Sac City, IA

Sac City is the seat of Sac County, set in the North Raccoon River’s curve near the meeting of U.S. 20 and U.S. 71. Judge Eugene Criss arrived from Wisconsin in 1855, built the first log cabin, and ran a hotel, stage station, and general store for travelers. The town became the county seat in 1856 and grew along the stage route, then the railroad and Highway 20. Chautauqua Park preserves an old outdoor-auditorium tradition, while the library holds over 20,000 volumes. And then there’s the popcorn ball: Sac City once housed a 3,100-pound version in its own building. It’s the kind of detail locals bring up after the county-seat history.