Oskaloosa, IA Road Trips
Plan drives from Oskaloosa, IA with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
2
Longest Drive
260.7 mi
Sioux City, IA
Quickest Drive
3h 25m
Mason City, IA
Plan Around Oskaloosa, IA
Popular Incoming Routes
Useful if Oskaloosa, IA is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.
Oskaloosa, IA by the Numbers
Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Population
11,492
Median Income
$62,172
Median Home Value
$128,900
Median Age
37.9
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.
Notable People from Oskaloosa, IA
A sampling of people born in Oskaloosa, IA.
Chester Conklin
1886–1971
actor, comedian (1886-1971)
Patrick O'Bryant
1986
American basketball player
Arthur Russell
1951–1992
American musician (1951-1992)
Frank Friday Fletcher
1855–1928
American admiral
Bill S. Ballinger
1912–1980
American writer (1912-1980)
Al Swearengen
1845–1904
pimp and early entertainment entrepreneur in Deadwood, South Dakota (1845-1904)
Cecil W. Stoughton
1920–2008
American photographer (1920–2008)
Roscoe B. Woodruff
1891–1975
1915 West Point graduate and career U.S. Army officer 1915-1953.
Dulah Marie Evans
1875–1951
American artist (1875-1951)
Landmarks & Historic Sites
Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Oskaloosa, IA.
Oskaloosa City Square Commercial Historic District
historic district in Iowa, United States
Phillip Hoffman House
in Oskaloosa, Iowa
Paradise Block Historic District
nationally recognized historic district located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States
City data from Wikidata (Q984370), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Oskaloosa, IA
Oskaloosa is a small city in Mahaska County, Iowa. Oskaloosa is home to William Penn University, a private university, and Lake Keomah State Park which is four miles east of the city.
It is home to about 12,000 people (census, 1 April 2020)
Nelson Pioneer Farm & Museum, 2211 Nelson Lane (8 min drive northeast of the city), ☏ +1 641-672-2989. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM. (updated Mar 2026)
1 Lake Keomah State Park. A 366-acre (148 ha) state park that surrounds and includes Lake Keomah. Picnic shelters and a lodge may be reserved for use. There are also two boat ramps, numerous campsites, trails, modern showers, restrooms, and an unsupervised beach. (updated Apr 2026) The Southern Iowa Fair is one of the largest traditional county fairs in Iowa and is held each July. Art on the Square is held each June on the city square. This event features local and regional artists. Sweet Corn Serenade is held each July on the city square. A concert by the municipal band is the highlight of the corn-on-the-cob and pork burger feast. Each December, the Lighted Christmas Parade travels through the downtown area on two consecutive nights. The floats in the parade are adorned with lights for the after-dark event.
1 EverSpring Inn & Suites, 2401 A Ave West, ☏ +1 641-676-6000, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Mar 2026) 2 Hotel O Oskaloosa Near Eddyville, 2278 Highway 63. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Apr 2026)
From Des Moines, take Iowa Highway 163 east for 60 minutes. From St. Louis, take US Route 61 N, US Route 34 W and US Route 63 N for 4.5 hours. Daily bus by Jefferson Lines departing from Des Moines at 10AM, takes approximately 60 mins and costs $27.
Travel tips adapted from Oskaloosa on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
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