The Miss Iowa USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

in the

Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020. ...

pageant. It is directed by Future Productions based in

Savage, Minnesota Savage ( ) is a suburban city south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly called ''South of the River,'' comprising the south ...

since 2008. While Iowa has not been greatly successful in the past four decades, they were one of the most consistent states in the first decade of the pageant's existence. The second

to win the

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...

Crown was

Carol Morris Carol Ann Laverne Morris (born April 8, 1936) is an American actress, model and beauty queen who was the second Miss USA to win the Miss Universe title in the pageant's fifth edition in 1956. She was crowned by Hillevi Rombin, Miss Universe 19 ...

of Iowa in 1956. The most recent placement was Baylee Drezek in 2019, placing Top 15.

Jamie Solinger Jamie Grimes (née Solinger formerly Patterson, born c. 1975) is an American model and beauty queen who became the first and so far only woman from Iowa to capture the Miss Teen USA crown and placed third runner-up to Mrs America 2005. Modelin ...

Miss Teen USA Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant that has been run since 1983 by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19 years old as of January 1st of the competition year. They must be US citizens, and cannot have been married, pregnant, or ...

1992 and Miss Iowa USA 1998, crowned her sister Jaclyn Solinger as Miss Iowa USA 1999. The current titleholder is McKenzie Ariana Kerry of

Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

and was crowned on June 23, 2024 at The Ames Center, formerly Burnsville Performing Arts Center in Burnsville. She will represent Iowa for the title of

Miss USA 2024 Miss USA 2024 was the 73rd Miss USA pageant, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, United States, on August 4, 2024. Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii crowned Alma Cooper of Michigan as her successor at the end of the event. Sh ...

Gallery of titleholders

File:Carol Morris (cropped).jpg,

, Miss Iowa USA 1956,

Miss USA 1956 Miss USA 1956 was the fifth Miss USA pageant, held at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California on 18 July 1956. At the end of the event, Carlene King Johnson of Vermont crowned Carol Morris as Miss USA 1956. It is the first vict ...

and

Miss Universe 1956 Miss Universe 1956 was the fifth Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States on 20 July 1956. At the end of the event, Hillevi Rombin of Sweden crowned Carol Morris of the United S ...

File:Jamie Solinger Patterson.jpg,

, Miss Iowa USA 1998 File:SarahCorpstein.jpg, Sarah Corpstein, Miss Iowa USA 2006 File:DaniReeves.jpg, Dani Reeves, Miss Iowa USA 2007 File:Katherine Connors.jpg, Katherine Connors, Miss Iowa USA 2010

Results summary

Placements

*Miss USA:

(1956) *5th Runner-up: Carlyn Bradarich (2014) *Top 10/12: Jan Hoyer (1993), Jensie Grigsby (2000) *Top 14/15/19/20: Marilyn Shonka (1953), Ione Lucken (1954), Judy Hall (1957), Kay Nielson (1959), Trudy Shulkin (1960), Baylee Drezek (2019), McKenzie Ariana Kerry (2024) Iowa holds a record of 11 placements at

Awards

*Miss Congeniality: Dana Ruth Mintzer (1983), Rebecca Hodge (2012)

Winners

;Color key ¹ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

External links

* {{Miss USA state

Iowa culture Women in Iowa Recurring events established in 1952 1952 establishments in Iowa Annual events in Iowa