Iowa congressional district maps, 1847-2013
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| 1847 | 1847 | 1862 | 1862 | 1862- 2012 | 1862- 1992 | 1872- 1972 | 1872- 1962 | 1872- 1942 | 1882- 1932 | 1882- 1932 |
Districts are calculated based on the census in the x0 year of a decade. They are finalized either in the x1 (1931 and later) or x2 year (1800s) for the election in the x2, and representatives take office in January of the x3 year of that decade.
1847 (first districts of statehood)
Poweshiek moved to District 1 in 1848; Des Moines, Louisa, and Washington moved to District 1 in 1857. Otherwise same until election of 1862.
1862 - 674,913 - 112,486 per district
Population figures here and below are of decennial censuses.
1872 - 1,194,020 - 132,669 per district
1882 - 1,624,615 - 147,692 per district
1886 - 1,624,615 - 147,692 per district
There was a special census in 1885, but I can't find that total online. My sources indicate that the 1886 districts were used up to and including the elections of 1930. Per-district numbers below are simply the population divided by 11; there was a significant imbalance in representation among districts near the end.
1890 census - 1,912,297 - 173,845 per district
1900 census - 2,231,853 - 202,896 per district
1910 census - 2,224,771 - 202,252 per district
1920 census - 2,404,021 - 218,547 per district
The size of the U.S. House was fixed at 433 in 1910, which became 435 in 1912. It's been a zero-sum game since - and Iowa's been on the losing end. The midterm election of 1910 was the last time Iowans elected more representatives than Californians; the number for each stayed at 11 until 1932.
1931 - 2,470,939 - 274,549 per district
1941 - 2,538,268 - 317,284 per district
1950 census - 2,621,073 - 327,634 per district
1961 - 2,757,537 - 393,934 per district
The four-county district encompassing Des Moines, Ames, and Fort Dodge is the smallest district ever created in the state.
1971 - 2,825,368 - 470,895 per district
1981 - 2,913,808 - 485,635 per district
Beginning with the 1981 redistricting, a nonpartisan commission was established to create Iowa's lines with no regard for history or incumbency. It's the system closest to the ideal of equal representation in Congress in the nation.
1991 - 2,776,831 - 555,366 per district
The election of 1992 was the first time Iowans picked fewer than six representatives since 1860, the same year they voted for Abraham Lincoln. This was also the first time ever that the southeast cluster was not in District 1.
2001 - 2,926,324 - 585,265 per district
As depressing as this may look, it's only going to get worse. Iowa is practically guaranteed to lose its fifth seat after the 2010 census. In fact, at one point the state was projected to gain about 34,000 people total between 2000 and 2030, still falling short of the 3 million mark. However, the 2007 estimate was above 2.98 million, making 3 million a distinct if optimistic possibility.
Iowa's representatives, 1997-2007
Jim Leach
As Iowa's longest-serving congressman (until the election of 2006), Leach has represented a good chunk of east-central and southeast Iowa. Red indicates counties in his district prior to 1983, blue is for 1983-1993, purple is for 1993-2003, and green is 2003-2007. Louisa and Muscatine have always been in his district, which was always the 1st until 2003. (Leach moved from Davenport to Iowa City after the 2001 redistricting put him and Jim Nussle in the same area.)
Jim Nussle
Nussle served one term before beating Rep. Dave Nagle when Iowa lost a district for the 1992 election. This map shows his post-1993 districts, while he served the 2nd District (blue) in 1993-2003 and the 1st District (red) 2003-2007; the overlap is in gray. Not marked is the 1981 arrangement, which included Linn and Cedar in addition to counties he served either in the 1990s or 2000s. He ran for governor in 2006, making Iowa's 1st District a hot property for the midterm election.
Leonard Boswell
Boswell moved from Davis City to Des Moines in order to keep his spot in the 3rd District. Dark purple counties were his between 1997 and 2003; pinkish after 2003, and gray for both. After his election, Iowa kept four out of five representatives for 10 years, changing only in 2002, when Greg Ganske ran for Senate against Tom Harkin and Steve King took the new 5th district that encompassed the western third of the state.
Tom Latham
Latham entered Congress one election before Boswell (and with Leach's defeat, becomes Iowa's longest-serving House member). He served in the 5th District in the 1990s (orange), and then his focus shifted to northeast Iowa and counties surrounding Des Moines (4th District, green). Gray counties are the overlap.
Sources: The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts, 1789-1983; The Des Moines Register, 8/13/81; Iowa Legislature website
Page created 5/6/05; last updated 2/23/08