Why visit Clarion
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 2 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Clarion, Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad Passenger Station and Wright County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 31 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Clarion
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Clarion
Clarion is a city in and the county seat of Wright County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,810 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Clarion, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad Passenger Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Railway station in Clarion, the United States of America
Wright County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes2
History
Wright County held its first court sessions in 1855 in a privately owned log cabin west of present-day Eagle Grove. In 1858, the county seat was located at Liberty, where a two-story frame courthouse was built. The county seat moved to Clarion in 1866, and the county's first courthouse in Clarion was built across the street from the northeast corner of the public square. That building was later incorporated into the Avondale Hotel.
The present Wright County Courthouse was constructed in 1891 and 1892 at a cost of about $50,000. It was designed by W.R. Parsons & Son and built by E.D. Jones & Co. The courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource.
Clarion is also the birthplace of the four-leaf clover emblem used by the 4-H Clubs of America, conceived of in 1907 by the local school superintendent, O.H. Benson.
From the History section of Clarion, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Cobblestone Inn & Suites - Clarion
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
500 Central Avenue West
Churches and places of worship9
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare1
Map of Clarion
26 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°F | 6°F | 0.7 in | 8.9 in |
| Feb | 31°F | 11°F | 0.9 in | 6.2 in |
| Mar | 44°F | 24°F | 2.0 in | 5.7 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 35°F | 3.8 in | 1.4 in |
| May | 72°F | 48°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 59°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 62°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 51°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 38°F | 2.3 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 45°F | 25°F | 1.5 in | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 31°F | 13°F | 1.2 in | 5.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Clarion (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
Wright County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2022-02-23: Severe Storms, 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)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Webster City Municipal Airport (EBS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Belmond 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Webster City 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Humboldt 25 mi west, about 40 min by car
- Garner 26 mi north, about 42 min by car
- Fort Dodge 27 mi southwest, about 44 min by car
- Hampton 27 mi east, about 43 min by car
- Iowa Falls 28 mi southeast, about 45 min by car
- Clear Lake 33 mi northeast, about 53 min by car
- Algona 35 mi northwest, about 56 min by car
- Mason City 39 mi northeast, about 1 h 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
- Wright County Courthouse, Ann Sullivan-Larson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Window detail, Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern RR station, Clarion IA, Ann Sullivan-Larson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern RR Station, Clarion, IA, Ann Sullivan-Larson, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.