Why visit Harlan
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 8 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Harlan Theatre, Floral Hall, Harlan Courthouse Square Commercial District and Harlan Golf and Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 10°F, and about 30 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Harlan
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Harlan
Harlan is a city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Iowa, along the West Nishnabotna River. The population was 4,893 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Harlan, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks5
Floral Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic building located at the Shelby County Fairgrounds in Harlan, Iowa, United States
Harlan Courthouse Square Commercial District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic district in Iowa, United States
Shelby County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
County courthouse in Harlan, Iowa
Mouth of Nickinabockina Cutoff Ditch
Monument and historic site · 1.9 mi
1084 Ridge Road
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
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Restaurants and cafes8
Gussied Up Cocktail Lounge
Bar and pub · 0.7 mi
1022 6th Street, Harlan
Mo off, Tu-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00, Su 10:00-15:00
History
Harlan was platted in 1858. It was named for one of Iowa's early U.S. Senators, James Harlan. Harlan was designated county seat in 1859. The town was incorporated on May 2, 1879.
On April 26, 2024, a multiple-vortex EF3 tornado tracked west of Harlan during a major regional outbreak. Although ground-level damage assessments supported a maximum intensity rating of EF3 with 160 miles (260 km) per hour winds, a mobile Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar unit scanning the storm near Harlan measured winds aloft reaching roughly 224 miles (360 km) per hour: an intensity equivalent to an EF5 tornado. The storm severely damaged on rural farmsteads across Shelby County before finally dissipating.
From the History section of Harlan, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship18
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Faith Family Church
Church · Nondenominational · 0.6 mi
2099 Chatburn Avenue, Harlan
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare3
Map of Harlan
67 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 10°F | 0.9 in | 7.6 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 14°F | 1.0 in | 7.6 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 25°F | 2.0 in | 4.0 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 36°F | 3.3 in | 1.5 in |
| May | 74°F | 49°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 60°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 61°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 52°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 39°F | 2.4 in | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 26°F | 1.4 in | 2.2 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 16°F | 1.3 in | 6.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Harlan (0 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
Shelby County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe 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
Harlan Municipal Airport (HNR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Avoca 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Dunlap 20 mi northwest, about 32 min by car
- Neola 20 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Audubon 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Manning 22 mi northeast, about 36 min by car
- Oakland 23 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Atlantic 24 mi southeast, about 38 min by car
- Logan 24 mi west, about 39 min by car
- Denison 25 mi north, about 41 min by car
- Council Bluffs 39 mi southwest, 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
- Harlan Theatre, Harlan, IA, TheCatalyst31, CC0
- St. Paul Episcopal Church (Harlan, Iowa), Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shelby County IA Courthouse, Scott Romine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Harlan iowa, Billwhittaker ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Floral Hall, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.