Four US states start with the letter I.
Let’s find out more about them and what makes them unique.
Idaho
Idaho does not get much attention, yet it is worth a stop if you like nature and small towns.
Known as the Gem State, it has rough mountain areas and a lot of farmland.
Take a drive around, and you will run into local history and simple, everyday stories pretty fast.
History
Before the gold rush in the 1800s, the Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, and Coeur d’Alene tribes already lived here. Their communities were shaped by the rivers and valleys.
When mining took off, towns sprang up fast, and early life there was hard and messy. By 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state in the Union.
Native communities stayed through all the changes, and their traditions still play a big role in Idaho today.
Geography
The land in Idaho can feel like two places in one.
In the middle of the state, there are steep mountains like the Sawtooths and strong rivers like the Snake running right through the landscape.
Down south, it turns into wide farm country. Potatoes made the state famous, and wheat, dairy, and hops keep the economy busy, too.
And then we have Hells Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon, which hits you with how big the place really is once you stand there.
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Surprising Facts
- Potatoes may be famous here, but Idaho also grows more trout than any other state.
- Writer Ernest Hemingway lived his final years in Idaho, in his home in Ketchum.
- Boise hosts one of the largest Basque communities in America.
- It is among the top 10 happiest states in the US.
Illinois
Most people will think about Chicago when they hear about Illinois.
Still, this state has much more to offer.
History
The Illiniwek and other tribes lived across the land long before French explorers arrived in the 1600s.
Illinois became a state in 1818. Abraham Lincoln built his career here, and Springfield still carries that legacy.
As the industry took hold, railroads and factories pushed Chicago into becoming one of the busiest cities in America.
Geography
Illinois stretches from the edge of Lake Michigan to farmland that rolls across the center and south.
Chicago rises on the lakefront, while most of the state lives at a slower pace in farming towns and open plains.
Down at the southern tip, where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet, the land feels almost like another region of the country altogether.
Surprising Facts
- The first skyscraper ever built was in Chicago in 1885.
- More nuclear power plants operate here than in any other state.
- Every year, the Chicago River turns green for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Route 66 begins in downtown Chicago and stretches across the country.
- Avondale in Chicago was recently ranked as the 5th coolest neighborhood in the world.
- Illinois produces more pumpkins than any other state in the U.S., earning it the title “Pumpkin Capital of America.”
Indiana
Indiana sits in the heart of the Midwest, a place often linked with basketball, racing, and farmland that seems to go on forever.
But behind the easy images is a state with a story that reaches from frontier days to modern industry.
History
Tribes like the Miami and Potawatomi lived in what is now Indiana long before Europeans showed up.
The territory became a state in 1816, the 19th in the Union. During the 1800s, canals and railroads went through the area and helped towns grow into the wider economy.
Indiana sent a lot of soldiers to the Civil War, and that service stayed a source of pride for many families over time.
Geography
Most of Indiana is flat, especially up north and through the center, with corn and soybeans stretching out in every direction.
Down south, the land turns into hills and limestone areas, with caves and quarries scattered around.
In the northwest, the state reaches Lake Michigan, giving it a small but important piece of shoreline.
Surprising Facts
- The Indianapolis 500 ranks among the best-known races on the planet, and it pulls huge crowds every Memorial Day weekend.
- Basketball runs deep here. High school gyms fill up for Friday night games, and the culture helped inspire the movie Hoosiers.
- Indiana is a major limestone producer. Stone from local quarries ended up in places like the Empire State Building and the Pentagon.
- Santa Claus, Indiana, leans fully into the name, with Christmas vibes year-round and plenty of visitors.
Iowa
Iowa keeps things simple. Rivers sit around the edges, farms cover the middle, and people put in steady work without making a big show of it.
History
The Ioway, Sioux, and Sauk called this land home long before the state entered the Union in 1846. With rich soil, Iowa quickly became one of the country’s strongest farming states. When the Civil War broke out, Iowa sent more soldiers per person than almost anywhere else, showing that commitment runs deep even in a place with fewer people.
@notesoniowa1846Do you know about the onset of the treaty era in Iowa? On August 4, 1824, Mahaska of the Ioway, Keokuk of the Sauk, and Wapello of the Meskwaki, visited Washington D.C. During the visit, the leaders agreed to treaties including the first cession of lands in Iowa. Learn more of the story at: https://www.notesoniowa.com/post/iowa-indigenous-leaders-visit-washington-d-c-iowa-time-machine-august-4-1824♬ original sound – SugarShaneWebster
Geography
The Mississippi frames the east, the Missouri lines the west, and the land in between rolls with fields and prairies. The summers can be hot, the winters cold, and storms carve across the plains with force.
Life here often bends to the rhythm of the land, where harvests, rivers, and weather set the pace.
Surprising Facts
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- Iowa grows more corn and soybeans than any other state.
- The Iowa caucuses put the state in the political spotlight every four years.
- A baseball field in Dyersville, built for a movie, became the Field of Dreams and still draws fans today.
- Iowa 80 in Walcott is the largest truck stop on earth, big enough to feel like its own town.
- Slipknot, one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world, started in Des Moines and even named an album Iowa.
- Maharishi Vedic City in Iowa forbids non GMO food, follows ancient Vedic building rules, and lives by daily mass meditation that defines its calm identity.
Last Words
Each of these states tells its own story, yet together they show how varied the country becomes when you look past the headlines.
Next in the series is K, as there are no US states that start with the letter J.
