Bars in Iowa City

Iowa City's bar scene is uniquely shaped by the University of Iowa's literary culture — attracting International Writing Program fellows from around the world alongside Iowa's own extraordinary concentration of writers. The collision of global literary culture with Iowa's American heartland character creates bar conversations unlike any other college town in America.

The Mill is Iowa City's legendary folk and Americana venue — a 200-capacity listening room and bar that has presented intimate performances by nationally touring folk, bluegrass, and singer-songwriter artists since 1962. A beloved institution in the University of Iowa community, The Mill is where Dave Matthews performed some of his earliest shows and where the Iowa literary and arts community has gathered for six decades, making it one of the most storied small music venues in the American heartland.