South Central Iowa

South Central Iowa covers the rolling agricultural country in the southern half of the state, the river-and-prairie belt running south of Des Moines toward the Missouri border. The terrain is gently rolling — drift-deposited till country with deeper river bottoms along the Des Moines, Skunk, and Chariton rivers — drained by reservoirs that handle most of the regional water recreation. Rathbun Reservoir, the largest, holds 11,000 surface acres in Appanoose County. Thirteen counties cover the region. Marion holds Pella (Dutch heritage and the Tulip Festival) and Knoxville (the Sprint Car Capital of the World, with the Knoxville Raceway); Madison holds Winterset (John Wayne’s birthplace and the Madison County covered bridges); Warren holds Indianola (the National Balloon Classic each summer); Wapello holds Ottumwa; Mahaska holds Oskaloosa; Appanoose holds Centerville. Rathbun and Red Rock reservoirs anchor the major water recreation. Most trips here run small-town and event-driven. Knoxville’s Nationals each August draw sprint-car traffic from across the country; Pella’s Tulip Time and Christmas markets pull seasonal visitors; Indianola’s National Balloon Classic fills late July; the Madison County bridges anchor a steady year-round historical-tourism stream.