Western Iowa

Western Iowa is in the United States of America.

Cities

Le Mars downtown

• 1 Denison
• 2 Le Mars
• 3 Okoboji
• 4 Orange City
• 5 Sheldon
• 6 Spencer
• 7 Storm Lake
• 8 Sioux City

Understand

This region includes the counties of Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, Sioux, O'Brien, Clay, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Monona, and Crawford.

This area is largely rural, except for the area around Sioux City on the western edge of the region, in Woodbury and Plymouth counties (not Sioux County).

Get in

Interstate 29 runs along the western edge of the state, and US highway 20 connects Sioux City, which is on the western edge of this region, to Fort Dodge in North Central Iowa.

1 Sioux Gateway Airport. This small airport, a few miles south of Sioux City, offers flights to Chicago and Denver. Alternatively, depending on their ultimate destination, people fly into Omaha, Nebraska (100 miles to the south of the Sioux City airport), Des Moines in Central Iowa (200 miles southeast), Fort Dodge in North Central Iowa (130 miles east), or Sioux Falls in South Dakota (100 miles north) and drive here. (updated Nov 2024)

Get around

While there are a few inter-city bus routes in Iowa, for the most part, you need a car to get around.

See

• 1 Abbie Gardner Cabin, Arnolds Park (N of Spencer on US-71), ☏ +1 712 332-7248. Memorial Day weekend-Sep M-F noon-4PM, Sa Su 9AM-4PM. A fatal encounter between Wahpekute Dakota Indians and settlers is at the forefront of this site, one of the locations etched in the history of the "Spirit Lake Massacre." Abbie Gardner was a 13-year old killed in the skirmish. Also learn about the Dakota leader Inkpadutah. Built in 1856 and listed on National Register of Historic Places. Free. 
• 2 Grotto of the Redemption, 208 1st Avenue NW, West Bend, toll-free: +1 800-868-3641, fax: +1 515-887-2372, info@westbendgrotto.com. Outdoor grotto is always open. The largest man-made grotto, or artificial cave, in the world, this site was built by a Catholic priest over a span of 40 years as a place for prayer and reflection. On the National Register of Historical Places. Free. (updated May 2018)
• 3 Kaleidoscope Factory, 214 N Main St, Pocahontas (40 miles northwest of Fort Dodge, just a few miles north of where you'd be driving on your way from Fort Dodge to Storm Lake.), ☏ +1 712-389-1972, kaleidoscopeguy@hotmail.com. Tu–Sat 10AM–3PM, usually. Watch the artisan–owner make wooden kaleidoscopes. For $45, you can choose your own materials for a customized egg-shaped kaleidoscope that is cut and assembled while you watch. Tour groups welcome, but it's a good idea to contact the shop to let him know when to expect you. (updated May 2018)
• 4 Hawkeye Point. The highest natural point in Iowa. (updated Nov 2024)

Do

• 1 Arnolds Park Amusement Park, 37 Lake St, Arnolds Park, ☏ +1 712 332-2183, toll-free: +1 800 599-6995. Late May to early September. About 30 rides, including a carousel and one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the United States. Get a Nutty Bar while you're there. It's ice cream on a stick, coated in chocolate and rolled in chopped peanuts. $30 and up. (updated Sep 2017),
• 2 Boji Splash Indoor Waterpark. In Arnolds Park 
• 3 Iowa Great Lakes. Fishing. (updated Nov 2024)

Drink

• Okoboji Brewing Company. Has a dominant presence in the area, as far as local brewers go.