westward from the Mississippi River. Within 20 years the capital was again moved westward, this time to the more centralized location of Des Moines, where it remains. But before the capital left, the University of Iowa was established and thus was the town's future course set. Today Iowa City is widely recognized as one of the most educated cities in the United States, with day-to-day life revolving around the University of Iowa, which is frequently regarded as one of the best public universities in the nation. The university has a major effect on the culture and economy of Iowa City, with an enrollment of over 30,000 students. Many of the town's jobs are associated with the university and its teaching hospital, with other large employers including educational service companies ACT and Pearson. Iowa City is also noted for the university's Writer's Workshop, a celebrated creative writing program that has produced many a noted author. The Writer's Workshop established a strong literary community in the area, which is reflected in the town's literary festivals and the famed Prairie Lights bookstore. All of this led to Iowa City being named the third UNESCO City of Literature, so far the only such city in North America. Iowa City gets more than its fair share of severe weather. It was hit by the 2006 tornadoes and by the 2008 floods, which resulted in the temporary closure of most of the major bridges in the city.

1 Old Capitol Museum, 21 Old Capitol (Iowa Ave & Clinton St.), ☏ +1 319 335-0548. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Th 10AM-8PM, Su 1-5PM. Tour Iowa's first capitol building in the center of the Pentacrest. Inside you'll find three floors of exhibits linked by a beautiful spiral staircase within the building's rotunda. The original Senate and Legislature Chambers are open as well as a couple of galleries which host changing exhibitions. Gift shop. Free. (updated Sep 2016) 2 University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, 160 W Burlington Street (on the corner of Burlington and Madison, near the University Main Library), ☏ +1 319 335-1727. Tu W 10 AM–4:30 PM, Th 10 AM–8 PM, F Sa 10 AM–4:30 PM, Su noon–4:30 PM, closed Monday. This museum's collection includes some European paintings, a large collection of African and Mesoamerican art, and some modern art among other objects. Free. (updated Jun 2023) 3 University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, 11 Macbride Hall (inside MacBride Hall at the corner of Jefferson and Clinton Sts), ☏ +1 319 335-0480. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Th 10AM-8PM, Su 1-5PM. One of the oldest museums west of the Mississippi, this place has many well-crafted displays of taxidermy figures, prehistoric artifacts, and exhibits on Iowa's geology and ecology, as well as the state's Native American cultures.

1 City Park, 200 E. Park Road. A large riverside park with lots of amenities for families, including picnic shelters, ponds, playgrounds, athletic facilities, a boat ramp, a small amusement park for little kids that's open in the summer months, and an outdoor Shakespeare theater. (updated May 2017) 2 Hickory Hill Park. A large natural wooded area on the northeast corner of town, past Oakland Cemetery, with lots of trails meandering through woods, reconstructed prairie and wetlands. Popular with day hikers and picnickers in the summer and cross-country skiers and sledders in the winter. (updated May 2017) Only minutes to the north, Lake MacBride and Coralville Lake offer beaches, camping, hiking, and boating. Twenty minutes west of Iowa City on Highway 6 lies F.W. Kent State Park, another popular camping destination with a small lake and beach. 3 Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St, ☏ +1 319 688-2653. A historic theatre, first opened in 1912, now operates as a stage for plays, comedy and music performances, and community events. Also home to a small gallery showcasing local artwork. 4 Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St, ☏ +1 319 338-7672. Iowa City's resident professional theatre presents both classic and contemporary theatre. Most popular are Shakespeare plays, which are performed each summer at City Park's Shakespeare Theater. 5 FilmScene, 118 E. College Street (on the Ped Mall), ☏ +1 319 358-2555. An independent movie theater that shows many indie, arthouse, and foreign films, as well as special events such as film discussions and community screenings.

1 Bread Garden Market, 225 S Linn St (on the Ped Mall), ☏ +1 319 354-4246. Daily 6:30AM-10PM. An organic grocery store with some good lunch options, including some excellent soups and breads as well as a salad and buffet bar. Tends to be on the pricey side, but is a good spot for a quick lunch or snack. (updated Sep 2016) 2 Chez Grace (formerly Cafe Z), 424 6th Ave # 101, Coralville, ☏ +1 319 338-1738. Tu-Sa 5-9:30PM, Su 5-9PM. French cuisine. (updated Jun 2023) 3 The Hamburg Inn No. 2, 214 N Linn St, ☏ +1 319 337-5512. Daily 6:30AM-11PM. Hamburgers, soups, a large selection of omelets and more. An Iowa City institution, noted for often being a stop for politicians during campaign season. 4 Masala, 9 S Dubuque St, ☏ +1 319 338-6199. Daily 10AM-2:30PM, 5PM-9:30PM. East Indian food. This place is leagues above the other Indian restaurant in town. 5 Oasis, 206 N. Linn St, ☏ +1 319 358-7342. Daily 11AM-9PM. Popular local Mediterranean food. Serving falafel, hummus, babba ganoush, tabbouleh. 6 Pagliai's Pizza, 302 E Bloomington St (various locations in the state), ☏ +1 319 351-5073. M-Sa 4PM-midnight, Su 4PM-11PM. Pizza from family recipes. Thin-crust style. 7 Short's Burger, 18 South Clinton Street, ☏ +1 319 337-4678. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM. Serving marvelously thick burgers and sandwiches, with only Iowa-made beers and ciders on tap. 8 Z'Mariks Noodle Cafe, 19 S Dubuque St, ☏ +1 319 338-5500. Asian, Greek and Italian noodle dishes.

