Iowa Word Search

Corn, Tractor, Butter Cow and Goldfinch are in the opening puzzle, between the Mississippi and the Missouri.

Name Date

Iowa Word Search

Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.

0 of 16 words found

PRAIRIEVSETBMNB

QRADRRFSTKGIISE

TICEDARRAPIDSRL

VSESTRACTORNSCL

WBMMLBQOERALIOT

RSPOWYGRFHLXSRB

IODIIAENABIGSDU

IYANLFOHIHBOIUT

BBBEDFDARSILPBT

LEBSRPEWYSSDPUE

RAYGOSKKRROFIQR

ENORSENEYCNILUC

SSTIEAPYPXSNHEO

BAUNPANEEGBCITW

YMISSOURINSHZCO

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

Des MoinesDES MOINES
Cedar RapidsCEDAR RAPIDS
DubuqueDUBUQUE
MississippiMISSISSIPPI
MissouriMISSOURI
PrairiePRAIRIE
GoldfinchGOLDFINCH
Wild RoseWILD ROSE
HawkeyeHAWKEYE
GeodeGEODE
CornCORN
TractorTRACTOR
SoybeansSOYBEANS
State FairSTATE FAIR
Butter CowBUTTER COW
BisonBISON

16 of 28 words from the Iowa Favorites list.

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Word list

Large print Lower-case letters Name and date line on paper

The puzzle changes as you go. See the puzzle

Answer key: Iowa Word Search

PRAIRIEVSETBMNB

QRADRRFSTKGIISE

TICEDARRAPIDSRL

VSESTRACTORNSCL

WBMMLBQOERALIOT

RSPOWYGRFHLXSRB

IODIIAENABIGSDU

IYANLFOHIHBOIUT

BBBEDFDARSILPBT

LEBSRPEWYSSDPUE

RAYGOSKKRROFIQR

ENORSENEYCNILUC

SSTIEAPYPXSNHEO

BAUNPANEEGBCITW

YMISSOURINSHZCO

DES MOINES, CEDAR RAPIDS, DUBUQUE, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, PRAIRIE, GOLDFINCH, WILD ROSE, HAWKEYE, GEODE, CORN, TRACTOR, SOYBEANS, STATE FAIR, BUTTER COW, BISON

Next step Practice map words in the geography word search Make your own puzzle from a class word list

All 185 words

Iowa Cities and Towns 32

Amana One of seven villages founded by German immigrants who shared their work and property.
Ames Home of the state university of science, where an early electronic computer was built.
Boone Railroad town where First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was born.
Britt Small town that hosts a yearly gathering of hobos and a museum about them.
Burlington Mississippi River town that was an early capital of the territory, known for a very crooked street.
Cedar Falls College city beside Waterloo, home of the University of Northern Iowa.
Cedar Rapids Second-largest city, which calls itself the City of Five Seasons.
Clinton Mississippi River town that grew rich as a sawmill center.
Council Bluffs City across the river from Omaha, named for a meeting between Lewis and Clark and the Otoe.
Davenport One of the Quad Cities, facing Illinois across the Mississippi.
Decorah Hill town of the northeast with a museum of Norwegian-American life.
Des Moines State capital and largest city, on a river of the same name, under a statehouse with a golden dome.
Dubuque City on the Mississippi bluffs, named for the French-Canadian lead miner who settled there.
Dyersville Town known as the Farm Toy Capital of the World.

Show all 185 words (171 more)

