36 College Towns with the Most Irresistible Coffee Shops

Lisette Marie

March 13, 2026

28. Iowa City, Iowa: Literary Lattes

Picture of downtown Iowa City looking South down S Clinton Street. Taken June 6, 2021. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons @Stevat20

As a UNESCO City of Literature and home to the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, Iowa City's coffee culture is deeply intertwined with the written word. Cafes here often feel like extensions of libraries, filled with students, writers, and readers lost in thought or engaged in quiet discussion. Spots like High Ground Cafe or the coffeehouse within the legendary Prairie Lights Books offer cozy nooks perfect for drafting a novel or debating literary theory. Expect well-brewed coffee, a reverence for quiet corners, and an atmosphere buzzing with creative and intellectual energy.

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Colleges

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36 College Towns with the Most Irresistible Coffee Shops

28. Iowa City, Iowa: Literary Lattes

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