Pool season · State index
Iowa Pool Season Calendar
Last updated: July 15, 2026 · 6 cities covered
Both halves of the pool year for all 6 covered Iowa cities. The median calendar runs May 1 to October 5. Every row links to a one-page season overview with the live water-temperature model; the opening and closing hubs carry the full checklists.
| City | Open by | Close by | 80°F+ days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | May 4 | Oct 2 | 75 |
| Davenport | May 1 | Oct 8 | 88 |
| Des Moines | Apr 29 | Oct 8 | 91 |
| Iowa City | Apr 28 | Oct 8 | 96 |
| Sioux City | May 6 | Sep 30 | 90 |
| Waterloo | May 1 | Oct 3 | 92 |
What the columns mean
"Open by" is the recommended spring date — two weeks before the city's 7-day mean temperature crosses 61°F, the model's proxy for water approaching the 65°F algae-growth zone. "Close by" is the fall deadline — ten days after the water leaves that zone, capped a week ahead of the local 50% first-freeze date. "80°F+ days" counts days whose normal high reaches 80°F: the length of the true warm-swim season, and the fairest single number for comparing Iowa cities against each other.
Every figure comes from each city's own NOAA 1991–2020 normals station (named in its guide's footer), so neighboring cities can legitimately differ by a few days. The season overview linked from each row adds the live water-temperature model and the full-year season bar; the state hubs above carry the step-by-step checklists.