Ames, city in Story County, central Iowa, on the Skunk River, north of Des Moines. Ames is the seat of Iowa State University of Science and Technology (1858), the National Animal Disease Center, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, and the Institute for Atomic Research. The city's manufactures include water-analysis and treatment equipment, processed food, and animal feed. Founded in 1854, it was named for Oakes Ames, a railroad financier and congressman from Massachusetts who supported a railroad project here. Ames was incorporated in 1893. The city is a leader in veterinary research. Population 45,775 (1980); 47,198 (1990); 50,731 (2000).
