University Heights

A town within a city, University Heights is surrounded by the Iowa City metropolitan area. Once farmland, it was incorporated in 1935 after citizens foresaw future growth west of the river and wanted to maintain a traditional small-town ambiance.  The town’s proximity to the health and athletics complexes makes it a very popular area with charming homes built from the early 1900s until today. A new luxury residential and commercial development, One University Place, will feature a proposed restaurant, coffee/barista, exercise and other potential business with luxury condominiums designed by award-winning architects, Neumann Monson. With fewer than 500 households, it has a personality of its own, and an independent spirit within blocks of larger city amenities. 

Location: West of the Iowa River, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Kinnick Stadium and literally surrounded by Iowa City

‍Origin: At the turn of the 20th century, the area of present day University Heights was known as West Lucas Township and consisted of several small farms and properties. At that time, the University of Iowa and Iowa City at large had not yet expanded westward past the Iowa River. In the early 1920s, brothers Lee and George Koser began purchasing and developing the land that became the city of University Heights, anticipating the westward expansion of the University and the city. With the construction of the University's General Hospital in 1928 and Kinnick Stadium in 1929, those predictions came true. By 1933, the City of Iowa City began annexing land on the west side of the river and in 1935, the city of University Heights was incorporated. By the 1960s, most of the remaining lots west of Sunset St. were developed and the land surrounding University Heights had been annexed by Iowa City, limiting future growth.

‍Schools: Horn Elementary and Borlaug Elementary, Northwest Junior High, West High School