Davenport and Bettendorf are Iowa's part of the Quad Cities region. Along with East Moline, Moline, and Rock Island, Illinois, they form a metropolitan area with a population of more than 400,000. The Quad Cities have a rich Native American and Mississippi River heritage. Many of the things to see and do in Davenport and Bettendorf are on or along the Mississippi. Visitors can take a riverboat cruise or ferry boat ride or enjoy riverboat gaming at one of the area's casinos. Islands in the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois provide a variety of recreational and historical attractions.

Dubuque, population 57,546, is an industrial Mississippi River port in eastern Iowa near the Wisconsin and Illinois border. Sightseeing and dining tours of the Mississippi are available by riverboats, paddle wheelers, and yachts. Dubuque is also the setting for many outdoor activities. Bird watching is popular because a variety of birds, including bald eagles, make the river valley their home.

Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa. The University of Iowa resides on the state's original capital grounds. Along with Big Ten basketball and other sports, the university houses medical, art, and natural history museums. Coralville Lake's Devonian Fossil Gorge is Iowa City's most popular outdoor destination. Fossils cover the 15-foot-deep gorge's bedrock surface. The 5,400-acre lake provides fishing, boating, and swimming access.

Waterloo is an industrial city and home to John Deere tractor. The Cedar River flows through the middle of Waterloo. To the west, Cedar Falls is a university town. The metropolitan area provides a variety of entertainment and outdoor recreational activities for east central Iowa. Both Waterloo and Cedar Falls have downtown shopping and entertainment districts. The Cedar River and many small area lakes provide fishing, boating, sailing, windsurfing, and swimming spots.