Overview
Southwest Iowa is in United States of America.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 88°F; winter lows dip to about 15°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: May and Aug. (climate data from nearby Omaha)
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.
- OMA Eppley Airfield, Omaha — 36 mi away (major hub). Directions
- DSM Des Moines International Airport, Des Moines — 84 mi away (major hub). Directions
If you fly into this region, you may want to fly into Omaha, which is just across the border to the west.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Council Bluffs — Historic Squirrel Cage Jail, Kanesville Tabernacle, Grenville M. Dodge House.
- Day 2: Atlantic — Rock Island Depot, City Park, Sunnyside Park.
- Day 3: Audubon — Albert the Bull.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in Southwest Iowa
Understand
This region includes the counties of Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, Pottawattamie, Cass, Adair, Mills, Montgomery, Adams, Fremont, Page, and Taylor.
The biggest city in the area is Council Bluffs in Pottawattamie County, across from Omaha on the eastern edge of Nebraska.
Cities
- Atlantic
- Audubon
- Clarinda
- Council Bluffs
- Missouri Valley
- Villisca
Other destinations
• Harlan • Avoca
Get in
If you fly into this region, you may want to fly into Omaha, which is just across the border to the west.
If you're driving, Interstate 29 runs along the western border of the state, and Interstate 80 runs east and west through this region.
See
- Albert the Bull, in Audubon, is the world's largest bull statue. He gazes at drivers as they "mooooove" north on Highway 71. Worth a stop and a photo op.
Nearby
Bellevue
City / town · 24 listings · 38 mi away
Omaha
City / town · 121 listings · 41 mi away
Papillion
City / town · 16 listings · 43 mi away
Gretna
City / town · 9 listings · 54 mi away
Denison
City / town · 3 listings · 56 mi away
Ashland
City / town · 20 listings · 62 mi away
Maryville
City / town · 2 listings · 62 mi away
Winterset
City / town · 1 listings · 63 mi away
My experience
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