Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 14 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play & Stay This Summer

      14 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play & Stay This Summer

      Hot off the minds of Midwest travel writers: a fresh look at where to eat, drink, play and stay around the region. Read More
    • Out Now: Best of the Midwest 2022

      Out Now: Best of the Midwest 2022

      Find your summer adventure with our new bookazine, available now in the magazine store! Read More
    • This Family's Garden Farm is a Nature-Filled Paradise

      This Family's Garden Farm is a Nature-Filled Paradise

      On land passed down through generations, a Wisconsin family experiences—and shares—the glory of gardening. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Urban-Pop Art, a New Boutique Hotel and More—Here's What to See and Do in Fort Wayne Right Now

    Urban-Pop Art, a New Boutique Hotel and More—Here's What to See and Do in Fort Wayne Right Now

    On a trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, catch a colorful wave of fresh development, plus a new hotel from the cofounder of Vera Bradley.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Mango Toast with Prosciutto

    Mango Toast with Prosciutto

    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    5 Clever Tips for Repurposing a Potting Bench as a Bar Cart 

    5 Clever Tips for Repurposing a Potting Bench as a Bar Cart 

    With smart accessorizing, a potting bench becomes a celebration station for summer soirees.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    Expert Tips for Growing a Window Box Garden

    Expert Tips for Growing a Window Box Garden

    Casey Lawrence’s lush window boxes were a revelation to her online followers. Use her tips to grow your own.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes

    Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes

    Get out your red, white and blue for these patriotic dessert recipes.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing

    These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing

    Don't toss those orange peels! Instead, use them as vessels for our super-simple and fragrant candles.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2022

    Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2022

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Travel
  3. Iowa
  4. Best Iowa Road Trips

Best Iowa Road Trips

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com Updated May 11, 2021
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Decorah waterfall
Credit: Ryan Donnell

Spanning the Mississippi to the Missouri rivers, Iowa offers a surprisingly diverse landscape for road trips. Explore river cities such as Dubuque and Davenport; chase waterfalls among the hills of Decorah; branch out from the attractions of the Des Moines metro to small towns nearby; and find intriguing bits of history in destinations such as Cedar Rapids and Mason City. 

Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Decorah

Decorah waterfall
Credit: Ryan Donnell

Despite an elevation below 900 feet, Decorah—in Iowa's northeast corner—feels like a mountain town, a nook hiding more than an hour from any interstate. The land helps, with limestone cliffs and clear streams that dodged the last glaciers. But it's Decorah's 8,000 residents that fuel the town's spirit, with their yen for nature as well as for the town's Nordic heritage. Explore parks with waterfalls; bike or walk the 11-mile Trout Run Trail; and visit Vesterheim, The National Norwegian-American Museum, to learn about area history. 

Read more about planning a trip to Decorah.

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes

Okoboji, Iowa

Generations of families gather each year at the Iowa Great Lakes, a chain of five glacial lakes—including Lake Okoboji—in northwest Iowa. Summer fun includes beaches, boat tours, biking, sailing, water-skiing and a visit to Arnolds Park, Iowa's oldest amusement park. The 38-room The Inn Hotel celebrates the area's golden age with Art Deco decor, tiki drinks at The Beach Club Lounge, and a rooftop pool and bar.

Read more about a trip to the Okoboji area.

2 of 12

3 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Dubuque

Fenelon Place Elevator
Credit: Ackerman + Gruber

Iowa's oldest city, Dubuque has lively historical districts near the mighty Mississippi. Explore attractions such as the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Fenelon Place Elevator (the world's shortest, steepest scenic railway), Eagle Point Park, Mines of Spain Recreation Area and the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Add other nearby stops to your road trip, too, like the Field of Dreams Movie Site (27 miles west), or make Dubuque a stop along your exploration of Iowa's Great River Road.

Read more about planning a trip to the Dubuque area.

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Des Moines area

Iowa
Credit: Blaine Moats

The Des Moines metro has plenty of activities on its own, including the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Living History Farms, Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines Art Center and Adventureland Park. But you can also use Des Moines as a base to explore other attractions within an hour's drive or less, including the High Trestle Trail over the Des Moines River Valley, the Iowa Arboretum in Boone County, Ledges State Park, and the famous covered bridges of Madison County.

Read more about planning a trip to the Des Moines area.

4 of 12

5 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cedar Rapids

Iowa
Credit: Courtesy of Cedar Rapids Tourism

Czech heritage permeates this town 30 miles northwest of Iowa City. Top things to do include visiting the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (with the world's largest collection of works by Grant Wood), seeing the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, and shopping at NewBo City Market. In Czech Village, the business hub of the city's Czech community, try a kolache (filled pastry) at Sykora Bakery and browse small shops. 

