Iron Hills

The Iron Hills were a range of mountains in Middle-earth and a realm of the Dwarves of Durin's Folk.

Location
The Iron Hills are located in the northern and eastern parts of Middle-earth. The mountain range is in between Rhovanion and Rhûn. The hills are east of the Lonely Mountain.

The Land
The Iron Hills were rich in many minerals and got their name from the iron that was commonly found in the area. The Iron Hills used to be part of very large mountains called the Iron Mountains. The Iron Hills held the River Redwater which joins to the River Running.

Dwarves of the Iron Hills
The Dwarves in Iron Hills were the clan of Longbeards or Durin's Folk and so were the noblest Dwarves. They had friendly relations with the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountains because Grór and Thrór's kinship was of similar in like and mind. The to kingdoms were very linked and relied upon each other for trade and support and of course the royal family of the Dwarves were related. An example is the close friendship between Thorin and his cousin Dain Ironfoot. In the Fifth Age, Mark Ironfoot who was an ancestor to Dain Ironfoot, now he took his position as Lord of Iron Hills.

History
The Iron Hills were probably used as iron-ore mines by the Dwarves of Durin's Folk for many years, and the Old forest road was probably used as a trade route and as a means for the Dwarves of the east and west to communicate with one another. The realm of the Iron Hills was formerly founded by Grór son of Dáin I in TA 2590 after the Dwarves were driven out of the Grey Mountains, because of the continuing attacks by the Cold-drakes for the vast wealth of the mountains which became the death of the King Dain I.

In TA 2941, the Dwarf lord Dáin II Ironfoot of the Iron Hills led an army of five hundred warriors to the defense of Thorin Oakenshield which then joined in the Battle of the Five Armies and fought valiantly there. After Thorin's death after the battle, the vacant throne of the Lonely Mountain passed to Thorins cousin and friend Dain who then became its King and the Iron Hills passed out of records afterwards but they may not have been deserted, and it was possible that his son still ruled over it in a similar way that the Prince of Wales is the Crown Prince of the British throne and acts as Regent when the King or Queen is indisposed.

Notable Dwarves of the Iron Hills
Grór

As he was mentioned above, Grór was the son of the mighty Dwarf, Dáin I and was also the founder and first ruler of the Iron Hills. Náin

Náin was the son of Grór who was the founder of the Iron Hills. Náin was killed during the Battle of Azanulbizar by the Orc lord Azog of Moria. Dáin II

Dáin II was son of Náin and became the lord of the Iron Hills after the death of his great father. He was considered a mighty Dwarf because he killed the Orc Azog when he was at an age which was considered young to the Dwarves. He became the King under the Mountain after the slaying of Smaug and loss of Thorin II Oakenshield in the Battle of the Five Armies until his death during the War of the Ring. Thorin III Stonehelm

Thorin III was the son of Dáin II, after his father's death and soon became the Lord of both the people of the Lonely Mountain and possibly the Iron Hills. He was praised for helping to reconstruct the Lonely Mountain and Dale. During his rule a new Dwarven settlement was founded at Helm's Deep.