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Iowa is a Midwest state of the United States. It is bordered by Minnesota on the north; Nebraska and South Dakota on the west; Missouri on the south; and Wisconsin and Illinois on the east. The Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary of the state. The boundary along the west is formed by the Missouri River south of Sioux City and by the Big Sioux River north of Sioux City.
There are several natural lakes in the state, most notably Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake, and East Okoboji Lake in northwest Iowa. The topography of the state is gently rolling plains. Loess hills lie along the western border of the state. Some of these are several hundred feet thick.
The point of lowest elevation is Keokuk in southeastern Iowa, at 480 feet. The point of highest elevation, at 1,670 feet, is Hawkeye Point, located in a feedlot north of Sibley in northwest Iowa. The mean elevation of the state is 1,099 feet. Considering the size of the state at 56,271 square miles, there is very little elevation difference.
Iowa experiences a continental climate with extremes of both heat and cold. The average annual temperature at Des Moines is 50.0°F. Winters are brisk and snowfall common, the capital receiving an average of 36.3 inches per season. Spring ushers in the beginning of the severe weather season, as well as bringing increased precipitation and warming temperatures. The Iowan summer is known for heat and humidity, with daytime temperatures sometimes exceeding 100°F.
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