Greene, IA

Greene is a Butler County city along the Shell Rock River, on the county's northern edge where Butler and Floyd counties meet. The 2020 census counted 990 residents. North Butler Community School District serves the area, with North Butler High School in town. City services, a community center, fire and EMS, two parks, ball diamonds, a campground, an aquatic center, and a fitness center give Greene a practical center on both sides of the river. Iowa 14 and County Road 13 bridges carry the daily traffic between them.

The community began as the Elm Springs postal area on Coldwater Creek in 1855. In 1871 the railroad chose a site beside the Shell Rock for a depot and roundhouse, drawing the post office and settlement to the river. The new town was named for Judge George Greene, a railroad president who helped buy the land, and Greene incorporated in 1879. North Butler's schools grew from the merger of Greene and Allison-Bristow districts, keeping the town tied to its neighboring farm communities. Greene is a river town whose school, bridges, railroad history, and small civic facilities still meet in a compact Butler County setting.