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The Mineral Industry of Iowa

By National Minerals Information Center

Statistics and information on the nonfuel mineral commodities produced in Iowa

Minerals Yearbook Vol. II - Domestic

Iowa mineral commodity producing areas map from 2014 Minerals Yearbook

2017-2018 data for Iowas are summarized in the table on this web page. The 2015 chapter data tables (XLS) and 2014 chapter containing text and data tables in PDF and XLS formats are available, with other years, through the links below.

Sources of information

Iowa produces common clays, construction sand and gravel, crushed stone, dimension stone (limestone and “dolostone”), gemstones, gypsum, lime. peat, and portland cement. It is known for geodes and barite crystals exposed in sedimentary rocks.

The following data table gives nonfuel mineral commodity production data for Iowa extracted from Table 5 in the 2017 Minerals Yearbook Statistical Summary.

Nonfuel Mineral Commodity Production in Iowa1,2,3
Mineral Commodity Units 2017 Quantity 2017 Value (thousands) 2018 Quantity 2018 Value (thousands)
Clay: common thousand metric tons (1000 t) 173 662 168 628
Gemstones, naturale   NA 3 NA 3
Sand and gravel, construction 1000 t 16,200r 144,000 16,300 156,000
Sand and gravel, industrial 1000t 2,120 135,000 2,860 178,000
Stone, crushed 1000 t 39,000r 433,000r 38,700 433,000
Combined values of cement, gypsum (crude), lime, peat   XX (7) XX (7)
Total (partial)   XX 713,000r XX 767,000

eEstimated. rRevised. NA Not available. XX Not applicable.

1Includes data from the commodity chapters published in the Minerals Yearbook as they were completed and released through June 2022.

2Production as measured by mine shipments, sales, or marketable production (including consumption by producers). Mine output measured as sold or used by producers is primarily shown in the tables, because values can be assigned. Where sold or used data are not available, actual mine output is used as the production measurement and value is estimated average price of the mineral commodity for that year. Data are reported in gross weight unless otherwise specified.

3Data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown.

7Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data; value included in "Undistributed" in the U.S. total value.

Minerals Yearbook Volume II Iowa chapters:

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