Why visit Osceola
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 18 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Lyric Theater, Dickinson Webster House, George H. and Alice Spaulding Cowles House and Osceola Municipal Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 11°F, and about 28 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Osceola
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Osceola
Osceola is a city in and the county seat of Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,415 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Osceola, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks10
Dickinson Webster House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic residence located in Osceola, Iowa, United States
George H. and Alice Spaulding Cowles House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic building located in Osceola, Iowa, United States
J.V. Banta House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
House in Osceola, Iowa, United States
Marcellus Luther and Julia Protzman Temple House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic residence located in Osceola, Iowa, United States
Masonic Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Building in Iowa
Osceola Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in Osceola, Iowa, United States
Osceola station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Railway station in Osceola, Iowa, US
Clarke County Historical Museum
Museum · 1.4 mi
1030 South Main Street, Osceola
Su 13:00-16:00
The Mormon Trail / Utopian Experiments in Southern Iowa
Monument and historic site · 1.6 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Restaurants and cafes18
Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill
Diner · American · 1.1 mi
123 South Main Street, Osceola
Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Mayberry's Coffee House & Eatery
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.0 mi
128 West Jefferson Street, Osceola
Mo-Fr 07:00-13:00; Sa 08:00-12:00
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.5 mi
1002 Jeffreys Drive, Osceola
Mo-Th 10:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00; Su 10:30-21:00
Playa Margaritas Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.6 mi
707 West McLane Street, Osceola
Mo-Th 11:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Junction Creamery
Ice cream · 1.3 mi
212 East McLane Street, Osceola
Mo-Fr 13:00-21:00; Sa-Su 14:00-21:00
Revelton Distilling Company
Brewery and winery · 0.4 mi
1400 West Clay Street, Osceola
Mo,Th,Fr 15:00-20:00; Sa 12:00-21:00; Su 12:00-17:00
China Star
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.1 mi
101 South Main Street, Osceola
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00
Family Table
Diner · American · 0.5 mi
1610 Jeffreys Drive, Osceola
Mo-Fr 07:00-15:00; Sa-Su 07:00-16:00
La pequeña tienda y taqueria
Restaurant · 1.1 mi
112 North Main Street, Osceola
Sweet Scoops
Ice cream · 1.0 mi
130 South Fillmore Street, Osceola
West Side Tavern
Bar and pub · 1.0 mi
124 South Fillmore Street, Osceola
6 more on the map.
History
In 1872, the Masonic Building was built on the public square in Osceola. The Italianate building was used by Osceola Lodge No. 77 of the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, and the main floor was a bank and hardware store.
In December 2023, Osceola City Administrator Ty Wheeler urged residents to switch from using tap water to bottled water as extreme drought affected West Lake. In February 2024, the Clarke Community School District shut off drinking water in all its buildings due to a severe drought in Osceola.
From the History section of Osceola, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship12
First Christian Church
Church · Christian · 1.1 mi
300 South Main Street, Osceola
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare4
Map of Osceola
82 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 11°F | 1.0 in | 8.2 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 15°F | 1.3 in | 7.2 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 26°F | 2.1 in | 3.1 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 37°F | 4.1 in | 1.1 in |
| May | 72°F | 49°F | 5.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 61°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 51°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 39°F | 2.9 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 27°F | 2.1 in | 2.1 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 17°F | 1.5 in | 5.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Osceola (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
Clarke County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-05-14: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2014-07-14: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2010-07-29: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2008-05-27: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Winterset Municipal Airport (3Y3) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.
- Leon 20 mi south, about 33 min by car
- Indianola 25 mi northeast, about 41 min by car
- Chariton 25 mi east, about 40 min by car
- Creston 30 mi west, about 49 min by car
- Lamoni 30 mi south, about 48 min by car
- Corydon 31 mi southeast, about 50 min by car
- Norwalk 32 mi north, about 51 min by car
- Mount Ayr 32 mi southwest, about 52 min by car
- West Des Moines 36 mi north, about 57 min by car
- Des Moines 38 mi north, 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
- Clarke County, Iowa Courthouse, en:User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Osceola, IA 50213, USA - panoramio, Jacob Parnell, CC BY 3.0
- 20160614 168 Osceola, Iowa, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20160614 168 Osceola, Iowa (cropped), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Osceola Amtrak Station (3387601606), IAHilltopper, CC BY 2.0
- Osceola Amtrak Station platform, Matt Emerson, CC BY 2.0
- 20160614 170 BNSF Osceola, Iowa (37803159251), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Osceola station from the eastbound California Zephyr, July 2011, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Osceola station, July 2016, Tyler Silvest from Olathe, Kansas, CC BY 2.0
- Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) Depot Osceola, IA (38231893714), Tyler Silvest from Olathe, Kansas, CC BY 2.0
- Looking WB on Ottumwa Sub near Osceola, IA 12-9-17 (38911515192), Tyler Silvest from Olathe, Kansas, CC BY 2.0
- J.V. Banta House NRHP83000348 - Osceola - Clarke County - Iowa -10-30-2016-, Jason McLaren, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Marcellus Luther and Julia Protzman Temple House NRHP 96000361 - Osceola - Clarke County - Iowa -10-30-2016-5614, Jason McLaren, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Osceola Iowa Station Amtrak, Steve Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- The George H. And Alice Spaulding Cowles House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1890's J.V. Banta Victorian House (1902), Tyler Silvest, CC BY 2.0
- The J.V. Banta House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Dickinson Webster House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS042-E-7539 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS036-E-24243 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
_Depot_Osceola,_IA_(38231893714).jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.