Why visit Perry
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 5 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Grand Theatre, Beaver Creek Bridge and Bruce's Snowball Market No. 1 Addition.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 10°F.
Weather in Perry
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Perry
Perry is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States, along the North Raccoon River. The population was 7,836 at the time of the 2020 Census. It is part of the Des Moines metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Perry, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks8
Beaver Creek Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Bridge in Perry, Iowa
Bruce's Snowball Market No. 1 Addition
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Building in Iowa, United States of America
Downtown Perry Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Nationally recognized historic district located in Perry, Iowa, United States
Perry Carnegie Library Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Library in Perry, Iowa, United States
St. Patrick's Catholic Church
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic place in Iowa, United States
Jones Business College
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes5
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 0.9 mi
403 1st Avenue, Perry
Mo-Th 10:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-01:00; Su 10:00-24:00
History
Perry was laid out as a town in 1869, named for "one of the owners of the road at that time. Col. Perry, of Keokuk". The original town site was bounded by Estella Street on the south, 8th Street on the east, 3rd Street on the west, and Dewey Avenue on the north.
On January 4, 2024, a school shooting occurred at Perry High School leaving an 11-year-old boy in sixth grade dead and seven other people injured. The 17-year-old male shooter was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after the shooting. The high school principal Dan Marburger, wounded critically after having spoken to the shooter trying to gain time for escaping students, died of his gun shot wounds, state governor Kim Reynolds announced on January 14. The governor praised his courage and ordered all flags in Iowa to be flown at half-staff from January 14 until sunset on the day of his funeral and interment.
From the History section of Perry, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship12
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare2
Map of Perry
49 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 10°F | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 14°F | 1.1 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 26°F | 2.0 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 37°F | 4.1 in |
| May | 72°F | 49°F | 5.2 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 4.4 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 61°F | 4.1 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 52°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 39°F | 2.7 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 27°F | 1.9 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 16°F | 1.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Perry (1 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
Dallas County has had 13 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)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2018-08-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Perry Municipal Airport (PRO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Madrid 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Ogden 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Granger 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Boone 18 mi northeast, about 30 min by car
- Grimes 19 mi southeast, about 30 min by car
- Jefferson 19 mi northwest, about 31 min by car
- Waukee 20 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Urbandale 21 mi southeast, about 34 min by car
- Johnston 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Clive 22 mi southeast, about 35 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
- St. Patrick Catholic Church, Perry, IA, Gregunderscorem, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Perry Carnegie Library SW View, Gregunderscorem, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Perry Iowa 20090607 Chief Building, Richc80, CC BY 3.0
- Bruces Snowball Market, Gregunderscorem, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Jones Business College, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.