Why visit Anamosa
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 1 place to eat, 3 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Hale Bridge, Lower Road Bridge, Anamosa Public Library and Wapsipinicon State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 9°F.
Weather in Anamosa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Anamosa
Anamosa is a city in Jones County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,450 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Jones County.
From the Wikipedia article Anamosa, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Hale Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Building in Jones County, Iowa, United States
Lower Road Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Museums and landmarks14
Anamosa Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic library building that houses a police station in Iowa, USA
600 East 1st Street, Anamosa
Wapsipinicon State Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Park near Anamosa, Iowa
Anamosa Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
United States historic place
Anamosa State Penitentiary
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Former maximum security penitentiary prison, now historic place, located in the Jones County community of Anamosa, Iowa
Anamosa State Penitentiary Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
United States historic place
Antioch School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Col. William T. and Elizabeth C. Shaw House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Edmund and Mary Ann Walworth Booth House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
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Farm No. 1, Iowa Men's Reformatory
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Jones County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
Rick's Brewery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Single-family detached home in Iowa, United States of America
State Quarry, Iowa Men's Reformatory
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes1
History
What is now Anamosa was founded as the settlement of Buffalo Forks in 1838 and incorporated as Lexington in
1856. Lexington was a popular name for towns at that time, so when Lexington chose to become incorporated as a city in 1877, the name was changed to Anamosa to avoid mail delivery confusion. There are many stories on how Anamosa was chosen as a name. Some believe it was named for a local Native American girl named Anamosa, meaning "white fawn", while others say it means "You walk with me."
The romantic origin of the naming of the town of Anamosa comes from its early history. A Native American family was passing through town in 1842. The family stayed at the Ford House. The little girl, a Native American Princess, named Anamosa, endeared herself to the townspeople and following the family's departure from town, local citizens decided to name their town after her.
The Wapsipinicon River flows through Anamosa. According to legend, a Native American maiden and her lover threw themselves off a bluff overlooking the Wapsipinicon River; one was named Wapsi, the other Pinicon. Origins of this legend are unconfirmed.
Anamosa was named the Pumpkin Capital of Iowa by the Iowa State Legislature in 1993 and hosts Pumpkinfest, a pumpkin festival and weigh-off, each October.
The Anamosa Boot Hill Cemetery is still open today and is northwest of the town.
From the History section of Anamosa, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare1
Map of Anamosa
43 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°F | 9°F | 1.5 in |
| Feb | 32°F | 12°F | 1.6 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 24°F | 1.8 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 36°F | 4.0 in |
| May | 70°F | 47°F | 4.8 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 5.8 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 62°F | 5.2 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 59°F | 4.5 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 50°F | 3.7 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 38°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 26°F | 2.3 in |
| Dec | 33°F | 16°F | 1.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Anamosa 1 Wnw (1 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
Jones County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-08-17: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2014-08-05: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2013-07-31: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Monticello Regional Airport (MXO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Springville 10 mi southwest, about 16 min by car
- Lisbon 14 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
- Central City 14 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Marion 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Cedar Rapids 23 mi southwest, about 37 min by car
- Palo 27 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Swisher 28 mi southwest, about 45 min by car
- North Liberty 31 mi southwest, about 49 min by car
- Coralville 33 mi southwest, about 53 min by car
- Iowa City 34 mi southwest, about 55 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
- Anamosa State Penitentiary 2, Kepper66, CC BY-SA 3.0
- House in Anamosa - panoramio, Jason Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Anamosa, Iowa (2021), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20140309 05 Anamosa, Iowa, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20140309 06 Anamosa, Iowa, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Anamosa Public Library - Anamosa Iowa, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20140309 02 Anamosa Penitentiary, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20140309 07 Arch Bridge Anamosa, Iowa, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Anamosa bridge, Kevin Schuchmann, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hale Bridge, Joseph Elliott, Public domain
- Anamosa Iowa, Bill Whittaker ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Farm No. 1, Iowa Men's Reformatory, Kepper66, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Antioch School 1, Kepper66, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Iowa Men's Reformatory Cemetery, Kepper66, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Frontage, Swendl, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Col. William T. And Elizabeth C. Shaw House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Booth House NRHP 13000067 Jones County, IA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jones-court-house, Kevin Schuchmann, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Golf Clubhouse Wapsipincon State Park, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stone Arch Bridge Wapsipincon State Park, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wapsipinicon State Park Bridge, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Horse thief cave - panoramio, Jason Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rick's Brewery, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS062-E-139794 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS061-E-27151 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-139797 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-139796 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-139795 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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