Can you pronounce these Iowa city names?
Town names in Iowa range from those of Spanish towns to desert states. We tested our staff on how to pronounce them.
Record Olivia Sun, Des Moines
Editor's note: This story was first published in 2019.
Iowans seem to have their own language — newcomers and visitors to the state can tell you that. This language extends to small town names with accents that, to non-Iowans, seem to defy logic.
Here are 17 words only Iowans know how to pronounce:
Madrid
MAA-drid
Madrid is a town of over 2,000 residents in Boone County.
Fun fact: In 2017, the city appeared in one TV show in Spain for other places in the world with the same name as the country's capital.
Des Moines
duh-moyn
Des Moines is the capital of Iowa, located at the confluence of the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers.
Fun fact: Des Moines was not the first capital of Iowa. It became the capital in 1857 when a vote was held to transfer the designation from Iowa City.
Buena Vista
BYOO-nuh VIH-stuh
Buena Vista County is one of 99 in the state, located in northwest Iowa and home to Storm Lake, among other towns.
Fun fact: The county was named for one of the last battles of the Mexican-American War fought by Zachary Taylor, a general who would later become a short-lived president.
Adel
ay-DELL
The seat of Dallas County in central Iowa, Adel is home to over 4,000 people.
Fun fact: The city is home to Harry Stein, Iowa's richest man, and his company, Stein Sid.
Nevada
neh-VAY-duh
A town of over 6,000 in Story County.
Fun fact: Despite having a much smaller population than the nearby college town of Ames, Nevada remains the county seat of Story County.
More: You know you're an Iowan if you “wash” clothes, drink “pop” and can tell a “Cleanliness Ritual” from a “Sloppy Joe.”
RAGBRAI
RAG-brye
The Register's annual Big Iowa Bike Ride spans the width of Iowa. The route changes every year.
Fun fact: The popular cycling event was founded by Register columnist Donald Kaul and author John Karras in 1973.
More: You're mispronouncing RAGBRAI
Guttenberg
GUT-in-berg
This city of nearly 2,000 is located on the Mississippi River at the eastern end of the state.
Fun fact: The small but historic town features pre-Civil War limestone buildings built by early German immigrants.
Tripoli
trih-POH-luh
Just over 1,000 people live in this town located in northeast Iowa.
Fun fact: The city is home to the Sweet Marsh Wildlife Management Area.
Houghton
HUFF-ton
A town of just over 100 residents in Iowa's most southeastern county.
Fun fact: The tiny town actually has more industry jobs than residents.
Camanche
cah-MANCH
A city of more than 4,000 residents in the northeastern part of the state bordering the Mississippi River.
Fun fact: Four-time Super Bowl quarterback Terry Bradshaw lived in Camanche for a short time while growing up.
Ionia
i-OWN-yuh
Home to just a few hundred people, this town is located right in the northeastern heart of the state.
Fun fact: Jack Cunningham, a prolific screenwriter in the early decades of cinema, was an Ionian.
A decoy
muh-COKE-uh-tuh
Nearly 6,000 people live in this city in eastern Iowa.
Fun fact: The Maquoketa Caves is a well-known attraction and part of a landscape of limestone and rock that allows visitors to step back thousands of years in geological time.
Ashton Kutcher
ASH-tin KOOTCH-er
The famous actor is a native of Iowa and hails from the Cedar Rapids area.
Fun fact: Kutcher helped create the nonprofit The Native Fund, which is dedicated to raising funds and volunteers to help Iowans in times of need.
More: Ashton Kutcher brings a touch of Iowa farm style to his California property
What fun
WAT-cheer or WUH-cheer
Just over 600 people live in this town in south central Iowa.
Fun fact: The town's name, suggested by Civil War veteran Joseph Andrews, probably derives in some way from the traditional English greeting, “What Cheer?”
DeWitt
duh-WITT
This town just north of Davenport is home to just over 5,000 people.
Fun fact: The city was named after DeWitt Clinton, the sixth governor of the state of New York.
Chillicothe
calm-u-KAV-esu
A town of less than 100 residents deep in southeast Iowa.
Fun fact: In the town is the grave of the oldest man who served in the Civil War, Curtis King.
Delhi
DELL-high
A town of over 400 residents in northeast Iowa.
Fun fact: Founded in the early 1840s, the city was formerly the county seat of Delaware County, but was later moved to nearby Manchester.
