The term CITY ON THE SKUNK RIVER is composed of two crossword solutions: AMES (4 letters) and AmesIowa (8 letters). AMES is a city located in the U.S. state of Iowa, on the Skunk River. It is the county seat of Story County and is located approximately 30 miles north of Des Moines. AMES is home to Iowa State University, which is the largest university in the state. AmesIowa is the name of the metropolitan statistical area that includes the city of AMES and the surrounding area.