IOWA CITY, a city of south-eastern Iowa, U.S.A., on the Iowa river, 120M. E. of Des Moines; the county seat of Johnson county. It is on Federal highways 32 and 161; is served by the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City (electric) and the Rock Island rail ways, and is a station on the transcontinental air-mail route from east to west, with an airport that is brilliantly illuminated at night. The population in 1930 (Federal census) was 15,340. The city lies in a natural amphitheatre, almost surrounded by hills and bluffs. It has various manufacturing industries, and is the seat of the University of Iowa (q.v.), of the library of the State Historical
Society. The State sanatorium for tuberculosis is at Oakdale about 4 miles away. In 1839 Iowa City was chosen the seat of government of the newly created Territory of Iowa, and it re mained the capital until 1857, when Des Moines was chosen in its stead, because of its more central position. The old State capi tol is now the headquarters of the administration of the university.