I’ve read that the 100th meridian (which is about halfway to 2/3 of the way across Nebraska or South Dakota) is where the west begins. Iowa is obviously east of that, but I don’t consider Iowa an eastern state either. To me, it’s very midwestern.
Is Iowa an Eastern state?
- Thread starter Al_4_State
- Start date
Floral and Fauna are more "eastern" because where Iowa sits today was separated from where many western states live today by a sea at the time of the asteroid strike in te Yucatan that killed the dinosaurs. Still not it the east.
We’re kind of pre-west. Mostly treeless, but still green. Plenty of rain, but not all the grey.
History and culture leans west, I think. Maybe more so today than it did 50 years ago? Our rainfall is definitely not western.
We’re the most fully Midwestern state. There’s really no influence from other parts of the country in Iowa. But we’re a lot more like Kansas or North Dakota than Ohio or Michigan, IMO
There is no wrong answer.
Is it Eastern is not a yes or no question. What are your categories? 2 choices (Eastern or Western)?
If I assume it is, then I need the parameters.
If I'm deciding based on geographic center of area (which is in NW South Dakota), then we're an Eastern state.
If I'm deciding on the median center of population (SW Indiana), then we're a Western State.
If I'm deciding based on the mean center of populations (centeral Missouri, then we're both an Eastern and Western State.
If I'm deciding based on the mississippi river, we're western.
If I'm basing of the continental divide, we're eastern.
If I'm basing it off of the Appalachian Divide, we're western.
If I'm basing it off of ancestry, then its its western. Iowa's most common ancestries are either evenly distributed or maybe slightly towards the west (German, Norweigian, Dutch, Swedish,
I'm no climate, flora and fauna expert, but to my eye, we align more closely with Eastern.
For climante, its always seemed like states to the east of us are more like Iowa from a climate standpoint (N. Illinois, N Indiana, N Ohio, S. Michigan, N Pennsylvania compared to Nebraska, S. Wyoming, S. Idaho). If you look at a map of corn production, there is far more in traditional eastern states (Ohio, Kentucky, PA, VA, NC, TN) than there is in traditional western states. Same with soybeans. It stands to reason that our climate is perfect for Corn and Soybean production, and its pretty clearly true that Corn/Soybean production is more of an Eastern US thing. Even average rainfail, we're much closer to the states to our east than we are to the states to our west.
From a fauna standpoint, look at the some of the most common animals in Iowa and see where their population is heavy. White Tail Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Fox squirrel, Eastern Cottontail, EAstern Chipmunk, Opossum all skew to the east.. The Coyote is an exception, but in general, teh most common animals in Iowa are more commoneast of Iowa than west of Iowa.
Flora might be tougher. Iowa was naturally tallgrass prarie and that really etended from Illinois just based Iowa. Up to the Rockies, mixed and shortgrass prarie were prevalent, so we kinda tilt western. But we're wildly different from the Rockies and the Pacific Coast. If you look at the most common native trees (black ash, eastern red cedar, cottonwood), they skew eastern. Not all, but more skew eastern than western. Most of the dispersement of trees is north/south it seems.
A 2 way determination is really hard, but I think Iowa definitely falls into the Eastern category overall. Dividing it into Eastern/Western/Central makes more sense, but even thats not perfect.
You have to keep in mind regarding animals, that Iowa was traditionally home to a lot of western species that were driven off by white settlers. Bison, elk, mountain lions, prairie rattlers, prairie chickens, etc.
The animals we have today are very limited compared to what’s really native.
Grew up in north central, live in north east.
I visibly drive out of the Driftless hills into flat open windmill country every day.
If it needs to be East versus West I would say Iowa is more East than West. To me, Nebraska is the start of the West and the gradual increase to the mountains. You can see major changes from Iowa to Nebraska, for example. Geography, amount of lush vegetation, cultural, etc.
To me Iowa seems like two different states sometimes. Western Iowa is a lot different than eastern Iowa. Physically and culturally. Same can be said for northern vs southern. Even accents differ.
Up in northern Iowa there’s a very sudden and visible transition when you cross that line between the more plains-y flat farmland and wooded hills. On Highway 9 it happens at Cresco. On 18, it’s West Union
No doubt on this - by flora and fauna there is an eastern and western US, and Iowa is without question eastern. The Rockies and the deserts on either side are a huge natural barrier to animals and plants alike. I, an ‘educated individual’, still remember having my mind blown in grad school when a classmate from California told me they don’t have fireflies. Can you believe it?
That said, it’s silly to not use human culture in this question. In that account, Iowa is not eastern
This kind of reminds me the Family Guy episode where a lawyer questions Peter and asks him which description better describes Brian.
"Sexual deviant or magic picture where if you stare long enough you see something."
"Sexual deviant or magic picture where if you stare long enough you see something."
If we have to bifurcate the U.S., I would go with the 100th meridian. The Tragically Hip agrees with me.
I think the US is just too big to try to limit it to strictly east and west and any time you do will lead to illogical arguments, specifically from the states that don’t fall squarely into either category.
If you do insist on deciding if a state is east/west for some insane reason, I think you have to do it based strictly on latitudinal lines and I believe that puts Iowa in the east.
If you do insist on deciding if a state is east/west for some insane reason, I think you have to do it based strictly on latitudinal lines and I believe that puts Iowa in the east.
