It existed in elections from 1862 to 1992, when it was lost due to Iowa's population growth rate being lower than that of the country as a whole.
The district was created during the Civil War; it was first filled in the 1862 general election.
From 1963 to 1992, the district was made up of counties in the northwestern part of the state.
Fred Grandy, the 6th district's last representative, was, like its first, a Sioux City native.
The district was eliminated as a result of the 1990 census.