State ranking · Iowa
The 10 best tattoo shops in Iowa
The best tattoo shops in Iowa, ordered by an adjusted Google rating that weighs review counts: shops with 25+ reviews, one listing per address, nobody paid for a place. How the ranking works.
- 01Top
The Crow's Nest
5.0· 1,800 reviewsDubuque, IA169 Main St, Dubuque, IA 52001
Walk-ins WelcomePiercing ServicesCustom Tattoo DesignsGuest ArtistsTattoo RemovalImplant-Grade Jewelry - 02
Wellington Tattoo Co.
5.0· 470 reviewsCedar Rapids, IA1501 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Script / LetteringFine LineWalk-ins WelcomeCustom Tattoo Designs - 03
TDF Tattoo and Body Piercing
4.9· 262 reviewsSioux City, IA5408 Morningside Ave, Sioux City, IA 51106
Aftercare ProductsPiercing ServicesCustom Tattoo DesignsOnline Booking - 04
Platinum Rose Tattoo Studio & Gallery
4.9· 241 reviewsCedar Rapids, IA310 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Black & GreyFlash Tattoos AvailableCover-Up TattoosAftercare ProductsWalk-ins WelcomeCustom Tattoo Designs - 05
Studio 65 Tattoos
4.9· 223 reviewsClear Lake, IA210 US-18, Clear Lake, IA 50428
Japanese / IrezumiBlack & GreyRealism / PortraitAftercare ProductsTattoo Touch-UpsCover-Up Tattoos - 06
Neon Dragon Tattoo & Art Collective
4.8· 518 reviewsMarion, IA855 Blairs Ferry Rd, Marion, IA 52302
Walk-ins WelcomePiercing ServicesCustom Tattoo DesignsBy Appointment OnlyImplant-Grade Jewelry - 07
Heroic Ink Tattoo & Piercing
4.8· 456 reviewsAmes, IA211 Main St, Ames, IA 50010
Fine LineWalk-ins WelcomePiercing ServicesCustom Tattoo Designs - 08
Iron Lotus / Cedar Rapids / Iowa City Tattoo
4.8· 422 reviewsCedar Rapids, IA4444 1st Ave NE #468, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Walk-ins WelcomePiercing ServicesFlash Tattoos AvailableCustom Tattoo Designs - 09
Maya Modification
4.8· 273 reviewsSioux City, IA605 Pearl St, Sioux City, IA 51101
Walk-ins WelcomePiercing Services - 10
Lefty's Tattoo
4.8· 268 reviewsCedar Rapids, IA112 32nd St Dr SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Fine LineWalk-ins WelcomeCover-Up TattoosCustom Tattoo DesignsParking Available
Method
How the best tattoo shops in Iowa are ranked
Shops are ordered by a Bayesian-adjusted rating: (n × rating + 348 × 4.79) ÷ (n + 348), where n is the shop's Google review count, 348 is the median review count across the directory and 4.79 is the directory-wide mean rating. Only shops with at least 25 reviews qualify; ties go to the shop with more reviews.
In practice, each shop's Google rating is pulled toward the directory average in proportion to how few reviews back it, so a 5.0 from a handful of reviews does not outrank a 4.9 from several hundred. To be listed, a tattoo shop in Iowa must have a city and state and at least 25 Google reviews; a shop with two listings at one address takes one slot. 23 shops in Iowa meet those rules; the top 10 appear here. Ratings shown are raw Google ratings and the score only sets the order. Nobody paid for a place and nothing is hand-picked. The list cannot tell you about artist skill, hygiene or price — visit the shop, look at healed work and ask. Full methodology.
Cities in Iowa
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