Belmond, IA

Belmond sits on the Iowa River along U.S. 69, about 14 miles from Clarion, the Wright County seat. On October 14, 1966, an F5 tornado destroyed or damaged about 600 homes and 75 businesses and killed six people. That disaster is part of the town's history, while the institutions built around it show how Belmond functions today.

The city maintains nine parks, including River Park with canoe access to the Iowa River, and the 3.4-mile Franklin Grove Heritage Trail, which follows a converted rail bed through town. The trail includes a story walk updated by Belmond public librarians. Iowa Specialty Hospital and its clinic provide critical-access health care in town, and Belmond-Klemme Community School District serves local students. The municipal airport adds a lighted 330-foot turf runway to the city's transportation map. U.S. 69, the river, the trail, the hospital, and the school system create a practical map of present-day Belmond: a small Wright County city whose recovery is visible in the facilities people use every week.