Wapello County is a county in Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River in the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 35,437 at the 2020 census and covers 436 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 432 square miles are land and 4.2 square miles are water. The county is centred near 41°01′46″N 92°24′32″W.
Ottumwa is the county seat. Its postal code is 52501. The county has seven incorporated cities, no census-designated places, and fourteen civil townships. Wapello County sits in the Central time zone and forms the core of the Ottumwa, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Towns & Villages in Wapello County
Ottumwa is by far the largest place in the county; the rest are small cities and unincorporated crossroads spread along the Des Moines River valley.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa | City · seat | Center | 25,529 | 52501 |
| Eddyville | City | Competine | 970 | — |
| Eldon | City | Richland | 783 | — |
| Agency | City | Agency | 620 | — |
| Blakesburg | City | Highland | 274 | — |
| Kirkville | City | Green | 157 | — |
| Chillicothe | City | Polk | 76 | — |
| Ashland | Unincorp. | Dahlonega | — | — |
| Bidwell | Unincorp. | Pleasant | — | — |
| Bladensburg | Unincorp. | Columbia | — | — |
| Cliffland | Unincorp. | Cass | — | — |
| Dahlonega | Unincorp. | Dahlonega | — | — |
| Dudley | Unincorp. | Washington | — | — |
| Farson | Unincorp. | Adams | — | — |
| Munterville | Unincorp. | Keokuk | — | — |
| Ottumwa Junction | Unincorp. | Center | — | — |
| Phillips | Unincorp. | Columbia | — | — |
| Pickwick | Unincorp. | Adams | — | — |
| Rutledge | Unincorp. | Washington | — | — |
| Willard | Unincorp. | Cass | — | — |
| Yampa | Unincorp. | Keokuk | — | — |
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | — | Farson, Pickwick |
| Agency | — | Agency |
| Cass | — | Cliffland, Willard |
| Center | — | Ottumwa, Ottumwa Junction |
| Columbia | — | Bladensburg, Phillips |
| Competine | — | Eddyville |
| Dahlonega | — | Ashland, Dahlonega |
| Green | — | Kirkville |
| Highland | — | Blakesburg |
| Keokuk | — | Munterville, Yampa |
| Pleasant | — | Bidwell |
| Polk | — | Chillicothe |
| Richland | — | Eldon |
| Washington | — | Dudley, Rutledge |
ZIP Codes
- 52501 — Ottumwa post office town
The county’s smaller cities and unincorporated communities are served by rural route addresses out of Ottumwa or a handful of neighboring-county post offices; a dedicated ZIP for each of them could not be confirmed.
Geography
Wapello County lies in the Des Moines River lowlands, with the river cutting the county roughly east-west through Ottumwa before the land rises into rolling farmland to the north and south. Coal seams once worked under much of the southern county fed a 19th- and early 20th-century mining economy that has since closed. Neighboring counties, as recorded, include Mahaska to the northwest, Keokuk to the northeast, Jefferson to the east, Davis to the south, and Monroe to the west. Internal reference links: Mahaska County, Keokuk County, Jefferson County, Davis County, Monroe County.
Demographics
Wapello County had 35,437 residents at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate of 35,210. Ottumwa and Eddyville are the two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs below the Iowa figure of $71,433, a gap tied to the decline of the county’s manufacturing and coal-era employment base. Population density works out to roughly 82 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing and healthcare anchor the local economy. John Deere Ottumwa Works has built farm implements in the city for more than a century, and Cargill runs a large pork-processing plant that is one of the county’s biggest employers. Ottumwa Regional Health Center and Indian Hills Community College round out the major local employers. The county fairgrounds in Eldon host the Wapello County Fair each July, the area’s biggest annual gathering.
History
The Iowa territorial legislature created Wapello County on February 17, 1843, naming it for Wapello, a Meskwaki chief who died in 1842 and is buried near Agency. Agency takes its own name from the federal Sac and Fox Indian Agency once located there. Ottumwa grew up around coal mining and Des Moines River shipping in the mid-1800s before John Deere built its Ottumwa Works plant in 1907. Eldon, in the county’s southeast corner, is the town where Grant Wood painted the farmhouse behind his 1930 work “American Gothic”; the house still stands and is open to visitors.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 34 and 63 cross at Ottumwa and carry most through traffic. Approximate driving distances:
- Fairfield — 30 miles east
- Oskaloosa — 25 miles north
- Centerville — 35 miles south
- Des Moines — 90 miles northwest
Ottumwa Regional Airport handles general aviation only; the nearest commercial airport is Des Moines International Airport. Amtrak’s California Zephyr stops daily in each direction at the Ottumwa station on its Chicago–Emeryville route.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Wapello County?
35,437 people at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate of 35,210.
What is the Ottumwa postcode?
52501.
What city is the county seat?
Ottumwa is the county seat and by far the largest city in the county.
How big is Wapello County?
436 square miles (1,130 km2), most of it farmland along the Des Moines River.
Where is the American Gothic House?
In Eldon, in southeastern Wapello County — the farmhouse Grant Wood painted for “American Gothic” in 1930.
What is Wapello County’s biggest employer?
John Deere’s Ottumwa Works plant and Cargill’s pork-processing plant are the two largest manufacturing employers.
Is there passenger rail service in the county?
Yes. Amtrak’s California Zephyr stops daily at the Ottumwa station.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Iowa.