Iowa and Texas are vastly different – from climate to influences, economic development, and even food. Thus moving from one to the other makes a lot of sense in the long run. Plus, Iowa and Texas are not so far away, so moving would not be much of an ordeal.
Moving from Iowa to Texas is supposed to take around 13 hours of driving. The distance between their respective capitals, Des Moines and Austin, is about 930 miles, and the road trip crosses Kansas and Oklahoma.
The 13 hours of driving from Iowa to Texas can be split into two or three stop (four, if you are in a mood for more sightseeing). The largest cities along the way when moving from Iowa to Texas are:
- Dallas
- Kansas City
- Oklahoma City
- Fort Worth
- Wichita
- Grapevine
- Topeka
The whole area is rich in history and nature, so here are a handful of landmarks that are worth paying a visit, such as:
- National WWI Museum and Memorial
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum
- National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
- Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
- The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
- Six Flags Over Texas
- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
It could be a fun and enriching road trip. If you can and want to, take the time and drive that distance to enjoy both nature and culture. However, if you prefer to fly, or have more than one vehicle, then you can book a car shipping service and leave the driving to the professionals.
Learn how shipping a car from Iowa to Texas works and request a quick quote online.
Iowa goodbye
Sophisticated and beautiful, the French-inspired state of Iowa is located in the heart of the US Midwest. Also known as the Hawkeye State, it was part of both Spanish and French Louisiana (and was heavily influenced by the second). Iowa is part of the U.S. Corn Belt, and agriculture has been going strong since the 1850s and even earlier. Today, Iowa has a well-developed organic farming industry with an annual growth rate of over 5%. The state is also home to the Seed Saver Exchange – a non-government seed bank with more than 20,000 heirloom seeds.
Besides that, Iowa holds some records in terms of agriculture. The Hawkeye state ranks first in beef, pork, corn, soybean, and grain production. An average Iowan family can grow enough food on their farm to feed 279 people.
Iowa has four primary interstate highways. Interstate 29 (I-29) travels along the state’s western edge through Council Bluffs and Sioux City. I-35 travels from the Missouri state line to the Minnesota state line through the state’s center, including Des Moines. I-74 begins at I-80 just northeast of Davenport. I-80 travels from the Nebraska state line to the Illinois state line through the center of the state, including Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Iowa City, and the Quad Cities.
I-380 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, which travels from I-80 near Iowa City through Cedar Rapids ending in Waterloo, and is part of the Avenue of the Saints highway. Iowa is among the few jurisdictions where municipalities install speed cameras on interstate highways providing a substantial revenue source from out-of-state drivers.
Famous people of Iowa
Aside from inventions that changed the world like the electronic computer and the sliced bread, Iowa has given birth to some figures of significant importance. The lengthy list includes names such as John Wayne, Herbert Hoover, and Norman Borlaug.
A curious name on this list is Captain James T. Kirk. Yes, the iconic Star Trek Commander was born in Riverside, Iowa…in 2228. Despite the fact that there are two centuries worth of time until his birth takes place, people still celebrate it. Fans from all over the world celebrate it by visiting a monument to his name, spending some time at the Star Trek Voyage House Museum, or attending the annual Trek Fest held every summer in June on the streets of Riverside.
Golfing is a thing
Iowa has 440 golf courses per capita, an odd record for golf courses per capita in the United States. They vary in size and difficulty. Iowa’s natural beauty adds a hint of pepper to the mix, making it perfect for everyone from absolute amateurs to Tiger Woods.
Disadvantages of living in Iowa
Less traffic and low crime rate make Iowa a great place to live. However, what are the disadvantages and why are people leaving for Texas?
The first prominent reason is economic. The minimum wage in Iowa is one of the lowest in the U.S.—just $7.25.
Driving is easy, but public transportation is not well developed. Medical insurance costs are high. Iowa relies on traditional industries. Therefore, it lags behind in technological development. Iowa has a high-income tax rate, ranging from 0.33% to 8.53%. The top tax rate of 8.53% applies to income of $74,970 or more. Texas has a lot more to offer.
Hello Texas!
The might of The Lone Star State can only be matched by California and maybe New York. With several large cities, way over the 1 million mark, and with a GDP equal to that of a developed EU state, moving from Iowa to Texas makes sense.
Economy
A real pillar of US economics, Texas has the means to dominate – diverse natural landscape, top universities, sheer size, and population. Natural resources such as oil, gas and other minerals and ranching are the economic heart of Texas. The state is also well represented in aerospace, IT, energy, retail, banking and medial industries.