Iowa Cities and Towns, continued

Eldon Small town with the white farmhouse seen in a world-famous painting.
Elk Horn Small town settled by Danes, with a museum of Danish America.
Fort Dodge City that began as an army post and grew by mining gypsum.
Fort Madison River town that grew from an early army post on the upper Mississippi.
Indianola College town that hosts a big hot air balloon meet and a balloon museum.
Iowa City First capital of the state, a university town with a world title for its books and writers.
Keokuk Town at the southeast tip, where a river joins the Mississippi, named for a Sauk leader.
Le Mars Town that calls itself the Ice Cream Capital of the World.
Mason City Northern town with a hotel and a street of houses designed in the Prairie School style.
Muscatine River town once called the Pearl Button Capital of the World for buttons cut from mussel shells.
Okoboji Small town on the shore of a lake in the region called the Iowa Great Lakes.
Ottumwa City on the Des Moines River in the southeast.
Pella Town settled by immigrants from the Netherlands, with a tulip festival each May.
Sioux City Town on the Missouri River at the corner where three states meet.
Waterloo Factory city on the Cedar River, long known for building tractors.
West Branch Small town where President Herbert Hoover was born.
What Cheer Small coal town with one of the oddest names in the state, an old English greeting.
Winterset Seat of Madison County, a town surrounded by old covered bridges.

Iowa Rivers and Land 20

Big Sioux River of the northwest corner, on the border with South Dakota.
Bluff Steep bank or cliff above a river valley.
Cedar River Stream that runs through Waterloo and the second-largest city.
Clear Lake Natural body of water in the north with a resort town of the same name on its shore.
Driftless Name of the rugged northeast corner that the last glaciers never flattened.
Hawkeye Point Highest spot in the state, on a farm in Osceola County.
Iowa River Stream that flows past the first state capital on its way to the Mississippi.
Lake Red Rock Large reservoir on the Des Moines River, downstream from the capital.
Loess Hills Steep ridges of windblown silt along the western edge of the state.
Midwest Region of the country that the state belongs to.
Mississippi Great river that forms the whole eastern border of the state.
Missouri Wide, muddy river that forms most of the western border.
Nishnabotna River of the southwest that flows on into Missouri.
Oxbow Curved lake left behind when a river cuts a new, straighter channel.
Pothole Small prairie wetland left in a hollow by melting ice.
Prairie Sea of tall grass and wildflowers that covered most of the state before the plow.
Raccoon River Stream with an animal's name that joins the Des Moines in the capital city.
Spirit Lake Big glacier-made body of water in the northwest, close to the Minnesota line.
Turkey River Stream of the northeast named for a big wild bird.
Wapsipinicon River of the east with a long name, called the Wapsi for short.

Iowa State Symbols 17

Banner Official word for the state flag, three stripes of blue, white and red.
Citizen Soldier Figure at the center of the state seal, holding a flag in one hand.
Eagle Bird shown on the state flag and seal with a ribbon in its beak.
Geode State rock since 1967, a plain round stone with sparkling crystals inside.
Goldfinch State bird, bright yellow with black wings, also called the wild canary.
Hawkeye Nickname of the state and of its people.
Lead Heavy gray metal once mined at Dubuque; a furnace for it is on the state seal.
Liberties Word in the state motto: Our ___ we prize and our rights we will maintain.
Oak State tree since 1961; the law names no single kind.
Plow Farm tool pictured behind the standing figure on the state seal.
Quartz Mineral whose crystals most often line the inside of the state rock.
Scroll Ribbon of paper that carries the motto on the state seal.
Sheaf Tied bundle of wheat stalks, pictured on the state seal.
Sickle Curved harvest blade pictured on the state seal.
Steamer Riverboat named for the state, shown under way on the seal.
Tricolor Flag of three bands, like this state's, which recalls the flag of France.
Wild Rose State flower since 1897, a pink prairie bloom with a yellow center.

