Ruthven, IA

Ruthven is a Palo Alto County city on Highway 18 with five lakes within ten miles, a setting that gives it the local nickname Hub of the Wetlands. Lost Island Lake is four miles north, with a swimming beach, campground, public boat launches, hiking trails, and a nature center. The Milwaukee railroad reached the area in 1878, and the Ruthven brothers gave the town its name. That combination of rail origin and lake country still gives the town its shape.

The town's everyday institutions gather around school, library, park, pool, churches, and Social Center. Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School at 1505 Washington Street serves as the K-12 school, while Ruthven Public Library on Gowrie Street offers newspapers, genealogy materials, book clubs, e-books, and audiobooks. The city's annual Bully Bullhead Weekend follows July 4 with a parade, tractor ride, kids' carnival, athletic tournaments, and a bullhead fishing tournament. Ruthven reads as an Iowa lake town whose school, library, and water-based recreation all share the same local map.