Iowa is the 26th most extensive state in the United States in land area as of 2016.
=== Agricultural expansion, 18651930 ===Following the Civil War, Iowa's population continued to grow dramatically, from 674,913 people in 1860 to 1,624,615 in 1880
== Geography ===== Boundaries ===Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east along with the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River on the west