Iowa Farms 32

Acre Unit of land that fields are measured in.
Baler Machine that packs hay or straw into tight bundles.
Blue Ribbon First prize for a pie, a pumpkin or a pig at the fair.
Bushel Measure used to count a grain crop.
Butter Cow Life-size dairy animal carved from a dairy spread, a much-loved sight at the big August gathering.
Cob Hard core of an ear, left when the grains are gone.
Combine Big machine that cuts, threshes and cleans a grain crop in one pass.
Corn Tall grain with ears of yellow kernels; this state grows more of it than any other.
Detassel To pull the tops off seed plants by hand, a summer job for many teenagers in the Corn Belt.
Eggs Farm product; the state's hens lay more than those of any other.
Ethanol Fuel made from the starch in kernels of maize; the state makes more than any other.
Farmstead The house, barns and sheds at the center of a farm.
Furrow Long, narrow trench cut in the soil by a plow.
Grain Elevator Tall building beside the railroad tracks where the harvest is stored and loaded.
Harvest Gathering of the ripe crop each fall.
Hogs Farm animals raised for pork; the state raises more of them than any other.
Husk Leafy green wrapper around an ear.
Hybrid Cross of two parent lines; a seed company for this kind of maize was founded here by a future vice president.
Kernel Single grain on an ear of maize.
Livestock Farm animals as a group: cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry.
Oats Small grain grown for porridge and animal feed.
Piglet Baby hog.
Planter Machine that drops seeds in even rows.
Rooster Male chicken that crows at dawn.
Seed What a farmer plants in spring.
Silo Tall round tower that stores chopped feed or grain.
Soybeans Bushy crop grown in rotation with the leading grain; the state ranks second for it.
Stalk Tall stem of a maize plant.
State Fair Eleven days each August in Des Moines, with livestock shows, rides and food on a stick.
Topsoil Dark upper layer of earth, deep and rich across much of the state.
Tractor Farm machine that pulls plows and planters; many are built at Waterloo.
Wind Turbine Tower with three long blades; rows of them make a large share of the state's electricity.

Iowa History and People 25

American Gothic Painting of a stern farmer with a pitchfork and a woman, in front of a white house in Eldon.
Black Hawk Sauk leader for whom a county, a lake and a war are named.
Buffalo Bill Show name of William Cody, the scout and showman born near Le Claire.
Carrie Catt Leader of the campaign for women's right to vote, raised near Charles City.
Carver Last name of the plant scientist George Washington, who studied at Simpson College and at Ames.
Caucus Neighborhood meeting where voters pick a choice for president; the state's came first in the nation for decades.
Computer Machine whose first electronic digital version was built at the state university in Ames.
Grant Wood Painter from Anamosa who made farm country his subject.
Henry Wallace Vice president born in Adair County who earlier founded a seed company.
Herbert Hoover Thirty-first president, born in West Branch, the first president born west of the Mississippi.
Honey War Bloodless border quarrel with Missouri, named for some bee trees that were cut down.
Ioway People whose name was given to the state.
Kate Shelley Teenage girl who crawled across a railroad bridge in a storm to warn that a trestle had washed out.
Louisiana Name of the vast French and Spanish territory this land belonged to before the United States bought it.
Mamie First name of First Lady Eisenhower, born in Boone.
Marquette French priest and explorer who, with Jolliet, recorded this land from the Mississippi in 1673.
Meskwaki People who bought land in Tama County with their own money and still own their settlement there.
Norman Borlaug Plant scientist from Cresco who won the Nobel Peace Prize for wheat that fed millions.
Railroad Iron road that crossed the Mississippi on an early bridge at Davenport.
Sauk People who lived along the Mississippi and were close allies of the Meskwaki.
Sergeant Floyd Only member of the Lewis and Clark expedition to die on the journey, buried at Sioux City.
Settler Newcomer who claimed land and broke the sod to farm it.
Sliced Bread Loaf cut by a machine that a Davenport-born inventor built.
Territory What this land was called before it became a state.
Twenty-Ninth Place of this state in the order of joining the Union, on December 28, 1846.

Iowa Food 14

Corn Dog Sausage on a stick dipped in batter and fried, a fairground favorite.
Dutch Letter Flaky pastry filled with almond paste and shaped like an S, a specialty of Pella.
Ice Cream Frozen dessert; so much is made in Le Mars that the town claims a world title for it.
Kolache Czech pastry with a fruit center, baked in Cedar Rapids.
Loose Meat Sandwich of crumbled seasoned beef on a bun, a lunch counter favorite in this state.
Popcorn Snack from kernels that burst when heated; Schaller is one of the towns that claim to be its world capital.
Pork Chop Thick cut from the loin; the extra-thick kind carries the state's name.
Red Delicious Apple first found as a chance seedling on a Madison County farm, where it was named Hawkeye.
Rhubarb Tart red stalk baked into pies each spring.
Scotcheroo Chewy bar of crisp rice cereal and peanut butter under a chocolate and butterscotch top.
Steak de Burgo Beef tenderloin in butter, garlic and herbs, a dish known mainly in Des Moines.
Sweet Corn Tender summer ears eaten off the cob with butter and salt.
Tenderloin Pork cutlet pounded thin, breaded, fried and served on a bun.
Watermelon Big green fruit with red flesh; Muscatine is one of the towns that claim to be its world capital.

