Audubon, IA

Audubon is the county seat of Audubon County, a southwest Iowa city laid out by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in 1878. The county and city carry the name of John James Audubon, but the local mascot is much larger than a bird: Albert the Bull stands 30 feet tall, weighs 45 tons, and greets the city from its park. The county’s history still leans agricultural, while the old courthouse and railroad story keep the civic map in place. Audubon is Iowa with a naturalist’s name, a railroad beginning, and a giant concrete bull that makes sure nobody confuses it with the French capital.