Why visit Osage
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 3 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Watts Theater, Cedar Valley Seminary and Nathaniel Cobb and Lucetia Baily Deering House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 40 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Osage
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Osage
Osage is a city and the county seat of Mitchell County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,627 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Osage, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
Cedar Valley Seminary
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Iowa, United States
Nathaniel Cobb and Lucetia Baily Deering House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Osage, Iowa
Osage Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Osage, Iowa
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes3
History
The first plat of the town was started in 1854 by a Dr. Moore and named after his eldest daughter “Cora”, but the name was never recorded. In 1855 a Mr. Gibbs arrived from Massachusetts, representing wealthy capitalists in Massachusetts and Connecticut. He prevailed upon Mr. Orrin Sage, a great banker from Ware, MA to invest in this community, and later Mr. Sage gave $2,000 and 600 acres of land to the Library Building Fund. Because of his benevolence, the town’s name was changed to Osage in his honor.
In the winter of 1855-56, Dr. S. B. Chase of Decorah purchased land in the southwest part of the tract and in the spring of 1856 platted the present City of Osage. He named the east-west streets generally for trees and numbered the north-south streets. He was also responsible for setting out maple trees to line the streets. Even today, Osage is referred to as “the City of Maples”. Dr. Chase built an elaborate residence and office on Free Street in 1869. That house still stands today and is used as apartments. Ten years after Dr. Chase’s death in 1891, Free Street was renamed Chase Street to honor his many contributions to Osage.
From the History section of Osage, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare1
Mitchell County Regional Health Center - Osage Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
616;620 North 8th Street, Osage
Map of Osage
29 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23°F | 6°F | 1.2 in | 9.9 in |
| Feb | 28°F | 10°F | 1.2 in | 9.2 in |
| Mar | 41°F | 23°F | 1.9 in | 6.2 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 35°F | 4.0 in | 2.2 in |
| May | 68°F | 47°F | 5.2 in | 0.4 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 58°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 62°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 59°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 50°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 38°F | 2.7 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 25°F | 1.8 in | 1.9 in |
| Dec | 29°F | 14°F | 1.5 in | 9.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Osage (0 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
Mitchell County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2022-02-23: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Northeast Iowa Regional Airport (CCY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Charles City 17 mi southeast, about 27 min by car
- Mason City 22 mi southwest, about 35 min by car
- Northwood 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- Nashua 27 mi southeast, about 43 min by car
- Greene 27 mi south, about 43 min by car
- Austin 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Clear Lake 30 mi west, about 48 min by car
- New Hampton 30 mi southeast, about 47 min by car
- Cresco 35 mi east, about 57 min by car
- Albert Lea 38 mi northwest, about 1 h 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
- Osage iowa, Billwhittaker ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mitchell County Courthouse - Osage, Iowa 06, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mitchell County Courthouse - Osage, Iowa 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mitchell County Courthouse - Osage, Iowa 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mitchell County Courthouse - Osage, Iowa 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mitchell County Courthouse - Osage, Iowa 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mitchell County Courthouse - Osage, Iowa 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mitchell County Courthouse, Osage, Calvin Beale, Public domain
- Sacred Heart Church - Osage, Iowa, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cobb-Deering House NRHP 00001678 Mitchell County, IA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cobb-Deering House2 NRHP 00001678 Mitchell County, IA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS026-E-12281 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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