Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Iowa City
Homes in Iowa City
Iowa City's 33,863 homes are a mix: 40% detached houses, 49% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 9% townhouses and other attached houses.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 31% of homes standing today; 31% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1985. 47% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 11 Iowa cities we have census figures for, Iowa City has the second-highest share of apartments. In Cedar Rapids, 22 miles away, 30% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, Iowa City's homes are newer than those in 55% of the 881 US cities we have census figures for.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. Estimates carry margins of error.
Apartments and condos
49% of homes are in buildings of two or more units. Balcony and patio doors suit bypass or bifold panels rather than hinged ones, which need floor space to swing. Check what your HOA or building allows to show from outside before you order: most rules are about the colour seen through the glass.
Shallow openings
31% of homes were built in 2000 or later. Newer windows are often set close to the room side of the wall, and handles, cranks and alarm sensors stick out into the space a louver swings through. Measure the depth to the glass and to anything that sticks out; the designer checks it against the louver size you pick.
Iowa City weather and your shutters
At Iowa City Muni AP, IA (2 mi away), July averages a high of 85.8°F and January a low of 14.6°F. Average highs reach 85°F in July and average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 19 days a year reach 90°F, 135 nights fall to freezing and 35.7 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around June and least in January.
That's more freezing nights than in 87% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 12 min on the longest day to 9 h 9 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 72° above the horizon in June and 25° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Iowa City Muni AP, IA (temperature) and Iowa City Muni AP, IA (precipitation, 2 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30.9°F | 14.6°F | 1 in |
| Feb | 35.5°F | 18.5°F | 1.2 in |
| Mar | 49.5°F | 29.5°F | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 62.6°F | 40.1°F | 3.8 in |
| May | 73.4°F | 51.7°F | 4.5 in |
| Jun | 82.6°F | 62.1°F | 5.3 in |
| Jul | 85.8°F | 65.8°F | 3.9 in |
| Aug | 83.8°F | 63.3°F | 3.9 in |
| Sep | 77.5°F | 54.2°F | 3.2 in |
| Oct | 64.1°F | 42.1°F | 3 in |
| Nov | 49.2°F | 30.4°F | 2.2 in |
| Dec | 36.3°F | 20.1°F | 1.5 in |
Cold winters
With 135 freezing nights a year, warm room air meets cold glass for months. Shutters closed tight overnight hold that air against the window, so condensation can collect on the sill: tilt the louvers open in the morning, and wipe the sill on windows that often run wet.
Fitting them in Iowa City
Shutter Boys shutters are made for you to fit yourself: an inside or outside mount takes a drill, a level and our step-by-step guide. If you'd rather hire someone, a finish carpenter or blinds installer can fit them; ask on your quote and we'll tell you if we know one near you. You arrange and pay the installer directly.
Near Iowa City
- Cedar Rapids 22 mi
- Davenport 48 mi
- Waterloo 71 mi
- Dubuque 72 mi
More about shutters in Iowa City
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Iowa City’s own figures.
Price your windows
Pick your look once, add every window, and see each one drawn and priced. Send it to us and we reply with your quote.