Why visit Leon
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 5 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include SCIT Theater and Decatur County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 13°F, and about 28 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Leon
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Leon
Leon is a city in and the county seat of Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,822 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Leon, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
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Decatur County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Restaurants and cafes5
La Bota II Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.4 mi
Mexican Restaurant with daily deals. Carry out and dine in
309 SW Lorraine Street, Leon
Mo-Th 11:00-21:30, Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00, Su 11:00-21:00
Main Street Brick House
Ice cream · Sandwich, Ice Cream, Milkshake · 0.4 mi
200 North Main Street, Leon
Mo-Fr 11:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-15:00
Gingerbread Haus Bakery
Bakery · 0.5 mi
209 Northeast Idaho Street, Leon
Tu-Fr 11:00-17:00; Sa 11:00-16:00; Su,Mo off
History
Center Township was organized as part of the formation of the county on 1 April 1850. Because Decatur City was inaccessible to the rest of the county during the area's periodic floods, a majority of the county voted to move the county seat to a nearby location east of the Little River. Because the residents of Decatur City refused to respect the results of the vote, the county records were stolen and moved by ox-drawn wagon under cover of darkness. The new settlement was originally named Independence, but that name was soon discovered to have already been taken by another town in Buchanan County. It was then renamed South Independence before the state legislator and veteran W.H. Cheevers successfully argued for renaming it Leon in honor of the Jewish "Fighting Doctor" David Camden de Leon in 1855.
It was formally incorporated as a city in 1858, which politically separated the community from Center Township. It was a shipping point on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
From the History section of Leon, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship10
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare3
Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
302 Northeast 14th Street, Leon
Map of Leon
46 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 13°F | 0.9 in | 8.0 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 16°F | 1.5 in | 6.0 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 27°F | 2.3 in | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 37°F | 3.8 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 72°F | 48°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 58°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 63°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 60°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 50°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 39°F | 3.2 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 28°F | 2.1 in | 1.5 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 18°F | 1.4 in | 7.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Leon 6 Ese (6 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
Decatur County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2014-07-14: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2013-05-31: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2010-07-29: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Creston Municipal Airport (CSQ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 37 miles away.
- Corydon 23 mi east, about 37 min by car
- Mount Ayr 25 mi west, about 41 min by car
- Chariton 30 mi northeast, about 48 min by car
- Creston 39 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Lenox 43 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Indianola 44 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Centerville 46 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Norwalk 52 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Knoxville 52 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- West Des Moines 56 mi north, 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
- Little River Lake and Leon, Iowa (11004287414), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Decatur County IA Courthouse, Scott Romine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Decatur County Courthouse - 27174391323, Carl Wycoff, CC BY 2.0
- Decatur County Courthouse - 27684816662, Carl Wycoff, CC BY 2.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.