A Thriving Community - and Something for Everyone
			Discover a few of Iowa City's attractions: Literary Events Film Music and Theater Dining Outdoor Activities and Sports
			More about one of America’s top-ranked communities >>

When you imagine Iowa City, what images are brought to mind? A flat stretch of prairie? An expanse of strip malls? The middle of nowhere? Actually, Iowa City is a vibrant college town situated on wooded rolling hills along the banks of the Iowa River. The community offers many of the advantages of larger cities within the convenient, safe, and friendly atmosphere of a smaller town – just some of the reasons why it's consistently included in so many “Best Of” rankings. With approximately 65,000 residents, Iowa City is similar in size to college towns like Palo Alto, California or Princeton, New Jersey. Large cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Kansas City, and St. Louis are all just a short flight or few hours drive away.

We think you'll find that Iowa City is more cosmopolitan than you would have ever guessed. Discover a few of Iowa City's attractions:

Literary events

Home to the world-famous Iowa Writers' Workshop, Iowa City welcomes a steady stream of visiting fiction writers, non-fiction writers, and poets throughout the year. These authors often read from their work on campus or at the renowned Prairie Lights Bookstore.

Film

Movie buffs will love the Bijou Theater, which specializes in independent, classic, and cult/camp films. If you prefer the latest blockbuster, you can find it at one of several local movie theaters.

Music and Theater

Iowa City has a lively music scene that features both local performers and national acts. During the summer, the city sponsors the outdoor Friday Night Concert Series, the Iowa City Jazz Festival, and the Iowa Arts Festival – all free and open to the public. In addition, the University attracts first-rate performances including Broadway plays and internationally renowned music and dance productions at Hancher Auditorium. For more information about these and other performances, as well as on the University's excellent art museum and its collection of masterworks of modern art, please see http://www.uiowa.edu/uima/.

Dining

Restaurants in Iowa City range from classic bar food to upscale and inventive organic cuisine. Large grocery stores and natural-food co-ops offer everything you would expect to find in a major city, from fresh produce to prepared gourmet foods. The renowned Lincoln Café, a favorite of traveling “foodies”, is located nearby in charming Mount Vernon. And, yes, you can get high quality sushi in Iowa city!

Outdoor Activities and Sports

With its rolling hills and its location along the Iowa River, Iowa City offers the outdoor enthusiast everything from waterskiing to rock-climbing. In warmer weather, you can canoe or row on the river, boat on Lake Macbride or the Coralville Reservoir, hike in Palisades Kepler State Park, go mountain biking at Sugar Bottom or road biking through farm country, golf at a nearby course, swim at the outdoor City Park pool, go rock-climbing and bouldering nearby, and take a trail run or a leisurely stroll at Hickory Hill Park. For winter sports fans, the locals recommend cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. These activities can be found at numerous locations in the area. For those more inclined to stay indoors, the University, local recreation centers, and several first-rate gyms offer workout equipment, aerobics classes, spinning, yoga, pools, and more. For information on intramural sports, please visit the Intramurals page.

Big 10 Athletics

The University is a member of the Big 10 athletic conference fielding 22 men's and women's teams in 15 different sports. If your sports participation includes “spectator,” you will not lack opportunities at Iowa.