Because of the university, downtown is very busy on weekend nights. With thousands of college-aged people (and older folks staying around for home games) drinking within a few blocks of each other, use caution when walking to or visiting establishments. There is a bar for all types. State law requires alcohol purchases to be made before 2AM. After 10PM non-exempt drinking establishments only allow persons 21 years of age and older, unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, spouse or domestic partner. 1 Brothers Bar and Grill, 125 S Dubuque St (on the Ped Mall), ☏ +1 319 338-6373. Due to the large cover for those yet to turn 21 years of age, it caters to an older crowd. There's a dance floor and it's pretty upbeat. 2 Studio 13, 13 S Linn St. Iowa City's only gay bar and dance club. DJs most nights of the week, plus fun drag shows, karaoke, theme parties and contests. Mainly college-aged (19+). 3 The Airliner, 22 S Clinton St, ☏ +1 319 351-9259. A staple bar for decades. It's known for incredible pizza ($1.50/slice on Sundays) and cheap drinks. Visited by Tom Brokaw in May 2008 when his favorite booth as a student was dedicated to him with a plaque. 4 Joe's Place, 115 Iowa Ave, ☏ +1 319 338-6717. Located downtown and generally caters to an older crowd. Fairly laid-back atmosphere. 5 Elray's Live & Dive (formerly The Q, The Industry, and Blue Moose Tap House), 211 Iowa Ave, ☏ +1 319 519-6306. Good place to play pool and get cheap beer. Draws a fairly diverse crowd and has great music with frequent shows upstairs.

1 Hotel Vetro, 201 S Linn St, toll-free: +1-800-592-0355. New, modern, hotel downtown on the Pedestrian Mall, in Iowa City's tallest building. 2 Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel & Conference Center (formerly Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center), 300 E 9th St, Coralville (I-80, exit 242), ☏ +1 319 688-4000. Large hotel and conference center at the Iowa River Landing in Coralville, with river views. (updated Jun 2023) 3 Hilton Garden Inn Downtown University (Hilton Garden Inn), 328 South Clinton Street, ☏ +1 319-248-6100. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Opened in 2017, 100% smoke free, close to downtown. (updated Jun 2019) 4 Iowa House Hotel (at the Iowa Memorial Union), 125 N Madison St, ☏ +1 319 335-3513, [email protected]. On the campus of the university, inside the Memorial Union building. Few frills, but the location is hard to beat for the price. $85+. (updated Aug 2017)

Iowa City can be reached by I-80 from Chicago to the east and Des Moines to the west. I-380 brings in traffic from Cedar Rapids and Waterloo to the north. Especially in the fall and winter, expect traffic delays from university games as there are very few main roads or entrances/exits to I-80. The nearest commercial airport, the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID IATA), is in Cedar Rapids, about 20 miles to the north on I-380. A taxi to Iowa City may cost $40; a shuttle $25. Sometimes lower-cost flights are available into Moline (MLI IATA) or Des Moines (DSM IATA). 1 Iowa City Municipal Airport (IOW IATA). General aviation airport. No scheduled passenger service. (updated Aug 2020) Greyhound and Burlington Trailways offer bus service to a variety of cities, mostly ones along Interstate 80. They operate from the 2 Court Street Transportation Center, located at the northeast corner of East Court Street and South Dubuque Street in Downtown Iowa City.

Walking is the easiest way to get around Downtown Iowa City; the main campus of the university is right in the middle of Downtown and is very integrated with the town. West Campus, on the other side of the river, is more sprawling and hilly and is home to the hospital campus and most of the athletic stadiums and facilities. Bicycling is also a common way of getting around town; the university's biking page has a good list of resources for bicyclers. For greater distances, there is an extensive bus system called Iowa City Transit; fare was originally $1, but is now free due to a program started in 2023. The university's Cambus system covers most campus buildings and is free and open to the public; the most useful routes for visitors are the Red and Blue, which loop between Downtown and West Campus clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively. Coralville Transit handles bus transit between Iowa City and Coralville; fare is $1.