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Most Urban Cities in Iowa

Densely populated city centers with the largest urban footprints.

Best Climate Cleanest Air Sunniest Most Urban All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Iowa

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Density · 65% Population · 35%

Top 12 Most Urban Cities in Iowa

Ranked by composite score across 2 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 66.9
Des Moines, IA
212,464 residents
Density 2,410
Population 212,464
#2
Score 65
University Heights, IA
1,232 residents
Density 4,738
Population 1,232
#3
Score 51.5
Iowa City, IA
75,264 residents
Density 2,922
Population 75,264
#4
Score 49.8
Windsor Heights, IA
5,171 residents
Density 3,616
Population 5,171
#5
Score 46.2
Cedar Rapids, IA
136,859 residents
Density 1,834
Population 136,859
#6
Score 45.6
Newhall, IA
1,012 residents
Density 3,373
Population 1,012
#7
Score 41.8
Ames, IA
66,112 residents
Density 2,344
Population 66,112
#8
Score 40.6
Ankeny, IA
70,542 residents
Density 2,211
Population 70,542
#9
Score 37.3
Marion, IA
41,690 residents
Density 2,316
Population 41,690
#10
Score 36.6
Davenport, IA
101,083 residents
Density 1,574
Population 101,083
#11
Score 35.5
Clive, IA
18,776 residents
Density 2,454
Population 18,776
#12
Score 34.3
Dubuque, IA
59,271 residents
Density 1,895
Population 59,271

Full Ranking, Iowa

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Des Moines IA 66.9
2 University Heights IA 65
3 Iowa City IA 51.5
4 Windsor Heights IA 49.8
5 Cedar Rapids IA 46.2
6 Newhall IA 45.6
7 Ames IA 41.8
8 Ankeny IA 40.6
9 Marion IA 37.3
10 Davenport IA 36.6
11 Clive IA 35.5
12 Dubuque IA 34.3
13 Urbandale IA 34.2
14 Sioux City IA 32.3
15 North Liberty IA 32
16 Madrid IA 30.6
17 Bettendorf IA 30.3
18 West Des Moines IA 30
19 Anamosa IA 29.8
20 New London IA 29.5
21 Storm Lake IA 28.9
22 Alta IA 28.8
23 West Liberty IA 28.6
24 Council Bluffs IA 28.6
25 Atkins IA 28.2
26 Carter Lake IA 28.1
27 Coralville IA 26.9
28 Fairbank IA 26.8
29 Moville IA 26.3
30 Solon IA 25.5
31 Park View IA 25.5
32 Asbury IA 25.1
33 Baxter IA 25.1
34 Burlington IA 24.9
35 Treynor IA 24.6
36 Sully IA 24.5
37 Ottumwa IA 24.2
38 Waterloo IA 24.1
39 Cedar Falls IA 23.9
40 Fort Dodge IA 23.6
41 Carroll IA 23.5
42 Glenwood IA 23.3
43 Altoona IA 22.9
44 Grinnell IA 22.9
45 Sergeant Bluff IA 22.7
46 Marshalltown IA 22.4
47 Knoxville IA 21.8
48 Griswold IA 21.5
49 Osage IA 20.8
50 Laurens IA 20.8

Des Moines, IA tops the list with a composite score of 66.9 out of 100, followed by University Heights and Iowa City. IA dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for most urban.

Rankings combine 2 independent metrics: Density, Population. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to most urban, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Climate Cities
Warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine and clean air.
Cleanest Air Cities
Lowest pollution levels for healthy outdoor living.
Sunniest Cities
Most days of sunshine per year, with warm and dry climate.