I enjoyed the discussion on the worst town thread. There are a lot of run down dumps. Also a lot of good towns. What are some of the nicest?
Best towns in Iowa
- Thread starter awd4cy
- Start date
I've always found Pella to be a nice clean town. Of course Decorah is always mentioned.
I'm biased because we live there, but I really like Waukee. I was born in Fort Dodge, lived there, Duncombe, Pilot Mound, Ogden (for almost all my school years), Boone, Huxley, West Des Moines, Urbandale, and now Waukee. While the amount of growth in Waukee is a factor, we've really liked the school systems (having kids with ADHD and other issues) and they seem very deliberate with how they're planning each of the areas of growth. That growth would turn off a lot of people, but it's nice being part of a growing town after living in Ogden for so long and Boone for a year.
Decorah seems to have a good reputation.
For (smaller) towns I’ve actually visited:
Iowa Falls
Okoboji towns
Winterset
Adel
Dyersville
For (smaller) towns I’ve actually visited:
Iowa Falls
Okoboji towns
Winterset
Adel
Dyersville
Pella - clean well kept town. Very nice square downtown and college is nice.
Mount Vernon - seemed like a nice clean community there. Nice vibe in that town as well. Located near populated area.
Nevada - Nice Main Street and good community. Houses mostly in good shape and well kept. Close to Ames.
Story City - same as above. Nice parks as well.
Winterset - Always seemed like a good community with a strong school system.
Sully - Great school system as well. Nice small town and downtown square.
Ames - We all know why. Good city overall.
Fairfield - really nice town, but a lot of weird people.
Mount Vernon - seemed like a nice clean community there. Nice vibe in that town as well. Located near populated area.
Nevada - Nice Main Street and good community. Houses mostly in good shape and well kept. Close to Ames.
Story City - same as above. Nice parks as well.
Winterset - Always seemed like a good community with a strong school system.
Sully - Great school system as well. Nice small town and downtown square.
Ames - We all know why. Good city overall.
Fairfield - really nice town, but a lot of weird people.
I think Dubuque is pretty cool. The Mississippi River towns have their own mystique.
Last edited:
I really like some of the small towns in NE Iowa.
Waukon, Lansing, Decorah, Manchester, Osage all come to mind as nice small towns.
Ames and IC are in a class of their own and it really isn't fair to compare them to others within the state.
Waukon, Lansing, Decorah, Manchester, Osage all come to mind as nice small towns.
Ames and IC are in a class of their own and it really isn't fair to compare them to others within the state.
Cedar Falls has climbed in stature...Main Street Cedar Falls is a fun day and worth a stop!
The Northeast Iowa county seat towns are all clean, well kept, have jobs, and are nice places to live. Decorah is obviously the head of the class but Elkader, Waukon, Cresco, West Union, Manchester all have some great hidden gems and access to awesome outdoor recreation
Yep, driving from Des Moines area to Lansing takes us through Waukon and several others and they all seem pretty quaint and cool. Prettiest part of the state by far.
Ames. A university adds a lot of opportunity.
Deborah obviously.
Throw me in for some Dubuque love.
Have had good experiences in McGregor with a great state park and nature in general.
Fairfield has a varied arts environment.
Towns like Waverly and Mt. Vernon with small colleges always seem kind of nice. Also what I like about Grinnell. Gives opportunities for art exhibits, concerts, and various speakers.
Deborah obviously.
Throw me in for some Dubuque love.
Have had good experiences in McGregor with a great state park and nature in general.
Fairfield has a varied arts environment.
Towns like Waverly and Mt. Vernon with small colleges always seem kind of nice. Also what I like about Grinnell. Gives opportunities for art exhibits, concerts, and various speakers.
We have some family in and around Winterset and spent a lot of time there as kids. Always seemed well kept with good schools. Cool town square. Covered Bridge Festival in the fall was always fun.
Too small for my taste, but you can find far worse in that area.
Lake Mills is one of the more vibrant dinky towns I've been to.
I really enjoy going to auctions in tiny towns like Scarville. Folksy.
I really enjoy going to auctions in tiny towns like Scarville. Folksy.
Ames, Decorah, LeClaire, Spencer, Ida Grove, Waukee, West Des Moines, Polk City, Iowa City (sorry, food scene is too good), Elkader, Algona
