Exhibit 99.1

July 15, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information contact:
Doug Gulling, Chief Financial Officer
515-222-2309

WEST BANCORPORATION, INC. DECLARES STOCK DIVIDEND AND QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND

West Des Moines, IA - On July 14, 2004, the Board of Directors of West
Bancorporation, Inc., (WTBA) the parent company of West Bank and WB Capital
Management Inc. (d/b/a VMF Capital), declared a 5% common stock dividend and a
regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per common share of outstanding stock.
Both dividends are payable on August 16, 2004 to shareholders of record on July
26, 2004. The cash dividend will be paid on the new number of shares outstanding
after the stock dividend is paid. Any fractional shares that result from the
stock dividend will be paid in cash. As of July 15, 2004, there were 15,906,641
shares of common stock outstanding.

West Bancorporation, Inc. will release its financial results for the second
quarter of 2004 on July 19, 2004.

West Bank has eight full-service offices in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area
and two full-service offices in Iowa City, Iowa. VMF Capital has offices in
Cedar Rapids and Clive, Iowa.


The information contained in this Press Release may contain forward-looking
statements about the Company's growth and acquisition strategies, new products
and services, and future financial performance, including earnings and dividends
per share, return on average assets, return on average equity, efficiency ratio
and capital ratio. Certain statements in this news release constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information is based upon
certain underlying assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Because of the
possibility of change in the underlying assumptions, actual results could differ
materially from these forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that
may affect future results include: competitive pressures, pricing pressures on
loans and deposits, actions of bank and non-bank competitors, changes in local
and national economic conditions, changes in regulatory requirements, actions of
the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or the Federal Reserve Board, and
customers' acceptance of the Company's products and services. The Company
undertakes no obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect current
events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events.



                                    ---end---