Why visit West Union
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 7 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Vine Street Bridge, Fayette County Courthouse and Grimes Octagon Barn.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 41 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in West Union
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About West Union
West Union is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,490 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Fayette County.
From the Wikipedia article West Union, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Vine Street Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks6
Fayette County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
Grimes Octagon Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
On the National Register of Historic Places
Spotts Round Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Round barn in Iowa, United States of America
West Union Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Iowa, United States
Hobson Block
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes7
Gus & Tony's Town House Cafe
Restaurant
131 South Vine Street, West Union
History
Originally called Knob Prairie, the community was founded by William Wells, naming it for his hometown, also called West Union, in Ohio. The vacuum cleaner was invented here in 1860 by Daniel Hess.
From the History section of West Union, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship11
First Baptist Church of West Union
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Kaleidoscope Kids Childcare Center
School · 0.8 mi
404 North Pine Street, West Union
North Fayette Valley High School
School · 0.9 mi
600 North Pine Street, West Union
Healthcare2
Map of West Union
43 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°F | 6°F | 1.2 in | 10.8 in |
| Feb | 29°F | 9°F | 1.2 in | 9.9 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 22°F | 2.1 in | 5.4 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 33°F | 4.1 in | 1.8 in |
| May | 69°F | 45°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 56°F | 5.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 60°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 57°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 48°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 36°F | 2.9 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 44°F | 24°F | 2.1 in | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 13°F | 1.6 in | 10.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Fayette Hcn (5 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
Fayette County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2017-08-27: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2016-10-31: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2016-09-29: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Decorah Municipal Airport (DEH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Postville 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
- Oelwein 20 mi south, about 33 min by car
- Elkader 22 mi east, about 35 min by car
- Decorah 24 mi north, about 38 min by car
- Strawberry Point 24 mi southeast, about 38 min by car
- Tripoli 25 mi southwest, about 40 min by car
- Fairbank 25 mi southwest, about 40 min by car
- New Hampton 26 mi west, about 42 min by car
- Waukon 27 mi northeast, about 44 min by car
- Cresco 32 mi northwest, about 52 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
- 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
- West Union Heiserman Library, Dick Woodard, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First-Baptist-Church-of-West-Union Fayette-County-Iowa-01, Joe Hepperle, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 1880 Grimes Octagon Barn, Kevin Schuchmann, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Hobson Block, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CourthouseSquare, Dick Woodard, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Vine-Street-Bridge Fayette-County-Iowa-01, Joe Hepperle, CC BY-SA 3.0
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