Where Are the Most Filmed Locations in Iowa and Minnesota?

A lot of times when you go to the movies, where they say the film takes place and where it was actually shot are two completely different locations.

And while the majority of filming still takes place on a Hollywood soundstage, there are times when film crews venture into our neck of the woods.

In the Tri-State (Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota) Area, a number of movie shoots have taken place over the years.

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In South Dakota, the most used backdrop is pretty obvious.

Mount Rushmore has been featured in films like North by Northwest (1959) and National Treasure - Book of Secrets (2004).

And while South Dakota's most used film location is a no-brainer, the most filmed backdrops in Iowa and Minnesota aren't as easy to nail down.

A new list from HawaiianIslands.com shows the most filmed location in each state.

According to them, Iowa's most popular filming location is the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, while Minnesota's is the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.

Both are wrong.

I found a listing of the 65 films that have been shot in Iowa over the years and while a handful were filmed in Iowa City, a whopping majority of the films have been shot in the capital city of Des Moines.

53 in all dating back to State Fair in 1933.

As for Minnesota, 126 movies list a North Star State filming location, it's Minneapolis, nor the airport, that is the most filmed location in the state.

I don't have the exact number, but memorable films like Fargo (1996), Purple Rain, and Jingle All The Way (1996) all featured scenes shot in Minnesota's biggest city.