Burlington, city, seat of Des Moines County, southeastern Iowa, on the Mississippi River; incorporated 1836. It is a regional transportation, manufacturing, and financial center. Its factories produce earth-moving equipment, electronic equipment, processed food, and furniture. A community college, several historic homes and museums, and an arts center are here. Zebulon Pike raised the first U.S. flag on Iowa soil in 1805 in what is now Crapo Park, an arboretum located in Burlington. A trading post operated from 1808 to 1812. The community was founded in 1833, after the Black Hawk Treaty opened the area to white settlement. Burlington was the temporary capital of Wisconsin Territory in 1837 and of Iowa Territory during 1838-41. It is named after Burlington, Vermont. Population 29,529 (1980); 27,208 (1990); 26,855 (1998 estimate).
