Ames, Iowa
City
Clockwise from top: Main Street in downtown Ames, Iowa State University Alumni Hall, Marston Water Tower and Hoover Hall at ISU, Reiman Gardens, a train station in Ames, and Beardshear Hall
Motto:  "Smart Choice"[1]
Location in the State of Iowa
Ames Show map of Iowa Ames Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 42°02′05″N 93°37′12″W / 42.03472°N 93.62000°W / 42.03472; -93.62000
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Story
Incorporated	1864
Government
• Mayor	John Haila
Area [2]
• City	27.92 sq mi (72.32 km2)
• Land	27.58 sq mi (71.43 km2)
• Water	0.34 sq mi (0.89 km2)
Elevation	942 ft (287 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	66,427
• Rank	9th in Iowa
• Density	2,408.61/sq mi (929.96/km2)
• Urban	60,438[3]
• Metro	89,542 (estimate based on Story County)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code(s)™	50010, 50011-50013 (UNIQUE ZIP Codes™-for Iowa State University), 50014
FIPS code	19-01855
GNIS feature ID	0454167
Website	www.cityofames.org

Ames (/eɪmz/) is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is best known as the home of Iowa State University (ISU), with leading agriculture, design, engineering, and veterinary medicine colleges. A United States Department of Energy national laboratory, Ames Laboratory, is located on the ISU campus.

According to the 2020 census, Ames had a population of 66,427, making it the state's ninth most populous city.^[4] Iowa State University was home to 30,177 students as of Fall 2023,^[5] which make up approximately one half of the city's population.

Ames also hosts United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sites: the largest federal animal disease center in the United States, the USDA Agricultural Research Service's National Animal Disease Center (NADC),^[6] as well as one of two national USDA sites for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which comprises the National Veterinary Services Laboratory and the Center for Veterinary Biologics.^[7] Ames also hosts the headquarters of the Iowa Department of Transportation.

History

The city was founded in 1864 as a station stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad and was named after 19th century U.S. Congressman Oakes Ames of Massachusetts, who was influential in the building of the transcontinental railroad.^[8] Ames was founded by local resident Cynthia Olive Duff (née Kellogg) and railroad magnate John Insley Blair,^[9] near a location that was deemed favorable for a railroad crossing of the Skunk River.

Geography

Ames is located along the western edge of Story County, roughly 30 miles (48 km) north of the state capital, Des Moines, near the intersection of Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 30. A smaller highway, U.S. Route 69, passes through the town. Also passing through Ames is the cross country line of the Union Pacific Railroad and two small streams (the South Skunk River and Ioway Creek).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.27 square miles (62.86 km²), of which 24.21 square miles (62.70 km²) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km²) is water.^[10]

Campustown

Campustown is the neighborhood directly south of Iowa State University Central Campus bordered by Lincoln Way on the north. Campustown is a high-density mixed-use neighborhood that is home to many student apartments, nightlife venues, restaurants, and numerous other establishments, most of which are unique to Ames.

Climate

Ames has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa). On average, the warmest month is July and the coldest is January. The highest recorded temperature was 109 °F (43 °C) on July 24, 1901, and the lowest was −37 °F (−38 °C) January 25, 1894.^[11]