Iola, KS

Iola is an Allen County city of 5,396 residents in the 2020 census, set along the Neosho River where Elm Creek meets the city’s broader river landscape. It became the county seat after the town was organized in 1859, and the downtown square still carries that civic role through the courthouse, local businesses, and public gatherings. Nearby natural-gas fields add a working-landscape layer to a city otherwise easy to read through its square, neighborhoods, college, and parks. Iola’s calendar is closely tied to the town’s farm-country identity. Farm City Days brings a carnival, parade, car show, quilt display, art and crafts, food, and music to the square, while the Allen County Fair takes over Riverside Park in August.

The Iola Municipal Band has presented free summer concerts since 1871, and Allen Community College adds classes, athletics, theater, and art to the local mix. The local scoop is that Iola’s county-seat center and its farm-city traditions still meet in the same few blocks: government by day, then a square full of neighbors, vendors, music, and parade traffic when the calendar turns.