Why visit Alton
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Sioux County Courthouse and Zwemer Hall, Northwestern College.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 9°F, and about 35 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Alton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Alton
Alton is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States, along the Floyd River. The population was 1,248 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Alton, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Sioux County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
Zwemer Hall, Northwestern College
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
United States historic place
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Churches and places of worship4
History
Alton was originally called East Orange, and under the latter name was laid out in 1875 when the railroad was extended to that point. East Orange was renamed Alton in 1882. Alton was incorporated as a city in 1883.
From the History section of Alton, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Alton
18 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°F | 9°F | 0.7 in | 6.8 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 14°F | 0.9 in | 7.7 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 25°F | 1.7 in | 5.6 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 36°F | 3.0 in | 3.1 in |
| May | 73°F | 48°F | 4.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 59°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 62°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 51°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 39°F | 2.5 in | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 25°F | 1.4 in | 3.9 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 14°F | 1.0 in | 6.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sioux Ctr 2 Se (9 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Sioux County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2018-08-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2014-07-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Le Mars Municipal Airport (LRJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Orange City 3 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Sioux Center 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Sheldon 16 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Le Mars 16 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- Rock Valley 20 mi northwest, about 33 min by car
- Primghar 21 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Hawarden 24 mi west, about 39 min by car
- Cherokee 28 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
- Kingsley 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Akron 30 mi west, about 48 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- St. Mary's Catholic Church, Denise Krebs, CC BY 2.0
- Sioux county ia courthouse 2, Josejuan05, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Reformed Church Orange City IA, Firstreformedoc, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.