AMES, IOWA

'Ames' is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa, about 30 miles north of Des Moines in Story County. It is the principal city of the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Story County, Iowa and which, when combined with the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', comprises the larger 'Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area'. As of the 2000 Census, the city population was 50,731. Ames is the home of Iowa State University, with leading Engineering, Science and Agriculture colleges. It is also the site of the Ames Straw Poll, an important straw poll in the Republican party presidential nomination process (''see Politics, below'').

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Politics

Transportation

Economy

Medical

Points of interest

People

References

External links

History

The city was founded in 1864 as a station stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad and was named after 19th century U.S. congressman Oakes Ames of Massachusetts, who was influential in the building of the transcontinental railroad. Ames was founded near a location that was deemed favorable for a railroad crossing of the Skunk River.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 55.9 km² (21.6 mi²). 55.9 km² (21.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.09%) is water.
Ames is located on Interstate 35, U.S. Route 30 & 69, and the cross country line of the Union Pacific Railroad, located roughly 30 miles (48 km) north of the state capital Des Moines.
Two small rivers run through the town: the Skunk River and Squaw Creek.

Demographics

As of the 2000 Census, there were 50,731 people, 18,085 households, and 8,970 families residing in the city. The population density was 908.1/km² (2,352.3/mi²). There were 18,757 housing units at an average density of 335.7/km² (869.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.34% White, 7.70% Asian, 2.65% African American, Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.76% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.
There were 18,085 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.4% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.6% under the age of 18, 40.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 13.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,042, and the median income for a family was $56,439. Males had a median income of $37,877 versus $28,198 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,881. About 7.6% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.
A large number of Ames residents are university students. In 2004, for example, there were 26,390 students enrolled at Iowa State University in Ames.

Politics

Iowa is a "battleground state" that has trended slightly Republican in recent years, but Ames, like Iowa City, trends Democratic, partly due to the presence of the university community. Because Iowa is the first caucus state and Ames is a college town, it is the site of many political appearances, debates and events, especially during election years.
During every August in which the Republican presidential nomination is undecided (meaning there is no incumbent Republican president -- as in, most recently, 2007, 1999, 1995 and 1987), the town plays host to the Ames Straw Poll, which gauges support for the various Republican candidates amongst attendees of a fundraising dinner benefiting the Iowa Republican Party. The straw poll dates back to 1979, and is frequently seen as a first test of organizational strength in Iowa by the national media and party insiders; as such, it can be very beneficial for a candidate to win the straw poll and thus enhance his aura of inevitability or show off a superior field operation. [1]

Transportation

The town is served by US Highways 30 and 69 and Interstate 35. Ames is the only town in Iowa with a population of greater than 50,000 that does not have a state highway serving it.
The town also has a municipal airport near the Iowa State University Campus. The City of Ames offers a transit system throughout town called "Cy-Ride" that is funded jointly by Iowa State University, the ISU Government of the Student Body, and the City of Ames.

Economy

Ames is home of Iowa State University of Science & Technology, a space grant college, at its founding, the state's (Morrill Act) land-grant university, formerly known as the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Ames is the home of the closely allied U.S Department of Agriculture's National Animal Disease Center, and the main offices of the Iowa state Department of Transportation. State and Federal institutions are the largest employers in Ames.
Other area employers include a 3M manufacturing plant; Sauer-Danfoss, a hydraulics manufacturer; Barilla, a pasta manufacturer; and Ball, a manufacturer of canning jars and plastic bottles.

Medical

Ames is served by Mary Greeley Medical Center, a 220-bed regional referral hospital which is adjacent to McFarland Clinic PC: central Iowa's largest physician-owned multi-specialty clinic and also Iowa Heart Center.
Ames is also the home of the National Animal Disease Center where all American Mad Cow Disease samples are tested among other things.

Points of interest

★ Ames High School

★ Iowa State University

★ Reiman Gardens

★ Jack Trice Stadium

★ Ames Middle School

★ Brunnier Art Museum

People

★ George Washington Carver, Inventor, was an alumnus and a professor at ISU.

★ Carrie Chapman Catt, women's rights activist, ISU graduate

★ Laurel Blair Salton Clark, astronaut, died on STS-107.

★ David M. Dobson, creator of Snood (video game), grew up in Ames, Iowa.

★ Leslie Hall, Internet Phenonmenon, founder of the Mobile Museum of Gem Sweaters, was born and is currently living in Ames, IA.

★ Fred Hoiberg, Retired NBA basketball player, raised in Ames and ISU graduate

★ Ted Kooser, U.S. Poet Laureate, was raised in Ames, Iowa and attended Iowa State University.

★ Sara Paretsky, Author, was born in Ames, Iowa.

★ Cael Sanderson, Olympic Gold Medalist, Iowa State University wrestling coach and collegiate wrestler.

★ Peter Schickele, Musician, was born in Ames, Iowa

★ Neal Stephenson, Author, grew up in Ames, Iowa

★ Billy Sunday, evangelist and major league baseball player, born in Ames

References

External links

★ The Main Street Cultural District

★ Ames Community Arts Council

★ Ames Historical Society