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IAIowa rankings

Towns with the most trails in Iowa

Ranked by miles of mapped hiking and walking trails per square mile of town. 87 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Ames
Iowa · Most trails

Where Ames lands: #11 of 87

1.3 mi / sq mi miles of trail per square mile · Visit Ames →

Map of Asbury 1 Asbury 2.5 mi / sq mi Trail miles 8.0 mi Carter Lake 2 Carter Lake 2.5 mi / sq mi Trail miles 4.9 mi 3 Iowa City 2.1 mi / sq mi Trail miles 54.8 mi
#TownTrail miles per sq miTrail milesParks & preserves
1 Map of Asbury Asbury5,989 people 2.5 mi / sq mi 8.0 mi 8
2 Carter Lake Carter Lake3,767 people 2.5 mi / sq mi 4.9 mi 6
3 Iowa City75,752 people 2.1 mi / sq mi 54.8 mi 57
4 Polk City Polk City6,037 people 2.0 mi / sq mi 11.4 mi 10
5 Ankeny Ankeny72,615 people 1.7 mi / sq mi 54.9 mi 51
6 West Branch West Branch2,594 people 1.6 mi / sq mi 4.2 mi 6
7 Sibley Sibley2,803 people 1.6 mi / sq mi 2.8 mi 4
8 Coralville Coralville23,234 people 1.5 mi / sq mi 18.6 mi 14
9 Johnston Johnston24,384 people 1.3 mi / sq mi 27.9 mi 25
10 Missouri Valley Missouri Valley2,666 people 1.3 mi / sq mi 4.4 mi 3
11 Ames Ames67,669 people 1.3 mi / sq mi 36.8 mi 42
12 Charles City Charles City7,232 people 1.3 mi / sq mi 7.9 mi 21
13 North Liberty North Liberty21,125 people 1.1 mi / sq mi 10.0 mi 16
14 Humboldt Humboldt4,771 people 1.0 mi / sq mi 4.9 mi 14
15 Waverly Waverly10,494 people 1.0 mi / sq mi 11.3 mi 21
16 Hiawatha Hiawatha7,206 people 1.0 mi / sq mi 4.5 mi 4
17 Map of Spencer Spencer11,400 people 1.0 mi / sq mi 10.4 mi 13
18 Map of Grinnell Grinnell9,505 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 5.3 mi 11
19 Des Moines212,421 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 82.3 mi 88
20 West Des Moines West Des Moines71,083 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 43.8 mi 36
21 DeWitt DeWitt5,546 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 5.4 mi 8
22 Oskaloosa Oskaloosa11,504 people 0.9 mi / sq mi 6.9 mi 3
23 Burlington Burlington23,728 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 12.6 mi 12
24 Williamsburg Williamsburg3,360 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 2.8 mi 1
25 Tama Tama3,051 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 2.5 mi 4
26 Indianola Indianola16,044 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 8.8 mi 13
27 Map of Tiffin Tiffin5,737 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 3.3 mi 7
28 Map of Huxley Huxley4,544 people 0.8 mi / sq mi 2.6 mi 6
29 Urbandale Urbandale46,595 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 16.6 mi 47
30 Fairfield Fairfield9,456 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 4.8 mi 11
31 Bettendorf Bettendorf39,647 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 15.9 mi 28
32 Decorah Decorah7,535 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 5.1 mi 15
33 Windsor Heights Windsor Heights5,143 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 1.0 mi 2
34 Sioux City Sioux City86,101 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 42.1 mi 48
35 Fort Dodge Fort Dodge24,827 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 11.3 mi 27
36 Red Oak Red Oak5,510 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 2.8 mi 7
37 Waterloo Waterloo67,008 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 43.6 mi 62
38 Map of Center Point Center Point2,562 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 1.8 mi 2
39 Clive Clive19,012 people 0.7 mi / sq mi 5.1 mi 16
40 Davenport Davenport100,913 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 42.3 mi 49
41 Washington Washington7,290 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 3.4 mi 5
42 Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids137,264 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 46.1 mi 86
43 Glenwood Glenwood5,144 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 1.7 mi 2
44 Map of Solon Solon3,152 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 1.0 mi 5
45 Marengo Marengo2,725 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 1.3 mi 2
46 Nevada Nevada6,983 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 3.5 mi 10