Iowa Prairie and Wildlife 29

Badger Stocky digger with a striped face.
Barn Owl Pale night hunter with a heart-shaped face.
Big Bluestem Tall prairie grass whose flower cluster looks a little like a turkey's foot.
Bison Shaggy grazer of the old grasslands, now kept on a prairie refuge near Des Moines.
Blazing Star Prairie flower with a tall purple spike.
Bluegill Small sunfish caught in farm ponds.
Bobolink Grassland songbird; the male is black below and pale above.
Bullfrog Big green frog with a deep bellowing call.
Bur Oak Thick-barked tree that could survive prairie fires.
Canada Goose Big honking bird with a black neck and a white chin strap.
Compass Plant Tall prairie flower whose leaves line up north and south.
Coneflower Purple prairie bloom with drooping petals around a spiky center.
Cottonwood Fast-growing riverbank tree that sheds fluffy white seeds.
Deer Hoofed browser with a white tail, the most hunted game animal in the state.
Dickcissel Sparrow-like prairie bird that sings its own name from fence posts.
Fox Squirrel Large rusty-colored tree climber, common in town and farm groves.
Ground Squirrel Small burrower with thirteen lines of stripes and spots down its back.
Jackrabbit Long-eared hare of open country.
Lightning Bug Midwestern name for the firefly.
Milkweed Plant with a white sap, the food of monarch caterpillars.
Northern Pike Long, toothy hunter of weedy lakes.
Peregrine Falcon famous for its high-speed dive, brought back to the state after a long absence.
Pheasant Long-tailed game bird of the farm fields, brought from Asia.
Prairie Chicken Grouse whose males boom and dance on spring mornings.
Quail Small plump game bird of the southern counties.
Savanna Grassland dotted with scattered, wide-spreading oaks.
Tallgrass Kind of prairie named for its high-growing grasses, such as big bluestem.
Trumpeter Swan Huge white waterfowl with a call like a horn, returned to the state's marshes by wildlife workers.
Walleye Game fish with glassy eyes, prized in the natural lakes of the north.

Iowa Landmarks and Parks 16

Backbone Old state park named for a narrow, steep ridge of rock along the Maquoketa River.
Effigy Mounds National monument of ancient earthworks shaped like bears and birds, above the Mississippi.
Funicular Cable car on a steep track; a very short one climbs the bluff at Dubuque.
Gold Dome Top of the capitol in Des Moines, covered in thin 23-carat leaf, with four smaller ones at the corners.
High Trestle Old railroad span over the Des Moines River, now a bike trail lit at night to look like a mine shaft.
Ice Cave Cavern at Decorah where frozen water builds up on the walls in spring and lasts until late summer.
Ledges State park near Boone with sandstone cliffs along a creek.
Lock and Dam Pair of structures that lift boats and hold back water; a chain of them lines the Mississippi.
Maquoketa Caves State park in the east where a trail links many caverns, rock formations and overlooks.
Mines of Spain Park at Dubuque on land where lead was dug under a grant from a Spanish governor.
Old Capitol First statehouse, a stone building at the heart of the university in Iowa City.
Pikes Peak State park on a high bluff where the Wisconsin River meets the Mississippi.
Roseman Bridge Red covered span near Winterset, one of the old wooden crossings of Madison County.
Snake Alley Brick street in Burlington that zigzags down a steep hill in tight curves.
Terrace Hill Mansion in Des Moines that is the home of the governor.
Windmill Wind-driven mill; a tall working one in Pella grinds wheat into flour the Dutch way.

