Burlington IA (Iowa)

Burlington IA is a Missouri River cruise port and town in Des Moines County (Iowa USA) with population around 25,000. B-known for its Snake Alley (world's most crooked street), Burlington developed as a river port (during the USA's steamboat era / late-18th-19th-centuries) and a central city on the Burlington Route (CBQ-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad). In 1970, the railroad merged into Burlington Northern Railroad, which in 1997 merged into BNSF Railway (North America's largest freight train network). One of BNSF's main east-west lines crosses Mississippi River at Burlington.

In mid-November 2019, world's largest river cruise company - Viking Cruises (Basel Switzerland-based) announced that Burlington IA will become a regular port of call of the company's new Missouri River cruise division in the USA. Viking and Burlington City officials also signed a 2-year agreement according to which the city leased docking (riverside berthing) facilities to Viking Cruises as the company pays USD 1 per disembarking passenger. The first (of all 6 planned) newbuild riverboats - Viking Mississippi - is scheduled to start operations in 2022. Viking planned 30 dockings in Burlington for the period July 2022 through October 2023. Future plans include adding Burlington as a daily visited Viking river cruise port. The deal is not exclusive and allows the City to provide berthing also to other cruise lines boats.

Next table shows Viking's Missouri River cruise itineraries that include Burlington IA.

As cruise port, Burlington IA is included in the schedule of American Queen Voyages/Steamboat Company (AQSC)-owned paddlewheel riverboats American Duchess and American Queen. Next table shows AQSC's 14-night southbound itinerary from Red Wing to New Orleans. Prices in 2020 started at ~USD $4500-5700 pp (double-occupancy balcony cabin rates) depending on ship and departure date.

AQSC's cruise price-inclusive shore excursions include city tours visiting Des Moines County Heritage Center (ex Burlington Public Library), Garrett-Phelps House Museum (mid-19th-century mansion), Burlington Capitol Theatre (1937-built cinema), Port Burlington Welcome Center (on the riverfront), Snake Alley (world's "crookedest street").

The current-day city's economy is based on transportation (river shipping and freight trains) and manufacturing plants, including Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (American Ordnance LLC), General Electric, Shearer's Foods (snack products manufacturer), Winegard Company (connectivity products). Region's largest employer is Great River Health (southeast Iowa's largest hospital). Other major companies include Murray Turbomachinery (heavy industrial equipment) and Case Corporation (part of CNH Industrial NV, manufacturer of agricultural-construction equipment, buses-trucks-commercial vehicles, industrial-marine powertrains).

Amtrak (USA's passenger railway network) connects to Burlington with daily trains between Illinois and California (Chicago-Emeryville, San Francisco Bay). Southeast Iowa Airport is approx 5 mi (8 km) south of downtown and serves regular domestic flights (of Air Choice One) linking to Chicago (Illinois), Mason City (Iowa) and St Louis (Missouri). Quad City Airport serves international flights and is located in Moline IA - approx 70 mi (110 km) north of Burlington.