When people think of Iowa, they think of endless cornfields or the Maid-Rite, a variation on sloppy joe sandwiches. While it’s true that Iowa happens to be famous for producing the most corn in the United States, the state isn’t just all farmland and Midwestern eats. It also happens to be home of the ice cream capital of the world.
Since 1994, Le Mars, IA has held the title of the ice cream capital of the world. The town earned this title by making more ice cream via one manufacturer in one location than any other ice cream brand in any location. To this day, this city produces more ice cream than any city in the world.
Ice cream might’ve gotten its start on the other side of the world in China, but today, Le Mars is the place to be for all things ice cream. The city’s reputation for making ice cream has been a major draw for visitors. In fact, ice cream is such a big part of Le Mars’ identity that the town refers to itself as a place “where life is sweet.”
Ice cream in Le Mars, IA
Le Mars’ journey to becoming the ice cream capital of the world started in 1913. Fred H. Wells Jr. founded Wells Enterprises Inc., which so happens to be the same company behind Blue Bunny ice cream. Since then, the city has been highly involved in making not just ice cream, but a variety of dairy products.
For the last 80 years, this company has been responsible for making Le Mars the king of ice cream production. Beyond just producing it, Le Mars is also well known for serving ice cream, too. The town has its own dedicated ice cream parlor, known as the Wells Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor, where visitors can sample ice cream while learning all about the interesting production history Le Mars has to offer.
On top of the ice cream parlor, the town is also decked out with 50 giant ice cream cone sculptures that celebrate Le Mars’ long reign as ice cream capital of the world. There’s also the annual Ice Cream Days festival that happens every summer, featuring carnival rides, a parade, and tons of ice cream.
