Why visit Keokuk
Townapedia lists 40 museums and landmarks, 20 parks and trails, 28 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Plaza 3 Cinema, Keokuk Rail Bridge, George M. Verity and Alois and Annie Weber House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 17°F.
Weather in Keokuk
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Keokuk
Keokuk () is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk.
From the Wikipedia article Keokuk, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Keokuk Rail Bridge
Bridge · 2.0 mi
Double deck single track railway and highway bridge across the Mississippi River in the USA between Keokuk, Iowa and Hamilton, Illinois
Keokuk–Hamilton Bridge
Bridge · 2.0 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks40
George M. Verity
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
American historic towboat
Alois and Annie Weber House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
House in Keokuk, Iowa
C. R. Joy House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Cyrus Felt House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
E. H. Harrison House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Frank J. Weess House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Gen. Samuel R. Curtis House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Gen. William Worth Belknap House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Keokuk, Iowa, on the National Register of Historic Places
Hotel Iowa
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Lee County, Iowa
Hugh W. and Sarah Sample House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Hunziker Winery Site
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Site of a former winery in Cedar Glen State Natural Area near Warsaw, Illinois
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John N. and Mary L. (Rankin) Irwin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
28 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds20
Southside Boat Club
Marina and boat launch · 1.7 mi
625 Mississippi Drive, Keokuk
Mo-Fr 15:00-22:00; Sa-Su 12:00-22:00+ "needs confirmation,...
8 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes28
Chintz's Bar & Grill
Restaurant · Regional, Burger, Sandwich, Chicken, American, Breakfast · 0.8 mi
1310 Main Street, Keokuk
Mo-Sa 05:00-21:30
16 more on the map.
History
Situated between the Des Moines and Mississippi rivers, the area that became Keokuk had access to a large trading area and was an ideal location for settlers. In 1820, the US Army prohibited soldiers stationed along the Mississippi River from having wives who were Native American. Dr. Samuel C. Muir, a surgeon stationed at Fort Edwards (near present-day Warsaw, Illinois), resigned his commission rather than leave his Indian wife and crossed the river to resettle. He built a log cabin for them at the bottom of the bluff, and became the area's first white settler.
As steamboat traffic on the Mississippi increased, more European Americans began to settle here. Around 1827, John Jacob Astor established a post of his American Fur Company at the foot of the bluff. Five buildings were erected to house workers and the business. This area became known as the "Rat Row".
One of the earliest descriptions of Keokuk was by Caleb Atwater in 1829:
From the History section of Keokuk, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship33
Church of All Saints
Church · Roman Catholic · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
310 South 9th Street, Keokuk
St. John's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries21
Healthcare4
Map of Keokuk
166 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 17°F | 1.6 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 20°F | 1.8 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 31°F | 2.5 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 41°F | 4.2 in |
| May | 73°F | 53°F | 5.3 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 62°F | 5.2 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 67°F | 4.1 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 65°F | 3.8 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 56°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 44°F | 3.3 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 33°F | 2.6 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 22°F | 1.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Keokuk Lock Dam 19 (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
Lee County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2023-08-25: Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2018-09-12: Severe Storm And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2015-07-31: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Keokuk Municipal Airport (EOK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Hamilton 3 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Warsaw 4 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Carthage 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Fort Madison 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Kahoka 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Canton 20 mi south, about 33 min by car
- La Grange 26 mi south, about 41 min by car
- Burlington 31 mi northeast, about 50 min by car
- West Burlington 31 mi northeast, about 50 min by car
- Quincy 33 mi south, about 53 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
- Keokuk iowa, Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Keokuk National Cemetery, Smallbones, Public domain
- Church of All Saints Keokuk Iowa interior 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of All Saints Keokuk Iowa interior 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Keokuk St Johns, Smallbones, Public domain
- Keokuk Grand Ave, Smallbones, Public domain
- Verity Keokuk, Smallbones, Public domain
- Hunziker photo, Mergus6, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hotel Iowa (5244895628), Michael Allen from St. Louis, Missouri, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Mississippi River Lock and Dam number 19, Carol Arney, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
- Keokuk Irwin Grand, Smallbones, Public domain
- Weess Keokuk 226 Morgan, Smallbones, Public domain
- Keokuk Grand Joy, Smallbones, Public domain
- Hill-Dodge Banking Company, Warsaw, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lee County Courthouse in 1900, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Sample Keokuk 205 2nd, Smallbones, Public domain
- E.H. Harrison House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Keokuk Union Depot from east, Nyttend, Public domain
- Cyrus Felt House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Gen. William Worth Belknap House, Nyttend, Public domain
- SRCH-Front, RLWNW1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Keokuk Justice Miller, Smallbones, Public domain
- Keokuk YWCA, Smallbones, Public domain
- Keokuk Rail Bridge, Unknown author, Public domain
- ISS055-E-82166 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS007-E-17228 - View of Indiana, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS055-E-82165 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Alois and Annie Weber House, Nyttend, Public domain
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