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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Altoona (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Altoona. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Altoona is located in Polk County.

To see how the shape of Iowa's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Polk County: Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Story & Warren.

Below are the counties that are near Altoona. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Altoona:

  • Polk County     (The home county of Altoona)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Bondurant
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bondurant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bondurant
      • Bondurant is located in Polk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,293 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bondurant <2>
    • Rising Sun
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rising Sun have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rising Sun
      • Rising Sun is located in Polk County
    • Berwick
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berwick have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwick
      • Berwick is located in Polk County
    • Pleasant Hill
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Hill
      • Pleasant Hill is located in Polk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,025 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pleasant Hill <2>
    • Country Estate Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Country Estate Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Country Estate Village
      • Country Estate Village is located in Polk County
    • Mitchellville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mitchellville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitchellville
      • Mitchellville is located in Polk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,273 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mitchellville <2>
    • Marquisville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marquisville
      • Marquisville is located in Polk County
    • Ankeny
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ankeny have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ankeny
      • Ankeny is located in Polk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 70,068 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ankeny <2>
    • Adelphi
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adelphi have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adelphi
      • Adelphi is located in Polk County
    • Des Moines
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Saylorville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saylorville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saylorville
      • Saylorville is located in Polk County
    • Elkhart
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Carlisle
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Boone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Madrid
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Luther
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Luther have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luther
      • Luther is located in Boone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 133 people
  • Dallas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Granger
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • High Bridge
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for High Bridge. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Bridge
      • High Bridge is located in Dallas County
    • Waukee
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Booneville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Xenia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Xenia
      • Xenia is located in Dallas County
    • Dallas Center
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Van Meter
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Woodward
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Adel
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adel
      • Adel is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,607 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Adel <2>
    • DeSoto
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Minburn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minburn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minburn
      • Minburn is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 357 people
    • Bouton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bouton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bouton
      • Bouton is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 125 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bouton <2>
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Oswalt
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oswalt
      • Oswalt is located in Jasper County
    • Valeria
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valeria have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valeria
      • Valeria is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
    • Vandalia
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandalia
      • Vandalia is located in Jasper County
    • Colfax
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Prairie City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Green Castle
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Castle
      • Green Castle is located in Jasper County
    • Mingo
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Goddard
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goddard
      • Goddard is located in Jasper County
    • Ira
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ira
      • Ira is located in Jasper County
    • Metz
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metz
      • Metz is located in Jasper County
    • Clyde
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clyde have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clyde
      • Clyde is located in Jasper County
    • Lambs Grove
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lambs Grove
      • Lambs Grove is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 165 people
    • Baxter
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Madison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Patterson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Patterson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson
      • Patterson is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 163 people
    • Saint Charles
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Charles have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Charles
      • Saint Charles is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 656 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Charles <2>
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Swan
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swan
      • Swan is located in Marion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
    • Pleasantville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Otley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Knoxville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Marshall County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Rhodes
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rhodes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rhodes
      • Rhodes is located in Marshall County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 298 people
    • Melbourne
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • State Center
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for State Center have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Center
      • State Center is located in Marshall County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,432 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for State Center <2>
  • Story County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Cambridge
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cambridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cambridge
      • Cambridge is located in Story County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 796 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cambridge <2>
    • Maxwell
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Huxley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huxley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huxley
      • Huxley is located in Story County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,270 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Huxley <2>
    • Iowa Center
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa Center
      • Iowa Center is located in Story County
    • Collins
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collins
      • Collins is located in Story County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 472 people
    • Slater
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Midvale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midvale
      • Midvale is located in Story County
    • Shipley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shipley
      • Shipley is located in Story County
    • Kelley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Nevada
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Colo
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Ames
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ames
      • Ames is located in Story County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67,033 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ames <2>
    • Ontario
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ontario have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ontario
      • Ontario is located in Story County
  • Warren County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Hartford
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartford
      • Hartford is located in Warren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 780 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hartford <2>
    • Palmyra
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmyra
      • Palmyra is located in Warren County
    • Lakewood
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood
      • Lakewood is located in Warren County
    • Cumming
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cumming have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumming
      • Cumming is located in Warren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 413 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cumming <2>
    • Spring Hill
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Hill
      • Spring Hill is located in Warren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 65 people
    • Ackworth
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ackworth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ackworth
      • Ackworth is located in Warren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 105 people
    • Sandyville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandyville
      • Sandyville is located in Warren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
    • Indianola
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Prole
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prole have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prole
      • Prole is located in Warren County
    • Churchville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Churchville
      • Churchville is located in Warren County
    • Martensdale
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Martensdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martensdale
      • Martensdale is located in Warren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 470 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Martensdale <2>
    • Milo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Bevington
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bevington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bevington
      • Bevington is located in Warren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bevington <2>

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Altoona, see our County-by-County Page for Altoona.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Altoona ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 300 newspapers that have been published in the area around Altoona.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Altoona. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Altoona and those printed in the larger area surrounding Altoona.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<4> of Altoona.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Altoona:

Cemeteries Near Altoona ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Altoona.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Altoona covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.

  • New Altoona Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Altoona Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Altoona Cemetery
  • Altoona Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Altoona Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Altoona Cemetery
  • Harvey Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Rising Sun Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rising Sun Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rising Sun Cemetery
  • Canfield Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Canfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Canfield Cemetery
  • Bondurant Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Sims Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sims Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sims Cemetery
  • Berwick Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Berwick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Berwick Cemetery
  • Laurel Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Laurel Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Laurel Hill Cemetery
  • Oakwood Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakwood Cemetery
  • Stuart Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stuart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stuart Cemetery
  • Greenwood Friends Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (295 more) ...
    • Oak Grove Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
    • Mitchellville Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mitchellville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mitchellville Cemetery
    • Franklin Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Altoona had a population of 326 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Altoona had a population of 19,503 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.

  • Rising Sun
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rising Sun have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rising Sun
    • Rising Sun is located in Polk County
  • Bondurant
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bondurant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bondurant
    • Bondurant is located in Polk County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,293 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bondurant <2>
  • Berwick
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berwick have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwick
    • Berwick is located in Polk County
  • Ivy
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ivy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivy
    • Ivy is located in Polk County
  • Hastie
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hastie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hastie
    • Hastie is located in Polk County
  • East Des Moines
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Des Moines have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Des Moines
    • East Des Moines is located in Polk County
  • Mitchellville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mitchellville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitchellville
    • Mitchellville is located in Polk County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,273 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mitchellville <2>
  • Santiago
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Santiago have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santiago
    • Santiago is located in Polk County
  • Oralabor
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oralabor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oralabor
    • Oralabor is located in Polk County
  • Saylor
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saylor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saylor
    • Saylor is located in Polk County
  • Levey
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Levey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levey
    • Levey is located in Polk County
  • Des Moines
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Avon
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avon
      • Avon is located in Polk County
    • Adelphi
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adelphi have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adelphi
      • Adelphi is located in Polk County
    • Ankeny
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ankeny have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ankeny
      • Ankeny is located in Polk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 70,068 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ankeny <2>

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Altoona. See our List of 1890's Communities around Altoona.

The official website for Altoona: www.altoona-iowa.com/

The official website for Polk County: www.co.polk.ia.us/

The official website for State of Iowa: https://www.iowa.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Altoona) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Altoona. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.6466, Longitude: -93.4773       In this case, the coordinates for Altoona have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Altoona, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024