Maybe make some local visits to see what type of environment you like? UIowa, Iowa State, or Grinnell might be good starts. That said, visiting when classes are in session is better than summer visits when there’s not much going on around campus.
Minnesota appears to have some schools that might be appealing like Macalester or Carleton. You could visit UM-TC or Wisconsin to compare larger schools.
My S20 visited schools first in the process to see what type of environment he liked. He liked a medium sized urban school best. That narrowed the search considerably and allowed him to target certain schools and kept his applications under 10 schools. Applying to more can be time consuming, especially if you start writing essays for scholarships and honors programs. Personally I think 5-7 is enough. You can only go to one school.
As for staying closer to home don’t feel pressure to go far away if you don’t want to. Kids think they have to get away. Even if you’re close to home it’s not like your parents will stop by every night. Plus, college is not high school version 2.0. You can pick your own friends.
Once you get your SAT/ACT score then you can start narrowing your search but I would recommend applying to 2 safety schools that you would attend. The earlier the better to take some stress off. Usually it’s your in-state public schools if possible.
You sound like you have a good attitude towards your search. Enjoy the journey. Good luck.