Main Street in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by Faye Gilbert.)
About Ames, Iowa
Small town warmth. Big city amenities.
Beneath the small town charm of Ames, Iowa, beats the heart of a much larger city. A city that has become a player in developing the world's bio-economic future. A city with top-quality education, from kindergarten to grad school. A city that regularly draws performers like Kenny Chesney, Dave Matthews and Widespread Panic, along with international symphonies and Broadway musicals. A city with hundreds of acres of parks, numerous bike paths, and cultural festivals and celebrations. A city that's been ranked the 2nd most liveable small city in the nation.
The city-wide bus system CyRide
offers reliable, inexpensive transport.
On the maps
Ames is 30 minutes from Des Moines, and 3 hours from Kansas City, Minneapolis and Omaha.