Ghost Towns in Iowa

On the map

44 ghost towns

5% sit on public land · 9 with a free-licensed photo

1142
  • City, county 1
  • Military, DOE 1
  • Private or unlisted 42
Illustration of a midwest landscape
Illustration of the most common landscape type among Iowa's ghost towns.

The largest share, 42 of 44, sits on land missing from the public lands database, which usually means private property: look from the road unless the owner says otherwise. Each town page has the land manager, monthly weather and the nearest open town.

DonnanIowavilleLittleportQueen CityRiver JunctionSextonUniqueLancasterBig SpringBryantsburgBuchananBuxton Historic TownsiteClarkson
  • City, county 1
  • Military, DOE 1
  • Private or unlisted 42

Each dot is a ghost town, colored by who manages the land at its location. Labels mark the most searched. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

Most searched in Iowa

All 44 by county

Adair County 1

Adams County 1

Bremer County 1

Buchanan County 3

Cedar County 2

Clayton County 3

Crawford County 2

Delaware County 3

Fayette County 1

Guthrie County 1

Hardin County 2

Humboldt County 1

Iowa County 1

Jackson County 1

Johnson County 2

Keokuk County 2

Kossuth County 2

Linn County 1

Lyon County 1

Monroe County 1

Pocahontas County 1

Polk County 1

Ringgold County 1

Sac County 1

Union County 1

Van Buren County 1

Wapello County 1

Wayne County 1

Winneshiek County 1

Woodbury County 3

Other states