Living in Iowa City

A diverse community, an affordable place to live, and a vibrant cultural life make Iowa City an attractive home for scholars, scientists, artists, writers, and professionals of all kinds. Iowa City takes pride in openness, inclusion, and safety.

Iowa City is also a cultural hub, a gathering place for artists of every medium, the home of some of America’s most inventive minds, and so much more. Iowa City is one of just 28 UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world, and one of only two in the U.S., affirming its reputation as an international destination for creative thinkers. That energy fills the streets, creating a vibrant place that we love to call home.

With outstanding and affordable health care, excellent libraries and schools, historic neighborhoods, and a downtown filled with a lively mix of restaurants, shops, theater, music, and festivals, Iowa City is a casual, vibrant college town. Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Des Moines are within easy driving distance, while the nearby Eastern Iowa Airport connects travelers to the world.

Consistently a top-ranked community

For so many reasons, Iowa City is consistently voted one of the best places to live in the U.S.

# 2

Best Places to Live

Small to mid-size U.S. cities // Livability.com

# 4

Best Place to Retire in the U.S.

NBC's Today Show

# 3

Best Place to Live in the U.S.

Outside Magazine

# 5

Best College Towns in America

Business Insider

Things to do in Iowa City

Iowa City offers everything from live music to hidden bookshops and foreign films. With places like Englert Theatre and FilmScene, artists thrive in this community. There's an outlet for creatives everywhere and with the #4 Coolest Towns in America (Expedia Viewfinder) ranking, it's easy to see why students and locals love this town. Iowa City has so much more to offer and simply walking downtown you can find the places that will make Iowa City become that second home to you.

 

Life in Iowa City

iowa football team

Athletics

Join 70,000 fellow Hawkeye fans at Kinnick Stadium to cheer on the Hawkeyes, one of 24 Division 1 teams on campus.

 

hancher auditorium

Hancher Auditorium

Hancher Auditorium has been host to many award winning shows and performers. This 2018-2019 season is no different with shows like Jersey Boys and Les Misérables.

Ped Mall

Ped Mall

Walk from class to the downtown shopping district, where everyone you know and everything you need is a few steps away.

Arts & Culture

Englert Theater

Englert Theatre

Having been around since 1912, this theatre is a treasure to the community and continues to host live events  every week.

FilmScene

FilmScene

For the cinephiles, FilmScene is located downtown in the Pedestrian Mall and offers tons of foreign films, indie films, documentaries, and so much more.

prairie lights bookstore

Prairie Lights Bookstore

The beloved book store, Prairie Lights is located in the heart of downtown and offers a place for readers and writers to spend their time creating and being inspired.