Why visit Cresco
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 8 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Cresco Theatre & Opera House 1, Cresco Opera House and Howard County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 40 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Cresco
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cresco
Cresco is a city in Howard County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,888 at the 2020 census, down from 3,905 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County.
From the Wikipedia article Cresco, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Cresco Opera House
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places
Theater in Cresco, Iowa, United States
Howard County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
Kellow House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Restaurants and cafes8
History
Cresco was platted in 1866, when the railroad was expanding into the area. "Cresco" is Latin for "I grow". Cresco was incorporated on June 6, 1868.
On October 20, 1980, The David Letterman Show was broadcast from Cresco, the winner of a competition to host the show.
From the History section of Cresco, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship10
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Cresco Early Childhood Development Center
School · 0.9 mi
1135 Canterbury St., Cresco
Healthcare2
Map of Cresco
54 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°F | 6°F | 1.1 in | 9.4 in |
| Feb | 29°F | 8°F | 1.2 in | 10.0 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 21°F | 1.9 in | 6.0 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 33°F | 3.7 in | 2.4 in |
| May | 69°F | 45°F | 4.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 56°F | 6.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 60°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 57°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 48°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 36°F | 2.9 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 44°F | 24°F | 1.9 in | 2.6 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 13°F | 1.4 in | 9.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cresco 1 Ne (2 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
Howard County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (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)
- 2018-08-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Decorah Municipal Airport (DEH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 20 miles away.
- Decorah 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Charles City 35 mi southwest, about 57 min by car
- Nashua 36 mi southwest, about 58 min by car
- Tripoli 40 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Lansing 45 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Rochester 48 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Austin 48 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Waverly 48 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Winona 52 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- La Crosse 55 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 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
- HowardCountyCourthouseCrescoIowa, Jatakuck at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cresco airport, Wikideas1, CC0
- Cresco, Iowa, Wikideas1, CC0
- Cresco Opera House NRHP 81000245 Howard County, IA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Ward School NRHP 82000408 Howard County, IA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kellow House NRHP 77000517 Howard County, IA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
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