Eldon, Iowa

Eldon, Iowa
Location of Eldon, Iowa
Coordinates: 40°55′05″N 92°13′05″W / 40.91806°N 92.21806°W / 40.91806; -92.21806
CountryUSA
StateIowa
CountyWapello
Area
 • Total
1.10 sq mi (2.85 km2)
 • Land1.09 sq mi (2.83 km2)
 • Water0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
630 ft (190 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
783
 • Density715.8/sq mi (276.36/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
52554
Area code641
FIPS code19-24420
GNIS feature ID2394637

Eldon is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 783 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the home of the small Carpenter Gothic style house that served as the backdrop for Grant Wood's 1930 painting, American Gothic.

Eldon got its start in the year 1870, following construction of the Keokuk and Des Moines Railway through the territory. It was incorporated in 1872.

Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold, who was born in nearby Ottumwa, operated Roseanne and Tom's Big Food Diner in Eldon from 1993 to 1995.

Eldon is also the home of the Wapello County Fair which began in 1868.