The Tiny US City Considered The Ice Cream Capital Of The World

Americans consume a staggering amount of ice cream in a year, more than any other dessert (via New York Post), eating about four gallons per person, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. With Americans love of ice cream, you'd think the ice cream capital of the world would be a popular tourist destination or at least one with a large population. However, the truth is much more interesting. The title actually belongs to Le Mars, Iowa, a small city in the Sioux City metropolitan area.

Le Mars is not known for its ice cream consumption but rather its production — a whopping 150 million gallons of ice cream per year is processed from a single company: Wells Enterprises. Every hour, fresh milk from local farms arrives at its factories, which churn out over 500 different ice cream products across four brands, including one of many popular ice cream brands, Blue Bunny (via Family Business Magazine). To produce impressive amounts of ice cream, Wells' facilities run 20 hours a day, seven days a week, earning it the Dairy Processor of the Year award in 2016 (via Dairy Foods).

Le Mars' status as an ice cream capital came even earlier, though, in 1994. After Wells Enterprises built a new 900,000-square-foot plant in 1992, it became the largest ice cream manufacturer in a single location. Two years later, the Iowa State Legislature bestowed the "Ice Cream Capital of the World" title upon Le Mars, an identity the city has wholly embraced with its slogan: "Where Life is Sweet."

Wells Enterprises started in 1913 as a dairy distribution company in Le Mars when Fred H. Wells began delivering milk via horse-drawn wagon. He started making ice cream in 1925 with his sons and later his brother, Harry C. Wells, who helped expand the business into nearby cities. While it initially was a family business, the company grew into the largest employer in Le Mars (via Polka Dot Dairy), a city that only has about 10,600 people. Thanks to Wells Enterprise, Le Mars now produces more ice cream than any other city in the world.

As you might guess, ice cream is an important part of the city's identity. Wells even has its own Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor that has a museum of ice cream history on the 2nd floor. You can also sample as many of the company's 40 flavors of Blue Bunny ice cream as you want.

If you decide to check out the ice cream capital of the world, the best time to visit is in June when Le Mars has its annual Ice Cream Days. Not only is it a free event with carnival rides, a car show, and parade, but free ice cream is also given out every day of the four-day festival. Take a self-guided tour to see the giant ice cream statues all over the city as a way to celebrate the city's beloved frozen dessert. Just make sure to grab more ice cream on your way out!