Read more about planning a trip to Cedar Rapids.

5 of 12

6 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Davenport

Iowa
Credit: Jay Wilde

The largest of the Quad Cities on the Iowa-Illinois border makes a convenient stop for travelers on a road trip along I-80 or I-74. Local attractions include the Figge Art Museum, where the Midwest Regional Collection features works by Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry and others. The family will enjoy visiting the Putnam Museum and Science Center. Two boutique hotels promise luxury stays downtown: The Current Iowa in the 1910 Putnam Building and the century-old Hotel Blackhawk.

Read more about planning a trip to Davenport. 

Read more about the Quad Cities area.

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Waterloo and Cedar Falls

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa
Credit: Courtesy of Travel Iowa

These two cities on the Cedar River share a metro area with plenty of activities for a weekend road trip getaway. In Waterloo, the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum tells the stories of America's war through the eyes of Iowans. Kids, meanwhile, will love riding a water coaster at Lost Island Water Park. In Cedar Falls, home of the University of Northern Iowa, shop and dine on the historic Main Street. The round Ice House Museum on the Cedar River once stored ice cut from the river; learn about the history of ice harvesting. Step back in time as well at the 1909 Little Red Schoolhouse and the Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum.

Read more about planning a trip to Waterloo and Cedar Falls.

7 of 12

8 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Iowa Great River Road

Pikes Peak State Park

In northeast Iowa, Pikes Peak State Park kicks off (or finishes) a trip along the Iowa Great River Road, a 328-mile scenic byway hugging the state's eastern border. Linger in towns like Dubuque and Le Claire for shopping, dining and exploring.

Read more about planning a trip along the Iowa Great River road.

8 of 12

9 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Loess Hills

Iowa: Loess Hills National Scenic Byway
Credit: Courtesy of Iowa Tourism Office

Windblown silt piled up during the last ice age to form these hills near the Missouri River in western Iowa. A 220-mile scenic byway links towns, prairies, parks, trails and overlooks. Base your road trip out of Des Moines (about two and a half hours east), Sioux City (an hour north) or Omaha (an hour south).

Two of the best places to experience the Loess Hills: Hitchcock Nature Center, only a few miles south of I-880 and just east of I-29 in Honey Creek, and Waubonsie State Park, both with miles of trails for exploring the hills.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mason City and Clear Lake

Stockman House, Iowa

Ten miles apart, these neighbors have distinct personalities. Mason City appeals to architecture buffs. Frank Lloyd Wright's 1908 Stockman House illustrates how Prairie School style suited middle-class homes; the Robert E. McCoy Architectural Interpretive Center next door shows a video on Wright's influence in Mason City. The best stay in town is Historic Park Inn Hotel, the world's only surviving Wright-designed hotel. In Clear Lake, concerts are scheduled to resume in 2021 at The Surf Ballroom and Museum—best known for the gig Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper played before all three died in a 1959 plane crash in northern Iowa. 

Read more about planning a trip to Mason City and Clear Lake.

10 of 12

11 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pella

Iowa
Credit: John Noltner

Pella's Dutch heritage shines during the annual Tulip Time Festival (May 6-8, 2021). At Pella Historical Village and Vermeer Mill, see how early settlers lived and worked. Try an almond-paste-filled Dutch letter at Jaarsma Bakery, and cap off your day with a stay at the Amsterdam Hotel.

Read more about planning a trip to Pella. 

11 of 12

12 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Southeast Iowa

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park

Tiny and quaint, 1800s ports line the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa. Hike or canoe in Lacey-Keosauqua State Park , or take a leisurely journey through the area on the Historic Hills Scenic Byway. Most weekends find the county fairly quiet, but the annual Scenic Drive Festival in October swells towns such as Bentonsport, Keosauqua and Bonaparte (each with populations of 1,000 or fewer) with crafters, pancake feeds, pedal tractor races and old-time medicine shows.

Read more about a road trip in southeast Iowa.

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 12 Decorah
    2 of 12 Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes
    3 of 12 Dubuque
    4 of 12 Des Moines area
    5 of 12 Cedar Rapids
    6 of 12 Davenport
    7 of 12 Waterloo and Cedar Falls
    8 of 12 Iowa Great River Road
    9 of 12 Loess Hills
    10 of 12 Mason City and Clear Lake
    11 of 12 Pella
    12 of 12 Southeast Iowa

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Best Iowa Road Trips
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.