How this list was compiled: Own work. Words and names about the state of Iowa for grades 2 to 8: eight themed lists (cities and towns, rivers and land, state symbols, farms, history and people, food, prairie and wildlife, landmarks and parks), Iowa Favorites, an easy list of every word of 3 to 5 letters and a hard list of every word of 8 letters or more. The grid keeps only the letters A to Z, so Des Moines is hidden as DESMOINES and Twenty-Ninth as TWENTYNINTH. Entries have 3 to 14 letters once spaces, hyphens and apostrophes are dropped, and inside one list no word sits inside another, forwards or backwards. Clues are our own wording; no clue repeats a word of four letters or more from its own entry. No brand, team, living person, fictional character or drink is listed. American spellings. Places and names were checked on 16 October 2026 against the English Wikipedia article Iowa and the article for each entry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa, license CC BY-SA 4.0). The state symbols, the farm rankings and the notable Iowans follow the Iowa Official Register of the Legislative Services Agency, chapter Iowa Profile (https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/RDBKI/916707.pdf), and the seal follows the Iowa Code, chapter 1A. Borders, statehood and the flag were also read on the state's About Iowa page (https://www.iowa.gov/about-iowa), and the highest point in the U.S. Geological Survey's table of elevations. Where no second work gave a date, a first or a record, the clue leaves it out. Unofficial and not affiliated with the State of Iowa; an educational puzzle, so check the official source before you rely on a fact. Licence: own work

How it works

This Iowa word search opens on 16 favorites, among them Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Prairie, Wild Rose and Hawkeye. Eight lists follow: cities and towns, rivers and land, state symbols, farms, history and people, food, prairie and wildlife, and landmarks.

Read the full guide

A bird, a flower, a tree, a rock and a crowded seal

Iowa has named a state bird (Goldfinch), flower (Wild Rose), tree (Oak) and rock (Geode). Iowa State Symbols adds what the flag and the seal show: Eagle, Scroll, Citizen Soldier, Plow, Sickle, Sheaf, Lead and Steamer.

A farm list from seed to state fair

Iowa Farms has 32 words. Some follow the crop: Seed, Planter, Stalk, Husk, Cob, Kernel, Combine, Bushel and Grain Elevator. Others belong to the fair: State Fair, Blue Ribbon and Butter Cow. Iowa leads the country in corn, pork and eggs, so Corn, Hogs and Eggs are all there.

Easy Iowa has the 31 words of 3 to 5 letters: Corn, Hogs, Eggs, Oats, Silo, Seed, Husk, Cob, Plow, Oak, Geode, Bison and more.
For a prairie unit, Iowa Prairie and Wildlife has Tallgrass, Big Bluestem, Compass Plant, Coneflower, Milkweed, Bison and Prairie Chicken.
Mississippi and Missouri are in the puzzle as rivers: one is the east border of Iowa, the other most of the west.

Questions and answers

How do I print the Iowa word search with answers?

Press Print or save as PDF. The puzzle prints with a Name and Date line and the answer key follows on a separate page. New puzzle before each printing gives every row of desks its own 16 of the 28 favorites.

Why is Hawkeye in the Iowa word search?

Iowa is the Hawkeye State. The word turns up twice more in the lists: Hawkeye Point is the highest spot in the state, and the Red Delicious apple was first named Hawkeye on the Iowa farm where it was found.

Does the Iowa word search include the State Fair?

Yes. State Fair and Butter Cow are in the opening grid, Blue Ribbon is in Iowa Farms and Corn Dog in Iowa Food. The fair fills eleven days each August in Des Moines.

What Iowa history is in the word search?

Iowa History and People has 25 words, from Ioway, Meskwaki and Sauk to Herbert Hoover, the president born in West Branch, with American Gothic, Caucus, Sergeant Floyd, Kate Shelley and the Honey War.

All 185 words

Iowa Cities and Towns 32

Iowa Cities and Towns, continued

Iowa Rivers and Land 20

Iowa State Symbols 17

Iowa Farms 32

Iowa History and People 25

Iowa Food 14

Iowa Prairie and Wildlife 29

Iowa Landmarks and Parks 16

How it works

A bird, a flower, a tree, a rock and a crowded seal

A farm list from seed to state fair

Questions and answers

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