HeartlandAncestry is a free Midwest ancestry website: 26,984,545 documented deceased ancestors from across the twelve Midwestern states, searchable by surname, plus a practical research guide for every state. Start with your family name — then trace the whole line.
One search covers Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North & South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Search the Midwest database →What counts as the Midwest?
For family history, the Midwest is the twelve-state heart of the country: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. These states share a records story — heavy 1840s–1900s settlement by German, Scandinavian, Irish, and Eastern European families; statewide vital registration that mostly began between 1900 and 1911; and deep county, census, and church records that fill the years before.
The best free Midwest ancestry records
Our database is built only from real, public-record sources — state death and birth indexes, the Social Security Death Index, and public-domain cemetery transcriptions — covering 26,984,545 deceased Midwesterners. It's free, needs no account, and every person listed is deceased. Search a surname and you'll see birth and death years and places across all twelve states at once, then narrow to the state you need.
Midwest genealogy, state by state
Each state guide covers where its records live, when death registration began, and the free path to your ancestors:
How-to guides that work anywhere in the Midwest
We trace both sides back to the documented wall and deliver a written book + interactive family site — flat rate, no DNA test required.
See how it works →Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Midwest ancestry website?
HeartlandAncestry is a free ancestry website built specifically for the Midwest — 26,984,545 documented deceased ancestors from all twelve Midwestern states, drawn entirely from public records and searchable by surname with no account required.
How do I find my Midwest ancestors for free?
Search your surname in the free HeartlandAncestry database to find birth and death records across the twelve Midwestern states, then use each state's guide for census, obituary, and cemetery records. Federal census records through 1950 are also free to view.
Which states are in the Midwest?
For genealogy the Midwest is Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Is the Midwest ancestor database really free?
Yes. Searching is completely free and requires no login. Every individual listed is deceased, and all records come from public and public-domain sources.