Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is the home of Iowa State University (ISU). According to the 2020 census, Ames had a population of 66,427, making it the state's ninth-most populous city. Iowa State University was home to 30,177 students as of fall 2023, which make up approximately one half of the city's population.
A United States Department of Energy national laboratory, Ames National Laboratory, is located on the ISU campus. Ames also hosts United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sites: the largest federal animal disease center in the United States, the USDA Agricultural Research Service's National Animal Disease Center (NADC), as well as one of two national USDA sites for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which comprises the National Veterinary Services Laboratory and the Center for Veterinary Biologics. Ames also hosts the headquarters of the Iowa Department of Transportation.
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 by local resident Cynthia Olive Duff (née Kellogg) and railroad magnate John Insley Blair, near a location that was deemed favorable for a railroad crossing of the Skunk River and Ioway Creek. William West (1821–1919) became the first mayor of Ames in 1870. With his wife Harriet, from 1869 to 1892, he ran Ames's first hotel, known as West House, on Douglas Avenue on the site of the present Octagon Center for the Arts. West was a highly respected pioneer businessman who also served on the Ames School Board in the 1880s when Central School was built on the site of the present Ames City Hall on Clark Avenue and Sixth Street. The Wests raised several daughters and sons. William West spent the last of his life living with his son in northwest Iowa.
Geography Ames is located along the western edge of Story County, roughly north of the state capital, Des Moines. Passing through Ames is the cross country line of the Union Pacific Railroad and two small streams (the South Skunk River and Ioway Creek).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Neighborhoods Ames Main Street Historic District Campustown, south of Iowa State University, is a high-density mixed-use neighborhood with many student apartments, nightlife venues, and restaurants.
Climate Ames has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa). On average, the warmest month is July and the coldest is January. The highest recorded temperature was on July 24, 1901, and the lowest was January 25, 1894.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Ames had a population of 66,427 and 25,579 households, of which 10,641 were families. The population density was 2,407.5 inhabitants per square mile (929.5/km2). There were 27,806 housing units at an average density of 1,007.8 per square mile (389.1/km2); 8.0% were vacant, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 2.0% and a rental vacancy rate of 8.0%.
About 99.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.8% lived in rural areas.
The median age was 23.6 years. 12.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 112.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 114.1 males age 18 and over.
Of the 25,579 households, 17.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 32.5% were married-couple households, 6.8% were cohabiting couples, 29.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present. About 58.4% were non-families; 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 51,469 77.5% Black or African American 2,765 4.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 214 0.3% Asian 5,258 7.9% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 31 0.0% Some other race 2,091 3.1% Two or more races 4,599 6.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 3,948 5.9%
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 58,965 people, 22,759 households, and 9,959 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 23,876 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.5% White, 3.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 8.8% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.
There were 22,759 households, of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.2% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.82.
The median age in the city was 23.8 years. 13.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 40.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 15% were from 45 to 64; and 8.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.0% male and 47.0% female.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 50,731 people, 18,085 households, and 8,970 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 18,757 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.34% White, 7.70% Asian, 2.65% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.76% Pacific Islander and 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.
Age spread: 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.
Metropolitan area
The U.S. Census Bureau designates the Ames MSA as encompassing all of Story County. While Ames is the largest city in Story County, the county seat is in the nearby city of Nevada, east of Ames.
Ames metropolitan statistical area combined with the Boone, Iowa micropolitan statistical area (Boone County, Iowa) make up the larger Ames-Boone combined statistical area. Ames is the larger principal city of the Combined Statistical Area that includes all of Story County, Iowa and Boone County, Iowa.Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Components , Office of Management and Budget, May 11, 2007. Accessed August 1, 2008.Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Components , Office of Management and Budget, May 11, 2007. Accessed August 1, 2008.Combined Statistical Areas and Component Core Based Statistical Areas , Office of Management and Budget, May 11, 2007. Accessed August 1, 2008. which had a combined population of 106,205 at the 2000 census.
Economy Iowa State University contains the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Animal Disease Center, which developed the Ames strain, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames National Laboratory, a major materials research and development facility. Located in Ames are the main offices of the Iowa Department of Transportation, and state and Federal institutions are the largest employers in Ames.
The Iowa State University Research Park is a not-for-profit business development incubator located in Ames, and affiliated with Iowa State University.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked Ames and Boulder, Colorado as having the lowest unemployment rate (2.5%) of any metropolitan area in the United States in 2016. By June 2018, unemployment in Ames had fallen even further, to 1.5%, though wage increases for workers were not keeping pace with rising rents.
Top employers As of 2022, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of EmployeesPercentage of Total City Employment1 Iowa State University18,21233.33%2 Mary Greeley Medical Center1,4072.57%3 City of Ames1,3822.53%4 McFarland Clinic, P. C.1,2002.20%5 Danfoss1,0521.93%6 Iowa Department of Transportation9751.78%7USDA7501.37%8 Ames Community School District7001.28%9 Hach Chemical5801.06%10 Workiva5501.01%
Arts and culture The Ames History Museum was founded in 1980, and includes a historic schoolhouse. Ames Public Library, a Carnegie library, was founded in 1904. The Octagon Center for the Arts includes galleries, art classes, art studios, and a retail shop. They sponsor the local street fair, The Octagon Arts Festival, and holds an annual National Juried Exhibition judging artwork in material categories such as Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, and Wood.
Sports The Iowa State Cyclones play a variety of sports in the Ames area. The Iowa State Cyclones football team plays at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The Cyclones' Men's and Women's Basketball teams and Volleyball teams play at Hilton Coliseum. The Iowa State Cyclones are a charter member of the Big 12 Conference in all sports and compete in NCAA Division I-A.
Parks and recreation Ames has multiple parks, including Brookside Park, River Valley Park and the Ada Hayden Heritage Park, which contains a lake, a series of wetlands and trails. Reiman Gardens, owned by Iowa State University, is a public garden located in Ames.
Government
From 1979 through 2011, Ames was the location of the Ames Straw Poll, which was held every August prior to a presidential election year in which the Republican presidential nomination was undecided (meaning there was no Republican president running for re-election—as in 2011, 2007, 1999, 1995, 1987, and 1979). The poll would gauge support for the various Republican candidates amongst attendees of a fundraising dinner benefiting the Iowa Republican Party. The straw poll was frequently seen by national media and party insiders as a first test of organizational strength in Iowa. In 2015, the straw poll was to be moved to nearby Boone before the Iowa Republican Party eventually decided to cancel it altogether.
Ames is part of Iowa House of Representatives District 50, currently represented by Ross Wilburn. It is part of Iowa Senate District 25, currently represented by Herman Quirmbach.
Education Schools located in Ames are administered by the Ames Community School District.
Public high school in Ames
Ames High School: Grades 9–12
Public elementary/middle schools in Ames David Edwards Elementary: K-5 Abbie Sawyer Elementary School: Grades K-5 Kate Mitchell Elementary School: Grades K-5 Warren H. Meeker Elementary School: Grades K-5 Gertrude Fellows Elementary School: Grades K-5 Ames Middle School: Grades 6–8
Private schools in Ames Ames Christian School Saint Cecilia School (preK – 5th grade)
Iowa State University