Indianola, Iowa
Indianola is a city of 16,044 people in Warren County, Iowa, founded in 1849.
Why visit Indianola
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails, 43 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Paramount Theatre, Hoosier Row School and Indianola Carnegie Library.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 31 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Indianola
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Indianola
Indianola is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Iowa, United States, located 19 miles (31 km) south of downtown Des Moines. The population was 15,833 at the time of the 2020 census. Indianola is home to the National Balloon Classic, a nine-day hot air balloon festival held annually in the summer, the Des Moines Metro Opera, a major American Summer Opera Festival, and Simpson College.
From the Wikipedia article Indianola, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks11
Hoosier Row School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Place in Iowa listed on National Register of Historic Places
Indianola Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic building located in Indianola, Iowa, United States
Wallace Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Indianola, Iowa
Warren County Administration Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Indianola, Iowa
Warren County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
National Balloon Museum
Museum · 0.8 mi
Museum in Indianola, Iowa, United States
1601 North Jefferson Way, Indianola
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes43
Winn's Pizza & Steak House
Restaurant · Pizza, Steak House
122 West Ashland Avenue, Indianola
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Z's Eatery & Draught Haus
Restaurant · American, Steak House, Italian · 0.8 mi
1501 North 1st Street, Indianola
Las Flores Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.5 mi
200 South Jefferson Way, Indianola
31 more on the map.
History
Indianola was founded in 1849 as the county seat of Warren County. The town was located near the geographic center of the new county. The town's name was taken from a newspaper account of a Texas ghost town of the same name.
From the History section of Indianola, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship26
First United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist
307 West Ashland Avenue, Indianola
Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Evangelical Lutheran · 0.9 mi
202 North Kenwood Boulevard, Indianola
Grace Evangelical Free Church
Church · Free Evangelical · 0.4 mi
108 North Jefferson Way, Indianola
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.7 mi
1410 West Boston Avenue, Indianola
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 2.1 mi
210 County Road R63, Indianola
Trinity United Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 0.4 mi
200 South Howard Street, Indianola
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Healthcare5
Mercy Clinics Family Medicine Indianola
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.4 mi
307 East Scenic Valley Avenue, Indianola
Map of Indianola
139 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 12°F | 0.9 in | 8.5 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 15°F | 1.4 in | 8.2 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 27°F | 1.9 in | 3.7 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 38°F | 3.9 in | 1.0 in |
| May | 72°F | 50°F | 5.6 in | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 60°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 62°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 52°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 40°F | 3.0 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 28°F | 1.9 in | 1.9 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 17°F | 1.4 in | 6.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Indianola 2W Hcn (4 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
Warren County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-08-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2015-07-31: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2013-05-31: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- Milo 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
- Norwalk 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Des Moines 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Altoona 21 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Clive 21 mi northwest, about 34 min by car
- Johnston 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Grimes 25 mi northwest, about 40 min by car
- Ankeny 26 mi north, about 41 min by car
- Ames 46 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Boone 50 mi north, about 1 h 15 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
- Warren co ia courthouse, David Anderson, Public domain
- First United Methodist Church Indianola Iowa 2019-2175, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First United Methodist Church Indianola Iowa 2019-2176, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First United Methodist Church Indianola Iowa 2019-2177, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First United Methodist Church Indianola Iowa 2019-2178, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First United Methodist Church Indianola Iowa 2019-2174, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First United Methodist Church Indianola Iowa 2019-2179, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First United Methodist Church Indianola Iowa 2019-2173, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Indianola Carnegie Library Iowa 2019-2183, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Indianola Carnegie Library Iowa 2019-2182, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First United Methodist Church Indianola Iowa 2019-2172, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Indianola Carnegie Library Iowa 2019-2185, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wallace hall simpson college, GrandpaDave, Public domain
- Warren County Administration Building Indianola Iowa 2019-2214, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- National Balloon Museum Indianola Iowa, GrandpaDave, Public domain
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2257, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2256, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2254, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2255, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blank Performing Arts Center - front from parking 3, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blank Performing Arts Center - front from parking 2, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2253, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2252, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- College Hall Simpson College 2019-2250, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- College Hall from quad, Simpson College, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC0
- Library from quad path, Simpson College, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC0
- Carver Science Center Simpson College 2019-2249, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- College Hall Simpson College 2019-2240, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2238, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2251, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Golf cart, Simpson College, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC0
- Hillman Hall Simpson College 2019-2239, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Smith Memorial Chapel Simpson College 2019-2235, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Smith Memorial Chapel Simpson College 2019-2236, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- College Hall, Simpson College, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC0
- Chairs on campus, Simpson College, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC0
- Hillman Hall and annex to McNeill Hall, Simpson College, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC0
- College Hall Simpson College 2019-2241, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Carver Science Center corner view, Simpson College, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC0
- Chairs in school colors, Simpson College, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC0
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