FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * FULLER LYNN B   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA INC [HTLF] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chairman & CEO (Last) (First) (Middle) 1398 CENTRAL AVE. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/19/2016 (Street) DUBUQUE, IA 52001 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock               572,728 I As Trustee (1) Common Stock               5,000 I By Spouse Common Stock               301,616 I Family LLLP (2) Common Stock 01/19/2016   A   4,760 A $ 0 31,214 (3) (4) D   Common Stock               123,078 I As Trustee (5) Common Stock               12,188 I HTLF Retirement Plan (6)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
FULLER LYNN B 1398 CENTRAL AVE. DUBUQUE, IA 52001	X		Chairman & CEO

Signatures

/s/ Lynn B. Fuller		01/21/2016
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Shares held by Lynn B. Fuller Trust Under Agreement dated 5-7-96, Lynn B. Fuller Trustee
(2)	Shares held by LBF Heartland Partnership LLLP - Lynn B Fuller is the General Partner. Wife and two (2) adult sons are Limited Partners.
(3)	Includes 21,560 Restricted Stock Units (RSU). Each RSU represents the right to receive one share of common stock. The grant vests in three equal installments on the third, fourth and fifth anniversaries of the grant date.
(4)	Includes 9,654 shares of Performance Based Restricted Stock.
(5)	Shares held by the Emma O. Fuller Trust dated 9-3-85 Dubuque Bank & Trust, L.S. Fuller & L.B. Fuller, co-trustees
(6)	Represents shares allocated to the reporting person's account under the Heartland Financial USA, Inc. Retirement Plan as a result of the Pension Plan Protectin Act of 2006.

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