The Miss Iowa USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Iowa in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Future Productions based in Savage, Minnesota since 2008.[1]
| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Savage |
| Location | |
Membership | Miss USA |
Official language | English |
Key people | Denise Wallace Craig Heitkamp |
| Website | Official website |
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 Miss USA to win the Miss Universe Crown was Carol Morris of Iowa in 1956. The most recent placement was Baylee Drezek in 2019, placing Top 15.
Jamie Solinger, Miss Teen USA 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 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.
Iowa holds a record of 10 placements at Miss USA.
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age1 | Local title | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | McKenzie Ariana Kerry | Des Moines | 26 | Miss Des Moines | TBA | ||
| 2023 | Grace Keller | Coralville | 24 | Miss Johnson County |
| ||
| 2022 | Randi Estabrook | Mitchellville | 24 | Miss Central Iowa | |||
| 2021 | Katie Wadman | Iowa City | 21 | ||||
| 2020 | Morgan Kofoid | Leon | 22 |
| |||
| 2019 | Baylee Drezek | Davenport | 21 | Top 15 | |||
| 2018 | Jenny Valliere | Cedar Rapids | 27 | Joining Miss Iowa USA on her 8th consecutive year, before winning the title in 2018 | |||
| 2017 | Kelsey Weier | Des Moines | 25 | Later contestant on season 24ofThe Bachelor and season 7ofBachelor in Paradise. | |||
| 2016 | Alissa Morrison | Davenport | 24 | ||||
| 2015 | Taylor Even | Jesup | 21 | ||||
| 2014 | Carlyn Bradarich | Iowa City | 23 | 5th runner-up |
| ||
| 2013 | Richelle Orr[citation needed] | Hampton | 20 |
| |||
| 2012 | Rebecca Hodge | Iowa City | 22 | Miss Congeniality | |||
| 2011 | Rebecca Goldsmith | Chariton | 26 | ||||
| 2010 | Katherine Connors | Bettendorf | 20 | Threw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game following a joke by Nationals pitcher Miguel Batista at Miss Iowa's expense. Batista sent flowers, but declined Connors' challenge to "walk the runway in a swimsuit." | |||
| 2009 | Chelsea Gauger | Ames | 19 | ||||
| 2008 | Abbey Curran | Davenport | 20 | First person born with a disability (cerebral palsy) to compete in Miss USA[2] | |||
| 2007 | Dani Reeves | Hamburg | 21 | ||||
| 2006 | Sarah Corpstein | Anamosa | 23 | ||||
| 2005 | Joy Robinson | Altoona | 25 | ||||
| 2004 | Brooke Hansen | Fort Dodge | 22 | ||||
| 2003 | Linsey Grams | Urbandale | 20 | ||||
| 2002 | Lauren Wilson | Bettendorf | 22 | ||||
| 2001 | Clarissa Kroese | Pella | 22 | ||||
| 2000 | Jensie Grigsby | West Des Moines | 26 | Top 10, Finishing in 10th Place | |||
| 1999 | Jaclyn Solinger | Altoona | |||||
| 1998 | Jamie Solinger | Altoona |
| ||||
| 1997 | Shawn Marie Brogan | New Hampton | |||||
| 1996 | Jill Simon | Burlington | |||||
| 1995 | Angela Hearne | Mount Vernon | |||||
| 1994 | Callie Pandit | Des Moines | |||||
| 1993 | Jan Hoyer | Fort Madison | Top 12 Semi-finalist, Finishing in 8th Place |
| |||
| 1992 | Pam Patrick | Ottumwa | |||||
| 1991 | Heather Bowers | Toddville | |||||
| 1990 | Elizabeth Muelhaupt | West Des Moines, Iowa | |||||
| 1989 | Marcy Requist | Red Oak | |||||
| 1988 | Julie Kemmerling | Hinsdale, IL | |||||
| 1987 | Katy Magee | Jefferson | |||||
| 1986 | Holly Wilkins | Clear Lake | |||||
| 1985 | Karen North | Ames | |||||
| Devin Steinberg | Manson | Original winner, dethroned after she married during her reign. | |||||
| 1984 | Michele Boisvert | Decorah | |||||
| 1983 | Dana Ruth Mintzer | Des Moines | Miss Congeniality | ||||
| 1982 | Jeanne Hoyer | Fort Madison | Sister of Miss Iowa USA 1993 Jan Hoyer | ||||
| 1981 | Jennifer Lynn Wimpey | Iowa City | |||||
| 1980 | Lori Kromminga | Keystone | |||||
| 1979 | Teri Rees | Sioux City | |||||
| 1978 | Michelle Daley | West Des Moines | |||||
| 1977 | Cindy Woodard | Urbandale | |||||
| 1976 | Sheri Davenport | Storm Lake | |||||
| 1975 | Kathleen Duggan | Council Bluffs | |||||
| 1974 | Susan Thompson | Cedar Rapids | |||||
| 1973 | Dyanne Roberts | Oskaloosa | |||||
| 1972 | Jennifer Owen | Maxwell | |||||
| 1971 | Cindy Helmers | Sibley | |||||
| 1970 | Jacqueline Jochims | Carroll | Miss Starling |
| |||
| 1969 | Becky Stoner | Laurens | |||||
| 1968 | Markie Anderson | Sioux City | |||||
| 1967 | Kathleen Solt | Jefferson | |||||
| 1966 | Janis Mieras | Alta | |||||
| 1965 | Mari Hardy | Sioux City | |||||
| 1964 | Barbara Rogers | Perry | |||||
| 1963 | Ramona Meylor | Le Mars | |||||
| 1962 | Regina Prusha | Cedar Rapids | Miss Cedar Rapids | ||||
| 1961 | Deanne Ostermann | Ocheyedan | |||||
| 1960 | Trudy Shulkin | Sioux City | Miss Kmns Sioux City | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1959 | Kay Nielson | Council Bluffs | Semi-finalist |
| |||
| 1958 | Sandra Olsen | Sioux City | |||||
| 1957 | Judy Hall | Council Bluffs | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1956 | Carol Morris | Ottumwa | 19 | Miss USA 1956 |
| ||
| 1955 | Jerri Cole | Holstein | |||||
| 1954 | Ione Lucken | Le Mars | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1953 | Marilyn Shonka | Sioux City | Semi-finalist |
1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant