Ames is located in Central Iowa roughly 30 miles north of Des Moines, in the Western edge of Story County, astride the Skunk River. The city was named after Massachusetts congressman, shovel tycoon, and transcontinental railroad supporter Oakes Ames. The railroad is still a daily part of life in Ames, with nearly 90 Union Pacific long-haul freight non-passenger trains passing through town each day. Life in Ames follows the ebb and flow of the academic year at Iowa State University.
