Hit the road and check out these Iowa towns that may or may not be mistaken for popular cities around the world.
Iowa may be smack dab in the middle of the United States and considered by many to be a “flyover state,” but there are plenty of ways to feel like you are in another part of the world when you look at a map. That’s because there are a handful of Iowa cities and towns named after more prominently known worldly destinations.
Get ready to hit the road and check out these cities (some of them are pretty small towns in fact) across the state of Iowa that may or may not be mistaken for popular cities around the world. You’ll feel like you traveled across the globe, but only for the price of a tank of gas or two.
Brighton
Not to be mistaken with the seaside town of Brighton, England, this Iowa town in Washington County is home to some 600 residents. Brighton, Iowa is not too far from Iowa City and was first settled in the 1840s. It has a rich history of hog production and was a prime railroad stop decades ago. It is also the site of one of the state’s mastodon fossil finds. It is the home of the Washington County Freedom Rock and Lake Darling State Park.
Cambridge
Finding yourself in Cambridge, Iowa is distinctly different from finding yourself in Cambridge, England, which is well known for Cambridge University. Cambridge, Iowa is located in Story County (not far from Iowa State University) and has a population of just over 800 people. Located between Ames and Des Moines, this small Iowa town recently built a city center that houses the library, city hall, and a community events hall.
Delhi
A huge metropolitan area that encompasses the country’s capital territory, Delhi, India is home to nearly 34 million people. By contrast, some 400 people call Delhi (pronounced DEL-hy) Iowa home. Known for Lake Delhi, this town in Delaware County is also a popular spot for summer cabins for spending time at the lake. The town motto quips that the town is just “one smile wide” but there’s plenty of small-town Iowa charm to enjoy.
Geneva
Geneva is the second-most populated city in Switzerland and is known for diplomacy and banking. You may not know that there is also a Geneva, Iowa. Located in Franklin County, it has a population of just 134 people (as of 2022). This small town in north central Iowa was first platted in 1871 and covers just 0.42 square miles.
Hamburg
Hamburg is a port city in northern Germany. It is also the southernmost city in Iowa, tucked down in Fremont County bordering Nebraska and Missouri. When it was first settled, inhabitants originally thought they were settling in Missouri. But two brothers hailing from Germany named it after the German Hamburg. Being situated between the Nishnabotna and Missouri rivers, it gets considerable attention whenever there is flooding. Today, about 900 people call Hamburg, Iowa home. It is also home to Vogel Popcorn, which claims to be the source of 52 percent of the popcorn grown in the United States.
Holland
Some Iowa towns took their names from whole countries. Holland, Iowa is one of them. Located in Grundy County (between Iowa Falls and Waterloo), Holland is home to just over 250 residents, unlike the nearly 18 million people that live in Holland, the country, and it covers just a quarter of a square mile.
Jamaica
Jamaica, Iowa is distinctly different from the Jamaica most people are familiar with or have vacationed to. Located in Guthrie County, (just northwest of Des Moines, there are about 200 residents who call the town home. Jamaica, Iowa was established in 1882 and there’s a cute sign with a palm tree (the only one you’re likely to spot in town) greets you when you arrive. The small Iowa town does have some interesting things to note. It is located near an octagon barn built in 1881, one of seven in Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, the popular metal band Slipknot recorded an album and filmed a video in Jamaica, Iowa.
Luxemburg
Luxemburg is a small European country, but it is also a small Iowa town. Located in Dubuque County, there are about 250 residents. It was first incorporated in 1912 and sits at the intersection of Highway 52 and Highway 3 just outside of Dubuque. While the landscape in Iowa is not nearly as extreme and lush as what you’ll find in Europe, Luxemburg, Iowa’s location near the bluffs along the Mississippi River and near White Pine Hollow State Forest makes for interesting landscape surrounding the small town.
