Overview
Clear Lake is a city in North Central Iowa.
6 sights
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Clear Lake
Surf Ballroom
The historical theater and final venue for Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper before that fateful night in 1959.
Buddy Holly Crash Site
The site where the Beechcraft chartered plane carrying the three music stars went down in a snowstorm on Feb 3, 1959. Buddy Holly had chartered the plane in lieu of taking the bus to the next concert tour location, but t…
Central Gardens of North Iowa
The only public botanical garden for miles around.
Kinney Pioneer Museum
perpetuating history of North Central Iowa.
Clear Lake State Park
Clear Lake recreation with beach/picnic area.
City Beach Park
another Clear Lake beach, this one with the distinction of holding a wintertime kite festival over the ice.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 85°F; winter lows dip to about 11°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Waterloo)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MCW Mason City Municipal Airport, Mason City — 3 mi away. Directions
- FOD Fort Dodge Regional Airport, Fort Dodge — 58 mi away. Directions
- DSM Des Moines International Airport, Des Moines — 112 mi away (major hub). Directions
Located at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 18.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Surf Ballroom, Central Gardens of North Iowa
- Afternoon Clear Lake State Park
Day 2
- Morning Buddy Holly Crash Site, Kinney Pioneer Museum
- Afternoon City Beach Park
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
It is most famous as the place "the music died" because shortly after leaving a concert at the Surf Ballroom in 1959, a small plane carrying rock artists Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson crashed in a corn field just outside town.
Get in
Located at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 18.
See
See Buddy Holly Crash Site
The site where the Beechcraft chartered plane carrying the three music stars went down in a snowstorm on Feb 3, 1959. Buddy Holly had chartered the plane in lieu of taking the bus to the next concert tour location, but the pilot was inexperienced and weather foul, and the flight only lasted 6 minutes before ending in this cornfield and indelibly changing the face of rock n roll in America.
Do
Sleep
- Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Clear Lake, 1305 N 25th St. Utilitarian. +1 641-357-0966
Nearby
Mason City
City / town · 5 listings · 9 mi away
Britt
City / town · 1 listings · 21 mi away
Albert Lea
City / town · 4 listings · 35 mi away
Austin
City / town · 1 listings · 42 mi away
Algona
City / town · 3 listings · 43 mi away
Blue Earth
City / town · 3 listings · 50 mi away
Armstrong
City / town · 3 listings · 58 mi away
Fort Dodge
City / town · 4 listings · 59 mi away
My experience
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