Ames, Iowa
About Ames
Set in the central part of Iowa, Ames is a thriving city counting 69,026 people who proudly call it home. It ranks as the 8th largest city in Iowa.
Officially, Ames is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 28.2 square miles, giving it a balanced suburban layout with room to breathe at roughly 2,448 residents per square mile.
📰 Ames News Today
- Two Vintage pop-ups set for stops in Ames Iowa State Daily · Aug 16
- Roos Set for Season Opener at Iowa State Kansas City Roos · Aug 14
- Ranking every Iowa high school football team in Ames area for 2026 The Ames Tribune · Aug 18
- Water main break closes part of Lincoln Way in Ames near Iowa State KCCI · Aug 17
- As some churches are closing, this one seeks 'replanting' across Iowa The Des Moines Register · Aug 18
Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.
What Makes Ames Unique
- A top-25 city in Iowa by population (#8 of 940 incorporated places).
- One of 6 places in the US named Ames — but the Iowa one has a character all its own.
- Home to 2.6% of Iowa's city-dwelling population.
Why People Love It Here
- The sweet spot: real amenities without big-city congestion.
- Local businesses and schools anchored by a stable resident base of 69,026.
- Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 8 miles.
📍 Neighborhoods in Ames
Click a neighborhood to see it on the map.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Ames
- 1+1 Restaurant & Tea — chinese
- 7 Brew — coffee shop (café)
- Abelardo's Mexican Food — mexican
- Applebee's — american
- Aunt Maude's — american
- Blaze Pizza — pizza
- Blue Fish Hawaii Poke Bowl — hawaiian
- Brick City Grill — burger
- Buffalo Wild Wings — wings
- Cabin Coffee Co. — coffee shop (café)
Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🎡 Fun Things to Do
- Ames History Museum · Museum
- Brunnier Art Museum · Museum
- Donald and Ruth Furman Aquatic Center · Water park
- Farm House Museum · Museum
- Inside Golf & Games · Arcade
- Octagon Center for the Arts · Art gallery
- Elwood the Gnome · Attraction
Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Ames
- Ames Veterans Memorial reviews ★
- Bandshell Park reviews ★
- Brookside Park reviews ★
- Campustown Court reviews ★
- Christofferson Park reviews ★
- Country Gables Park reviews ★
- Daley Park reviews ★
- Duff Park reviews ★
- Emma McCarthy Lee Park reviews ★
- Franklin Park reviews ★
- Gateway Park reviews ★
- Greenbriar Park reviews ★
Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.
🏫 Schools in Ames
- Ames High School
- Ames Middle School
- Edwards Elementary School
- Fellows Elementary School
- Meeker Elementary School
- Mitchell Elementary School
- Northwood Pre-School
- Sawyer Elementary School
Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.
🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare
- Mary Greeley Medical Center ★★★★ (4/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.