Data Collections
Sorted by Iowa census & voter lists
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Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836-192514,267,221
Iowa State Census, 19052,171,126
Iowa, U.S., State Census, 18951,934,349
Iowa, U.S., State Census 1885411,324
U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898165,796
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Sorted by Iowa birth, marriage & death
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Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-19478,142,106
Iowa, U.S., Births (series) 1880-1904, 1921-1944 and Delayed Births (series), 1856-19406,812,423
Iowa, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1758-19965,026,461
Iowa, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1800-19994,602,599
Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1880-19724,344,088
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U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 194214,501,913
Iowa, U.S., Records of Persons Subject to Military Duty, 1862-19105,075,844
Iowa, U.S., Armed Forces Grave Registrations, 1835-1998908,654
Iowa, U.S., World War II Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954240,951
Iowa, U.S., Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, ca. 1866-ca.195087,376
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U.S., Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)Free5,810,303
Iowa, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-193736,799
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Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current463,823,539
Rock Valley Bee (Rock Valley, Iowa)3,222
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There are no pictures collections unique to Iowa
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U.S., Chicago and North Western Railroad Employment Records, 1935-1970Free1,095,637
U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995465,389
U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970210,143
Poweshiek County, Iowa, U.S., Probate, School, and Court Records, 1850-1954Free169,128
U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-197052,945
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Sorted by Iowa court, land, wills & financial
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Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-19971,465,339
Poweshiek County, Iowa, U.S., Probate, School, and Court Records, 1850-1954Free169,128
U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898165,796
U.S., Homestead Records, 1863-1908107,521
Iowa, U.S., Consecutive Registers of Convicts, 1867-1970Free93,470
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Iowa Progressive Men2,900
Iowa Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1884-18851,381
Iowa Biographical Dictionary, 1878746
Fragments of the debates of the Iowa Constitutional Conventions of 1844 and 1846402
The government of Iowa229
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U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898165,796
Iowa Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1884-18851,381
Iowa state gazetteer802
Illustrative maps of the boundary history of Iowa14
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Iowa Progressive Men2,900
Iowa History Up To the 20th Century2,088
The winning of the West1,736
Northwestern Iowa1,549
A Memorial and biographical record of Iowa1,253
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A genealogical history

Iowa in brief

Statehood:  28 December 1846  
Capital: Des Moines
Largest City:  Des Moines
Counties:  99
State motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain  
State nickname: Hawkeye State
Neighboring states: Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin
 


Characteristic scene in the great corn belt, U.S.A., 1897

Interesting facts

  • The Black Hawk Purchase in 1833 opened the doors to legal non-Native American settlement and by 1851 Native American tribes in the area had ceded all lands to the U.S. government.
  • Chartered in 1837, Dubuque is Iowa's oldest city, named for the first permanent settler in the area, French fur trader Julien Dubuque.
  • The towns of Elk Horn and Kimballton in Iowa are home to the largest rural Danish settlement in the United States.

Featured Iowa collections

U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970
Iowa, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current
Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1880-1972
Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1947
Iowa, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1937

Famous people

Help and advice

Resources

Iowa Census Research

Federal censuses in Iowa began in 1850. Before 1850, Iowa was included in several territorial censuses of the area. The 1836 Wisconsin territorial census includes the original Iowa counties of Dubuque and Des Moines. Numerous censuses were conducted on the county level while under territorial and state status, with a variety still in existence for 1838-1897.

The Iowa state censuses which were taken in 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925 are some of the most informative censuses ever taken in this country. While the censuses from 1885-1895 provide much the same information as federal censuses, they also asked Iowa-born natives for their county of birth and asked about military service. The 1905 and 1915 censuses also asked for parents’ birth places. The 1925 added parents’ names.

 

Iowa Vital Records

Iowa Research Resources

The organizations listed below provide information about Iowa history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.

  • Iowa State Historical Society and Libraries: The Libraries in Des Moines and Iowa City hold federal and state censuses; newspapers; books; church records; local government records, including labor and business records; and much more.
  • Iowa State Archives: The Archives’ collections include military records, including Civil War and Spanish-American War service records; World Wars I and II casualty files; and Grand Army of the Republic post minutes.
  • Iowa Genealogical Society
  • Iowa GenWeb: Links to county pages, message boards, maps, and more. A list of special projects includes a page on Iowa orphan trains, a survey of gravesites by county, and a link to Iowa biographies.
  •  Iowa Digital Heritage Collections
  •  The National Archives at Kansas City, Missouri: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Iowa, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
  •  Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records:  The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including Iowa, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals.  Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name.  Many record images are available on the web site.  See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.