| March 3, 1845 5 Stat. 789 |
Congress organized Iowa as one judicial district and authorized one judgeship for the district court. The U.S. district court in Iowa, not being assigned to a judicial circuit, was granted the same jurisdiction as U.S. circuit courts, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The act became effective upon the admission of the State of Iowa on December 28, 1846. |
| July 15, 1862 12 Stat. 576 |
Congress repealed the circuit court jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the District of Iowa, established a U.S. circuit court in the district, and assigned the district to the Ninth Circuit. |
| July 23, 1866 14 Stat. 209 |
Congress reorganized the circuits and assigned the District of Iowa to the Eighth Circuit. |
| July 20, 1882 22 Stat. 172 |
Iowa divided into two judicial districts, the Northern and the Southern, with one judgeship authorized for each district. |
| January 19, 1928 45 Stat. 52 |
Temporary judgeship authorized for the Southern District. This position never made permanent. |
| May 19, 1961 75 Stat. 80 |
One additional judgeship authorized to serve both districts. |
| October 20, 1978 92 Stat. 1629 |
One additional judgeship authorized for the Southern District. |
| December 1, 1990 104 Stat. 5089 |
One additional judgeship authorized for the Southern District, and the judgeship authorized to serve both districts was reassigned to serve only the Northern District. |