Why visit Mount Vernon
Townapedia lists 22 museums and landmarks, 13 parks and trails, 18 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bijou The Movie Theater, Abbe Creek School, Adams R., Frederick L. and Martha (Taylor) Knott House and Kernoustie Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 34 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Mount Vernon
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, adjacent to the city of Lisbon. The population was 4,527 at the time of the 2020 census. Mount Vernon is part of the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area. Mount Vernon is home of Cornell College, a private liberal arts college.
From the Wikipedia article Mount Vernon, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Bijou The Movie Theater
Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi
123 2nd Avenue Southwest, Mount Vernon
Museums and landmarks22
Abbe Creek School
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Schoolhouse museum near Mt Vernon, Iowa, USA
Adams R., Frederick L. and Martha (Taylor) Knott House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
House in Mount Vernon, Iowa
Ash Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Nationally recognized historic district located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, United States
Augustus and Elizabeth (Huntsberger) Bauman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic building located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, United States
Col. John Q. and Rowena (Camp) Wilds House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
House in Mount Vernon, Iowa
Cornell College-Mount Vernon Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Mount Vernon, Iowa
Elijah D. and Mary J. (Adams) Waln House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic building located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, United States
George W. and Mary J. (Maxwell) Robinson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Harrison Stuckslager House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic building located in Lisbon, Iowa, United States
Henry D. and Juliana (Wortz) Albright House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic building located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, United States
James H. and Mayetta (Degrush) McCartney House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic building located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, United States
James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House No. 1
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
House in Mount Vernon, Iowa
10 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds13
_Waln_House_pict_3.jpg){kind=link}
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1 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes18
Lincoln Wine Bar
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.4 mi
125 1st Street Northwest, Mount Vernon
Tu-Th 16:00-20:00+; Fr,Sa 16:00-21:00+
Little Scratch Coffee Roasters
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.5 mi
113 1st Street Northeast, Mount Vernon
Mo,We-Sa 07:30-15:00; Su 08:00-13:00; Tu off
Big's BBQ and Brew Pub
Restaurant · Barbecue · 0.4 mi
106 1st Street Southwest, Mount Vernon
Tu-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00; Mo off
Chameleon's Pub & Grub
Bar and pub · 0.4 mi
119 1st Street Northwest, Mount Vernon
Tu-Th,Su 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00
Fuel Art and Espresso
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.5 mi
103 1st Street Northeast, Mount Vernon
Tu-Fr 07:30-17:00; Su 08:00-16:00; Sa 08:00-17:00; Mo off
First Street Breakfast Company
Restaurant · Breakfast · 0.5 mi
100 1st Street Southeast, Mount Vernon
Mo,We-Su 06:30-14:00
Scorz Bar & Grill
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
109 1st Street Northwest, Mount Vernon
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-20:00
White Tree Bakery
Bakery · 0.4 mi
117 1st Street Northwest, Mount Vernon
Mo off; Tu-Fr 08:00-16:00; Sa 08:00-14:00; Su 09:00-13:00
6 more on the map.
History
Mount Vernon was laid out in 1847, but its origins date back to at least 1838, when it was known as Pinhook, a rest stop on Military Road, which ran between Dubuque, on the Mississippi River, and Iowa City. It was renamed Mount Vernon in 1847, after the estate of George Washington. A post office has been in operation in Mount Vernon since 1849. The Iowa Conference (Methodist) Male and Female Seminary (which later became Cornell College) was established in the town in 1853, and the Northwestern Railroad reached it in 1859, bringing new business to the town as its population expanded.
From the History section of Mount Vernon, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship10
Lisbon United Methodist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist
304 1st Street Southwest, Mount Vernon
Shopping8
Vintage 1891 Antiques & Collectibles
Shop · 0.4 mi
113 1st Street Northwest, Mount Vernon
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Healthcare5
UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine – Mount Vernon
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.7 mi
200 Virgil Avenue, Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon Family Medicine
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
107 1st Street Northeast, Mount Vernon
Map of Mount Vernon
90 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 12°F | 1.2 in | 8.7 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 17°F | 1.3 in | 8.3 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 28°F | 2.1 in | 4.0 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 38°F | 4.0 in | 1.5 in |
| May | 74°F | 50°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 63°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 61°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 53°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 42°F | 3.0 in | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 29°F | 2.2 in | 2.2 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 19°F | 1.7 in | 9.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cedar Rapids #1 (12 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
Linn County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-08-17: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-10-31: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 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
Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Lisbon 2 mi east, about 3 min by car
- Solon 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Ely 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Springville 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Marion 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Cedar Rapids 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Anamosa 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
- North Liberty 16 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Hiawatha 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
- Coralville 18 mi southwest, about 29 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
- Mount-Vernon-Commercial-2, ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lisbon Methodist Church, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AbbeCreekSchool, Tom Hazelton, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Harrison Stuckslager House 2012-09-25 18-55-33, HerbieHuang, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Torrance 6, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Elijah D. and Mary J. (Adams) Waln House pict 3, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- George W. and Mary J. (Maxwell) Robinson House 4, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James H. and Mayetta (Degrush) McCartney House, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physical Urticaria, JAguayo18, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cornell-College-Mount-Vernon-Historic-District, ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cornell-College-Mount-Vernon-Historic-District-2, ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- King-Memorial-Chapel, ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- King-Memorial-Chapel (cropped), ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- King-Memorial-Chapel (cropped2), ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Leaves, Marquis Terrell, CC BY 3.0
- 703 6th Avenue North West, Ash Park Historic District, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 703 6th Avenue North West, Ash Park Historic District (cropped), Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 1e, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 1c, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 1d, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 1a, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Col. John Q. and Rowena (Camp) Wilds House c, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Col. John Q. and Rowena (Camp) Wilds House b, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Col. John Q. and Rowena (Camp) Wilds House e, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Col. John Q. and Rowena (Camp) Wilds House d, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Col. John Q. and Rowena (Camp) Wilds House a, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 2e, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 2a, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 2b, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 2c, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James J. and Anna J. (Linean) Smith House 2d, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mount-Vernon-Commercial, ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mount-Vernon-Commercial-3, ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mount-Vernon-Commercial-2 (cropped), ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Martin L. and Mary Jane (Yount) Shantz House 4, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Martin L. and Mary Jane (Yount) Shantz House 2, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Martin L. and Mary Jane (Yount) Shantz House 3, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Martin L. and Mary Jane (Yount) Shantz House 1, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Augustus and Elizabeth (Huntsberger) Bauman House pict 1, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Augustus and Elizabeth (Huntsberger) Bauman House pict 2, Kerrylaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
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