Iowa River, river flowing through the centre of Iowa, U.S. It rises as two headstreams, the East Branch Iowa and West Branch Iowa rivers, in the north-central part of the state; the Iowa proper is formed by their confluence near Belmond in Wright county. The river then flows generally southeastward past Iowa Falls, Marshalltown, and Iowa City and empties into the Mississippi River. Its course with its headstreams is about 330 miles (530 km).
At Columbus Junction, about 25 miles (40 km) south-southwest of Iowa City, the Iowa River is joined by the Cedar River, its chief tributary, and the combined streams enter the Mississippi about 20 miles (32 km) south of Muscatine. Just north of Iowa City the river is dammed for flood control, forming Coralville Reservoir and Lake Macbride, both of which are popular recreational sites.