47 Le Mars Le Mars10,640 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 5.0 mi 12
48 Carroll Carroll10,208 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 3.4 mi 9
49 Muscatine Muscatine23,489 people 0.6 mi / sq mi 10.7 mi 19
50 Pleasant Hill Pleasant Hill11,136 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 5.6 mi 5
51 Boone Boone12,424 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 4.5 mi 9
52 Pella Pella10,720 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 4.6 mi 11
53 Marion Marion41,896 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 8.6 mi 21
54 Dubuque Dubuque59,174 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 15.1 mi 55
55 Atlantic Atlantic6,763 people 0.5 mi / sq mi 3.7 mi 3
56 Denison Denison8,260 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 2.8 mi 10
57 Dyersville Dyersville4,423 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 3.0 mi 4
58 Forest City Forest City4,290 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 2.0 mi 9
59 Norwalk Norwalk14,183 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 5.0 mi 7
60 Iowa Falls Iowa Falls5,038 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 2.4 mi 13
61 Map of Orange City Orange City6,426 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 1.9 mi 6
62 Mount Vernon Mount Vernon4,513 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 1.5 mi 8
63 Marshalltown Marshalltown27,626 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 7.6 mi 13
64 Map of Waukee Waukee29,236 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 8.6 mi 11
65 Cherokee Cherokee5,154 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 2.6 mi 6
66 Cedar Falls Cedar Falls40,888 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 10.9 mi 58
67 Fort Madison Fort Madison10,133 people 0.4 mi / sq mi 4.8 mi 10
68 Mason City Mason City27,050 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 9.6 mi 34
69 Mount Pleasant Mount Pleasant8,951 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 2.6 mi 9
70 Map of Clarion Clarion2,770 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 1.0 mi 4
71 Clinton Clinton24,322 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 11.0 mi 17
72 Oelwein Oelwein5,834 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 1.4 mi 7
73 Sioux Center Sioux Center8,454 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 1.8 mi 7
74 Osceola Osceola5,523 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 2.2 mi 10
75 Map of Estherville Estherville5,839 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 1.4 mi 11
76 Council Bluffs Council Bluffs62,586 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 11.2 mi 41
77 Altoona Altoona21,495 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 3.3 mi 12
78 Clarinda Clarinda5,353 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 1.3 mi 4
79 Harlan Harlan4,891 people 0.3 mi / sq mi 1.1 mi 8
80 Centerville Centerville5,372 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 1.0 mi 2
81 Storm Lake Storm Lake11,428 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 1.1 mi 14
82 Map of Independence Independence6,164 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 1.2 mi 10
83 Clear Lake Clear Lake7,607 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 2.5 mi 16
84 Grimes Grimes16,366 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 2.5 mi 9
85 Camanche Camanche4,550 people 0.2 mi / sq mi 1.7 mi 5
86 Keokuk Keokuk9,662 people 0.1 mi / sq mi 1.5 mi 9
87 Newton Newton15,700 people 0.1 mi / sq mi 1.2 mi 9

How this ranking works

We rank every town by miles of mapped hiking and walking trails per square mile of town. Paths, bridleways, woods roads and footways in parks count; sidewalks don't. Towns need at least a mile of trail to be ranked. Trails come from OpenStreetMap, so a well-mapped town can edge out an equally trail-rich one that's mapped less thoroughly. The town with the highest figure ranks #1.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Trails, streets and parks: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Conserved land: USGS PAD-US. Measured within each town's Census boundary. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

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