Townapedia
Dension iowa
Dension iowa · Billwhittaker ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Carey house denison iowa
Carey house denison iowa · Billwhittaker at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Crawford courthouse denison iowa
Crawford courthouse denison iowa · Billwhittaker at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Park motel dension iowa
Park motel dension iowa · Billwhittaker at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Mchenry house denison iowa
Mchenry house denison iowa · Billwhittaker at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Chamberlin house denison iowa
Chamberlin house denison iowa · Billwhittaker at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Denison, Iowa

Denison is a city of 8,260 people in Crawford County, Iowa.

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Population8,260 -0.9% since 2019
Elevation1,283 ft 391 m
Land area6.5 sq mi
ZIP code51442
Nearest airportDenison Municipal Airport (DNS) 2 mi

Why visit Denison

Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 7 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Yellow Smoke Park Bridge, Crawford 4, Carey House, Denison, Iowa and Clarence D. Chamberlin House.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 10°F, and about 34 inches of snow fall in a normal year.

About Denison

Denison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the Boyer River, and located in both Denison Township and East Boyer Township. The population was 8,373 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.

From the Wikipedia article Denison, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do3

Yellow Smoke Park Bridge

Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi

Bridge in United States of America

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Crawford 4

Cinema and theater · 1.3 mi

309 Chamberlin Drive, Denison

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Bomgaars

Farm and orchard · 1.1 mi

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Museums and landmarks6

Carey House, Denison, Iowa

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Historic house in Iowa, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Clarence D. Chamberlin House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Denison, Iowa, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Crawford County

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Crawford County Courthouse

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Courthouse in Iowa, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Park Motel

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi

Motel in Iowa, United States of America

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

William A. McHenry House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Historic house in Iowa, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Donna Reed Center for Performing Arts

Museum

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Parks, trails and playgrounds12

Majestic Hills Golf Course

Golf course · 1.2 mi

2505 Boulders Drive, Denison

Open in Google Maps · +1-712-263-5194

Doty Park

Park · 0.5 mi

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Johnson Park

Park · 1.2 mi

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Little League Complex

Park · 1.0 mi

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Maxwell Park

Park · 0.8 mi

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Morningside Park

Park · 0.6 mi

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Northside Recreation Complex

Park · 0.8 mi

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Sunset Park

Park · 1.5 mi

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Tuckers Park

Park · 1.1 mi

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Union Park

Park · 0.4 mi

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Washington Park

Park

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Yellow Smoke Park

Park · 1.8 mi

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Restaurants and cafes7

Pizza Hut

Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi

533 Highway 39 North, Denison

Open in Google Maps · +1 712-263-9308

Just One More

Bar and pub

1221 Broadway, Denison

Mo-Su 11:00-02:00

Open in Google Maps · +17123936969

Pizza Ranch

Restaurant · Pizza · 0.8 mi

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Burger King

Fast food · Burger

1209 4th Avenue North, Denison

Mo-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 712-263-4448

Subway

Fast food · Sandwich · 0.4 mi

414 South 11th Street, Denison

Mo-Fr 07:00-22:00; Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 09:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 712-263-3938

DQ Grill & Chill

Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger · 0.4 mi

1015 4th Avenue South, Denison

Open in Google Maps · +1 712-263-4910

McDonald's

Fast food · Burger · 0.9 mi

Open in Google Maps

History

Denison was laid out in 1856; the town was incorporated in 1875. Denison was named for its founder, J. W. Denison.

From the History section of Denison, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay3

Churches and places of worship13

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Shopping3

Gas and EV charging1

Schools, colleges and libraries9

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Healthcare2

Map of Denison

59 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

20°40°60°80°January: 0.7 in of rainFebruary: 1.0 in of rainMarch: 1.9 in of rainApril: 3.4 in of rainMay: 4.6 in of rainJune: 4.9 in of rainJuly: 4.1 in of rainAugust: 4.4 in of rainSeptember: 3.3 in of rainOctober: 2.6 in of rainNovember: 1.4 in of rainDecember: 1.2 in of rainJanuary: 27°FFebruary: 32°FMarch: 45°FApril: 58°FMay: 70°FJune: 80°FJuly: 83°FAugust: 81°FSeptember: 75°FOctober: 62°FNovember: 46°FDecember: 32°FJanuary: 10°FFebruary: 14°FMarch: 25°FApril: 36°FMay: 48°FJune: 59°FJuly: 63°FAugust: 61°FSeptember: 52°FOctober: 39°FNovember: 26°FDecember: 16°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan27°F10°F0.7 in8.1 in
Feb32°F14°F1.0 in9.2 in
Mar45°F25°F1.9 in4.7 in
Apr58°F36°F3.4 in1.6 in
May70°F48°F4.6 in0.1 in
Jun80°F59°F4.9 in0.0 in
Jul83°F63°F4.1 in0.0 in
Aug81°F61°F4.4 in0.0 in
Sep75°F52°F3.3 in0.0 in
Oct62°F39°F2.6 in0.5 in
Nov46°F26°F1.4 in2.4 in
Dec32°F16°F1.2 in7.9 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Denison (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$65,684median household income
$150,200median home value
$731median monthly rent
34.3median age
17.5%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
71.3%of homes are owner-occupied
12.7 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1826%18 to 3425%35 to 6435%65 and over13%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Crawford County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.

  • 2025-05-21: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
  • 2024-05-14: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Tornado)
  • 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)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Denison Municipal Airport (DNS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.

  • Manning 17 mi southeast, about 27 min by car
  • Dunlap 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
  • Carroll 25 mi east, about 41 min by car
  • Audubon 30 mi southeast, about 48 min by car
  • Logan 34 mi southwest, about 55 min by car
  • Lake City 36 mi northeast, about 58 min by car
  • Coon Rapids 36 mi east, about 58 min by car
  • Avoca 37 mi south, about 59 min by car
  • Storm Lake 44 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
  • Atlantic 46 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.