Is Iowa an Eastern state?

[Al_4_State]

I've gotten drawn into a debate on a geography forum I visit about what parts of the Midwest (if any) constitute the eastern US. Most people agree that anything in Central time can't really be considered eastern, but there's a poster who just stridently asserts that states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri aren't just Eastern, but decidedly Eastern in terms of climate, flora, and fauna, and geography. This seems like an insane take to me, but I'm willing to entertain the idea that I'm the outlier here.

I've always considered Iowa the most wholly Midwestern state, and view the Mississippi as the east/west fulcrum of the United States, but I believe you have to quite a ways in either direction before you're truly in the "west" or the "east".

Where's the CF peanut gallery on this question?

 

[drmwevr08]

There are idiots everywhere. If all he's doing is drawing a line in the middle, I guess?

 

[Gunnerclone]

Definitely not decidedly eastern.

 

[wxman1]

IF you were to draw a single line and say you have to be on one or the other I would put it much more along the Missouri River and on down south from there on the western border of Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.

That being said neither.

 

[enisthemenace]

I like to prefer to say “neither” but in an either/or situation like this, I’d say “western” for the same reason as the OP. If I have to, I’d consider the Mississippi River the dividing line.

 

[KennyPratt42]

Is the question, if you are classifying every state as either east or west, where would Iowa fall? If that's the case then yes I agree Iowa is clearly an eastern state. The western borders of MN, IA, MO, AR, and LA are roughly the dividing line (and probably even somewhere in the middle of the Dakotas, NE, KS, OK, and TX).

Now if the question is what states are eastern states and its not a binary distinction, then I agree Iowa is likely outside of what I would classify as eastern states. However, it kind of depends how many groups you're dividing them into or if states can be in multiple groups. Iowa is more similar to Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio from a geographic sense than if you were going to go that same distance north, south, or west from Iowa.

 

[enisthemenace]

IF you were to draw a single line and say you have to be on one or the other I would put it much more along the Missouri River and on down south from there on the western border of Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.

That being said neither.

The Missouri River is certainly a valid consideration (in contrast to my other post) because topography is like two different worlds along parts of the Missouri River, particularly South Dakota.

 

[rosshm16]

One of the more foolish arguments I've ever heard.

What does he consider "The Midwest", if Iowa isn't part of it? Or is there no Midwest in this model?

 

[CHim]

Brick Tamland said we are in the middle east.

 

[JM4CY]

I've gotten drawn into a debate on a geography forum I visit about what parts of the Midwest (if any) constitute the eastern US. Most people agree that anything in Central time can't really be considered eastern, but there's a poster who just stridently asserts that states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri aren't just Eastern, but decidedly Eastern in terms of climate, flora, and fauna, and geography. This seems like an insane take to me, but I'm willing to entertain the idea that I'm the outlier here.

I've always considered Iowa the most wholly Midwestern state, and view the Mississippi as the east/west fulcrum of the United States, but I believe you have to quite a ways in either direction before you're truly in the "west" or the "east".

Where's the CF peanut gallery on this question?

What exactly is flora and fauna? Sounds like a pet name for your wife’s boobs.

 

[FerShizzle]

 

[Al_4_State]

What exactly is flora and fauna? Sounds like a pet name for your wife’s boobs.

Plants and animals.

Which could also kinda work for boob nicknames

 

[Al_4_State]

One of the more foolish arguments I've ever heard.

What does he consider "The Midwest", if Iowa isn't part of it? Or is there no Midwest in this model?

His argument is that the Midwest is really just all Eastern except for the western parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas.

My argument is that there’s a Midwest that’s neither east nor west. Iowa is squarely that.

 

[HFCS]

Ohio is the only midwest state that's debatably "eastern".

Kentucky is "the south" and Michigan and Indiana are definitely not in the east.

Ohio, WV and western PA are why the term "rust belt" is useful. I don't think it really fits when people put Indiana/Michigan or even Illinois in Rust belt.

 

[cyfan92]

The "East" ends in Appalachia.

 

[2speedy1]

I've gotten drawn into a debate on a geography forum I visit about what parts of the Midwest (if any) constitute the eastern US. Most people agree that anything in Central time can't really be considered eastern, but there's a poster who just stridently asserts that states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri aren't just Eastern, but decidedly Eastern in terms of climate, flora, and fauna, and geography. This seems like an insane take to me, but I'm willing to entertain the idea that I'm the outlier here.

I've always considered Iowa the most wholly Midwestern state, and view the Mississippi as the east/west fulcrum of the United States, but I believe you have to quite a ways in either direction before you're truly in the "west" or the "east".

Where's the CF peanut gallery on this question?

By geography, and if you only are going to go with an East/West split. Usually that line is the Mississippi River, so since we are west of the Mississippi, I would consider us West.

Now I also dont consider Ohio Midwest, so.....

It really is more about how many regions you are splitting up the map. you could add regions like the Great Lakes, Heartland, Plains, Appalachia, etc etc. then things get a lot more muddy.

 

[JM4CY]

View attachment 152055

The "East" ends in Appalachia.

This is fascinating actually. I’ve spent time
In “low country” and I’ve never heard that term. Also, upper south feels weird.

 

[gbjames5]

This is fascinating actually. I’ve spent time
In “low country” and I’ve never heard that term. Also, upper south feels weird.

We've gone deep south. Confederacy

 

[ISUTex]

I've gotten drawn into a debate on a geography forum I visit about what parts of the Midwest (if any) constitute the eastern US. Most people agree that anything in Central time can't really be considered eastern, but there's a poster who just stridently asserts that states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri aren't just Eastern, but decidedly Eastern in terms of climate, flora, and fauna, and geography. This seems like an insane take to me, but I'm willing to entertain the idea that I'm the outlier here.

I've always considered Iowa the most wholly Midwestern state, and view the Mississippi as the east/west fulcrum of the United States, but I believe you have to quite a ways in either direction before you're truly in the "west" or the "east".

Where's the CF peanut gallery on this question?

If there is no "central". Just east or west? Then I would say Iowa is eastern. Physically at least. The Mississippi isn't in the center of the nation. But, there is a midwest, and Iowa is right in the middle of it. Iowa is midwestern. Just like I don't consider Alabama or Georgia eastern. They're southern.

 

[Clonehomer]

Is no one going to comment of the statement,

I've gotten drawn into a debate on a geography forum I visit

Geographically forum? I know sports forums aren’t filled with the greatest among us, but how nerdy is the phrase geographically forum?

Sorry if this offends anyone, but something had to be said.