Macedonia
This region of Greece, covering more than 13,000 square miles, is part of an area that was under the control of the Ottoman Empire between 1371 and 1912. During that time it was home to such a diverse group of people, including Slavic-speaking Christians, Greek-speaking Christians, Turkish-speaking Muslims, Albanian-speaking Muslims, Aromani (Vlachs), Jews, and Roma (Gypsies), that it got its name that translates to a salad of mixed fruits or vegetables. Here in Iowa, Macedonia is home to just over 260 people. It is located in Pottawattamie County, near Council Bluffs, and is the oldest and most historic town in southeast Iowa. It was in fact named after the Ancient Greek territory. The Mormon Trail, or Pioneer Trail, winds through the town and is home to one of only two covered stadiums remaining in Iowa.
Madrid
Here in Iowa, we say MAD-rid when talking about this small Iowa city. Home to some 2,800 people, Madrid is known as the location of the high trestle trail and bridge, a popular biking spot in the state. Located in Boone County, not far from Ames and Des Moines, Madrid its roots are in farming and coal mining. Perhaps its only connection to Madrid, Spain is that the town was featured on an episode of “Madrid de sol a sol,” a show from the Spanish public channel Telemadrid exploring locations named “Madrid” back in 2017.
Manchester
Located in Northwestern England, Manchester is an industrial hub that is home to half a million people and the famed soccer club. Here in Iowa, Manchester is a city in Eastern Iowa that is home to just over 5,000 residents and a whitewater park (the largest in the Midwest!) running through the middle of downtown on the Maquoketa River. Located in Delaware County, it’s a great spot for a day trip for outdoor adventures and some tasty treats and shopping. It’s also conveniently located just 45 miles from Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Dubuque.
Moravia
Located in Appanoose County (in South Central Iowa), Moravia, Iowa is home to just over 600 residents. It is also very close to Honey Creek State Park, Lake Rathbun, and the Historic Hills Scenic Byway, popular destinations for outdoor adventurers in the warm weather months. Founded in 1851, Moravia was named for the faith of the Moravian Church and the region of Eastern Europe where it was founded. Moravian settlers from North Carolina purchased 40 acres of land to establish the town. Christmas is a special holiday for the Moravian faith, and this tradition continues with the Moravian Tour of Homes each year.
Norway
The Scandinavian country of Norway is known for its mountains, glaciers, Vikings, and picturesque fjords. The eastern Iowa town of Norway, on the other hand, is known for baseball. Located in rural Benton County (not far from Cedar Rapids), Norway is home to just under 500 people. First settled in 1863, the town became famous in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s (before their high school was consolidated in 1991) for its high school baseball program, which won 12 state titles and sent at least 16 players to professional baseball and dozens more on to play college baseball. The movie “The Final Season” is about the town’s baseball legacy.
Onslow
Onslow is the capital city of Norway and is home to many museums and some 635,000 people. Onslow, Iowa, by contrast, is situated in Jones County (in Eastern Iowa) and doesn’t quite match capital status. Home to just about 200 people, this small Iowa community covers just a quarter of a square mile.
Panama
This western Iowa town, located in Shelby County about 45 minutes from Council Bluffs, is another small one. With just over 200 residents, Panama, Iowa was founded in 1882 as the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railways came through the area. Other than its name, it doesn’t have much in common with the Central American country of Panama, which links to South America and is home to the famous Panama Canal and some 4.4 million people.
Toronto
Toronto, Iowa is located in Clinton County very near to the Wapsipinicon River and relatively near to the Mississippi River as well. Perhaps one of the smallest on this list (with just over 100 residents at the last census) it was founded in 1853 by a gentleman named George W. Throne who was born in Kent, England but was raised in Toronto, Canada. He named the town after his beloved city after settling in Iowa to build a sawmill and gristmill. Today, it would take just about 11 hours to drive the 711 miles between Toronto, Iowa, and Toronto, Canada.
Waterloo
Waterloo, Belgium, just south of Brussels is widely known as the site of the final defeat of Emperor Napoleon I, in 1815. Today it is home to just under 30,000 people. Perhaps the only city on the list to do so Waterloo, Iowa, tops that resident total as it is home to some 66,500 Iowans (the 8th most populated city in the state). It is a major metro hub of the Cedar Valley region of eastern Iowa and is the county seat of Black Hawk County. While no major military battles took place here, the city is named not in honor of the famed European city, but rather because an early settler filled through a list of other post offices across the United States, and the name Waterloo “struck his fancy.”
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