There are many railroad resources available. Some of the best resources are the individual railroad websites. Transportation services and consulting resources are listed but not necessarily endorsed by the Iowa DOT. Additional, more generalized public information is contained in trade journals. Trade Associations can be good opportunities for networking and topic-specific presentations. Educational resources are also abundant in Iowa.
Rail Toolkit Resources
Rail Toolkit Contacts who can assist with the Rail Toolkit are listed in the toolkit contact information.
Iowa has an extensive rail system shown on the 2025 Freight Rail Service Map (2.8 MB).pdf (2.8 MB) .pdf for the safe and eco-friendly transport of large volumes of freight. The information on the Freight Railroad Profiles shows the overview of each operating railroad in Iowa, including total miles of freight railroad owned and operated by each railroad, lines owned/leased and operated under contract, trackage, and/or haulage rights, transloading/intermodal locations, and interchanges.
This list provides an inventory of Iowa freight facilities (704.39 KB) .pdf that are served by rail. These lists are not exhaustive. Some facilities listed may no longer be operational, and new facilities may not be represented. Freight Inventory and Performance. Intermodal facilities, transload facilities, barge terminals, public/contract warehouses, coal-burning facilities, ethanol plants, and biodiesel plants are listed. Due to the large number of facilities and locations throughout the state, grain elevators are not listed.
Counties
There are 90 counties of the 99 counties in Iowa with operating railroads, each with county engineering staff who can assist in matters specifically under their jurisdiction. This is a complete list of county engineers and their contact information.
Cities
Cities in Iowa have jurisdiction for matters within their city limits. The website League of Cities provides a complete list of all incorporated cities in Iowa. You can sort all cities by name and population. You can reduce the list by population range and county.
IEDA can help companies find the perfect place for their expansion or relocation. A credentialed Iowa Certified Site has relevant site-related data and documentation accumulated and is designated as “development ready.” Certified sites are listed below or see a full list of buildings and sites. Search Properties provide the ability to limit search results to “rail served” building sites.
Freight transportation intermediaries and third-party logistics (3PLs) companies can provide freight transportation logistics expertise that can improve customer service, reduce damage, improve transit times, and save money. Many companies who have a limited workforce or do not have in-house transportation expertise, especially find that hiring a logistics company to plan, store, package, and ship products can improve the quality of transportation for new companies, small shippers, and mid to large companies with complex shipping needs. The following list of considerations about your supply chain can help identify a company or expert who can work with you to improve service.