Why visit Altoona
Townapedia lists 55 museums and landmarks, 38 parks and trails, 74 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Adventureland, Cinemark Altoona and XD, Larnerd Case House and Sawmill Splash.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 25 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Altoona
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Altoona
Altoona is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States, and part of the Des Moines metropolitan area. The population was 19,565 at the 2020 census. It is home to the Adventureland amusement park and Prairie Meadows horse racing track and casino.
From the Wikipedia article Altoona, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Cinemark Altoona and XD
Cinema and theater · 0.6 mi
2227 Adventureland Drive, Altoona
Museums and landmarks55
Larnerd Case House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.8 mi
Des Moines, Iowa, NRHP-listed
43 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds38
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26 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes74
Brick & Ivy Rooftop
Restaurant · American, Pizza · 1.1 mi
400 34th Avenue Southwest, Altoona
Tu-We 15:00-21:00; Th 15:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Burger Shed
Restaurant · Burger · 1.7 mi
500 Bass Pro Drive Northwest, Altoona
Mo-Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Casa Agave
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.1 mi
3131 8th Street Southwest, Altoona
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Cold Stone Creamery
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 0.6 mi
2437 Adventureland Drive, Altoona
Su-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Johnny's Italian Steakhouse
Restaurant · Steak House · 1.7 mi
550 Bass Pro Drive Northwest, Altoona
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Scornovacca's
Restaurant · Italian · 0.6 mi
2437 Adventureland Drive, Altoona
Mo-Th 11:00-20:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 12:00-20:00
Spectators Sports Bar & Grill
Restaurant · Grill · 0.7 mi
3200 Adventureland Drive, Altoona
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.1 mi
3219 8th Street Southwest, Altoona
Mo-Fr 04:30-20:00; Sa 05:00-20:30; Su 05:30-20:00
62 more on the map.
History
Anthony Yant first settled in what is now Altoona in 1854, the same year Gilbert T. Taylor settled there. The land was originally surveyed in 1847 and put up for sale by the US government in 1848, but it took six years to sell. After many sales between different families, the Davis family ended up with the land on February 1, 1868.
The Davises hired surveyor Julian B. Bausman to lay out the city. He is also credited for giving the city the current name. Altoona is named for the Latin word for "high," altus, after surveyor Julian B. Bausman discovered Altoona was the highest point on the Des Moines Valley Railroad between Des Moines and Keokuk.
The plot was recorded on July 30, 1868, and the Post office opened the next day. When the Rock Island Railroad came to Altoona in September of that year, they referred to Altoona as Yant, the city's original name.
In addition to serving as Altoona's first mayor, Francis English was the town doctor. After the great train crash of 1877, English rushed to the scene.
Altoona's second mayor was Thomas Haines, who operated the T.E. Haines tile and brick company. Haines donated land to the city of Altoona to be used as a park, now known as Haines Park.
From the History section of Altoona, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay18
Fairfield Inn & Suites Des Moines Altoona
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
460 Bass Pro Drive Northwest, Altoona
My Place Hotel-Altoona, IA
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
2315 Adventureland Drive, Altoona
WoodSpring Suites Des Moines Pleasant Hill
Motel and hotel · 3.4 mi
1525 Metro East Drive, Pleasant Hill
Churches and places of worship18
Shopping15
Gas and EV charging13
Schools, colleges and libraries33
Bondurant - Farrar Intermediate School
School · 3.2 mi
300 Garfield St. Sw, Bondurant
Healthcare3
UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine – Altoona
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.0 mi
2720 8th Street Southwest, Altoona
Map of Altoona
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 12°F | 1.0 in | 6.2 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 16°F | 1.0 in | 8.0 in |
| Mar | 47°F | 27°F | 2.0 in | 3.7 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 38°F | 4.0 in | 0.7 in |
| May | 72°F | 50°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 61°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 65°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 62°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 53°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 40°F | 2.7 in | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 29°F | 1.9 in | 1.0 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 18°F | 1.4 in | 4.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ankeny (10 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
Polk County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-14: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-08-17: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Bondurant 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Pleasant Hill 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Mitchellville 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Ankeny 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Saylorville 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Des Moines 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Carlisle 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Elkhart 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Windsor Heights 12 mi west, about 20 min by car
- Johnston 13 mi west, about 21 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
- Culvers, Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Larnerd Case House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tim Ryan (48639483901), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639596442), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639629097), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639570647), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639436721), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639085343), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639598717), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639086713), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639458511), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639588127), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639486991), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639440036), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639486991) (cropped), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639136253), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock & Charlie Wishman (48639579557), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639451016), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639630827), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639140353), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639595402), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639591357), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639106738), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639427176), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639430366), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639153698) (cropped), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639103263), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639083538), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639584407) (cropped again), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639424141), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639501761), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639589657), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock with attendee (48639092918), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639422881), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639460231), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639420706), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639499966), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tim Ryan (48639627822), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639584407), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve Bullock (48639584407) (cropped), Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
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