Fortune 500 companies such as McKesson, ExxonMobil, AT&T, Dell Technologies, and Phillips 66. Foxconn Assembly LLC, Houston, Texas, Pizza Hut, and Keller Williams Realty are the largest employers in the state, with hundreds of thousands of employees across the state.
Texas has one of the strongest economies in the world (yes, the world!) with a GDP of $2 trillion and a GDP per capita of $60,922. If Texas were an independent state, it would be tenth. The unemployment rate is about 8.0%.
Tourism is also booming in Texas. Texas has some great beaches such as Boca Chica, Padre Island National Seashore, South Padre Island, Mustang Island and Rockport Beach.
The Texas Medical Center is a major point of interest. It is widely considered to have the highest concentration of hospitals, and research facilities in the world.
Education in Texas
There are 38 universities in Texas, 34 of which are in one of six state university systems. All of these offer an excellent education, but if you strive for the best, look no further than the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, and the University of Houston. But don’t overlook UT San Antonio and Texas State University.
Infrastructure
The first freeway in Texas was the Gulf Expressway, which opened in Houston in 1948. As of 2005, 79,535 miles (127,999 kilometers) of public highways passed through Texas (up from 71,000 miles (114,263 kilometers) in 1984). To fund recent interstate growth, Texas has 17 toll roads (see list), and several more are proposed. In central Texas, the southern section of the Route 130 Turnpike has a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h), the highest in the United States.
The fastest street in America is in Austin. The 64-meter toll road has a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h) on rural roads between Austin and San Antonio. Texas also had the highest legal average speed at 78.3 mph (126 km/h).
Live Music Capital of the World!
A 1991 poll has shown that Austin, Texas has more music venues per capita than any other city in the world. The Texan capital boasted about 200 live music venues with nearly 2000 music bands to fill them in.
Another good reason is that Austin has some of the largest music festivals in the world. South by Southwest (SXSW), Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL), The Urban Music Festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and the Pachange Festival gather fans from all over the world.
The modern form of “Austin Music” emerged in 1972 when “a new form of country music exploded on the scene, leaving Nashville and embracing the counterculture”, most of which was anchored by the Armadillo World Headquarters music venue, which opened in 1970. Center, alternating country and rock music performances. In 1972, Willie Nelson left Nashville and moved to Austin.
Free time in Texas!
Austin is the largest city in the United States without a pro sports team. However, the neighboring cities provide ample opportunities for sports fans to see high-ranking sports events.
Texas has three NBA teams and each one of them had won a championship – the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Houston Rockets.
The Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans dominate the football scene in the state. The Cowboys have won 5 Super Bowls and are amongst the standard-bearers of this sport in the world.
The Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers are a constant in the baseball World Series.
The Dallas Stars are the Texan stars in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999.
Even soccer is gaining popularity. FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamos both participate in the MLS.
Parks and recreation
Would you like to spend time in a nature park? Texas has it all—deserts, mountains, rivers, beaches, alligator swamps, lakes, cliffs, and everything your heart desires. Each is worth exploring. Here’s a short, open-ended list of places worth visiting:
- Big Bend Ranch State Park
- Colorado Bend State Park
- Pedernales Falls State Park
- Caddo Lake State Park
- Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway
Historic sights
The vastness of Texas can only be surpassed by its rich history. The Lone Star State is the site of numerous historical events that have left their mark on American history. For centuries, the lands that makeup what is now Texas have been under French, Spanish, Mexican, Confederate, American, and even brief independence as the Republic of Texas (1836-1845).
Famous sights include:
- The Alamo
- Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site
- Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site in Texas
- The San Jacinto Monument
- George Ranch Historical Park
Disadvantages of living in Texas
Along with its undoubted advantages, Texas boasts some disadvantages that are worth considering when moving from Iowa or elsewhere.
Large cities are suffering from hyper urbanization and its various consequences, such as traffic, air pollution, and long commutes. In contrast to that, ,simultaneously other regions in Texas are quite underdeveloped with significantly lower incomes, slow internet speeds, poor electric grids, and bad infrastructure. With all that, another significant downside is high property taxes. This is the downside of the lack of income tax. Texas is the 45th of the 51 states with the highest property taxes in the United States (including the District of Columbia).
Des Moines and Austin head to head
Austin is riding high on Texas’ wave of success with better median income, lower unemployment rates, and even lower average age. The only downside of the Lone Star’s capital is the exceptionally high housing costs. So, if you plan on moving from Iowa to Texas, Austin might not be the best option if you do not have a high paying position lined up immediately.
Hopefully, this guide was helpful and insightful. You may want to learn now how much it costs to ship a car to Texas, just in case you may have decided already that moving is happening! Thank you!
