Most Misleading Town Names in Iowa

I was scrolling through social media the other day when I came across a post from IowaChill. They put together a hilarious compilation of towns in Iowa that have somewhat...misleading names.

When you think New York, you most definitely are picturing the Empire State Building, right? Well, apparently there's one right here in the Hawkeye State.

Let's dive in and explore these "misleading" towns and even expand the list a little.

Get our free mobile app

Jamaica

Jamaica, Iowa a town in Guthrie County has a population of approximately 195, according to reports. It is nothing at all like THE Jamaica which is an island country in the Carribean.

One you would definitely want to visit for a vacation, and the other...

Let's just say people aren't heading out to Jamaica, Iowa during the cold winter months to get a tan.

Cairo

The only pyramids in the Hawkeye State aren't even in Cairo, Iowa. Plus, they are significantly smaller.

Cairo is the capital city in Egypt whilst Cairo, Iowa has a population of about 1,899 people, according to reports.

Cairo, Egypt has quite a few more people than that.

Peru

Do you know that Peru is the second largest producer of cocaine in the world?

Just to be clear, we're not talking about Peru, Iowa.

The town in Iowa called "Old Peru" is located in Madison County. And after a quick

So, which came first?

Old Peru or...normal Peru?

New York

So nice, they named it twice! And put it in Iowa.

The city that never sleeps is also in the Hawkeye State?

If you order something off of Amazon, the person packing up your parcel and printing out the address label is probably incredibly confused.

New York, Iowa is in the southern part of the Hawkeye State and is in Wayne County.

Bethlehem/Bethelhem

Oh, little town of Bethlehem! How still we see thee lie!

The town of Bethelhem (not Bethlehem) in Iowa is also in Wayne County, just like New York. According to reports, this is a populated place within the Township of Wright.

Nevada

One of the first corrections I got after moving to Iowa a few years back was that this town is pronounced Neh-VAY-da not Nah-vah-duh.

While there are countless casinos in the state of Nevada thanks to Las Vegas there are no casinos in Nevada, Iowa.

Paris

There's no Eiffel tower here in Paris, Iowa unfortunately. My sister has been to both Iowa and France and can definitely confirm that this iconic structure is only in Europe.

This small unincorporated town in Linn County spans only a few blocks along Sutton Road and County Highway D66 west of Central City, according to reports.

Stay up to date with everything going on in Eastern Iowa by downloading the free station app from your app store. Also, do not forget to follow the station across all social media platforms for the latest news and entertainment stories.