Why visit Montezuma
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails and 2 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Montezuma Downtown Historic District, New Carroll House Hotel and Montezuma Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 10°F, and about 31 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Montezuma
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Montezuma
Montezuma is a city in and the county seat of Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,442 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Montezuma, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Montezuma Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Iowa, United States
New Carroll House Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Hotel in Iowa, United States of America
Poweshiek County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic courthouse in Iowa, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes2
Yolanda's Tacos Shop
Restaurant · Mexican
211 East Main Street, Montezuma
Tu 08:00-14:00; We-Fr 10:30-21:00; Sa 10:30-20:00
Churches and places of worship4
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History
Montezuma was first established in 1848, when local veterans of the Mexican–American War named the city after Moctezuma II, the second to last Aztec emperor of Mexico. Once a hub of regional railroad transport, Montezuma has continued to evolve and grow in a variety of ways. Montezuma was also a major stop on the stagecoach line between Iowa City and Des Moines on the original Diamond Trail.
Located on the southwest corner of Montezuma's square is the Poweshiek County Historical and Genealogical Society, located in the historic Carnegie library. Housed in the former Poweshiek County Jail is the Poweshiek County History Museum.
The Scott Township School No. 7, also known as the Fitzsimmons School, was moved from the original country landscape to the campus of the Poweshiek County Historical Society.
During the summer of 1934, Pentecostal evangelist Morris Plotts held tent revivals throughout south central Iowa, establishing churches in Oskaloosa, New Sharon, Grinnell, Montezuma, and Lynnville. While in Montezuma, Plotts was cited with public disturbance and jailed. He continued to minister from his cell and revival broke out in the jail. Plotts' six-month sentence was suspended for good behavior.
From the History section of Montezuma, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Montezuma
17 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°F | 10°F | 1.1 in | 9.0 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 14°F | 1.6 in | 9.1 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 25°F | 2.2 in | 3.4 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 35°F | 3.9 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 70°F | 47°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 62°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 59°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 50°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 38°F | 3.2 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 26°F | 1.9 in | 1.5 in |
| Dec | 34°F | 16°F | 1.6 in | 6.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Grinnell 3 Sw (15 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
Poweshiek County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-08-17: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2014-08-05: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2013-07-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Oskaloosa Municipal Airport (OOA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.
- Brooklyn 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Oskaloosa 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
- Pella 24 mi southwest, about 38 min by car
- Newton 28 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Eddyville 30 mi south, about 48 min by car
- Marshalltown 37 mi northwest, about 59 min by car
- Ottumwa 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Coralville 49 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Cedar Rapids 51 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Iowa City 52 mi east, 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
- McDowell Bridge, Spanning North Skunk River, Montezuma vicinity (Poweshiek County, Iowa), Joe Elliott, Photographer, Public domain
- Poweshiek County IA Courthouse, Nst101, CC BY-SA 4.0
- W. Emslie Block, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
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