Facts & Info

Population

Ames: 50,731
Iowa: 2,926,324

Geography

Ames is located on Interstate 35, U.S. Route 30 and 69, and the cross country line of the Union Pacific Railroad, located roughly 30 miles (48 km) north of the state capital Des Moines.

History

The city was founded in 1864 as a station stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad. It was named after 19th century U.S. congressman Oakes Ames of Massachusetts, who was influential in the building of the transcontinental railroad.

Economy

Ames is home to Iowa State University, the closely allied U.S Department of Agriculture's National Animal Disease Center and the main offices of the Iowa State Department of Transportation. Other area employers include a 3M manufacturing plant; Sauer-Danfoss, a hydraulics manufacturer; Barilla, a pasta manufacturer; and Ball, a manufacturer of canning jars and plastic bottles.

Time Zone

Iowa is in the Central Time Zone and uses Daylight Savings Time from the first Sunday in April until the last Sunday in October.

Area Code

The area code for telephone numbers in Ames is 515.