Wayland, IA

Wayland is a Henry County village in Jefferson Township, about ten miles north of Washington and 20 miles from Mount Pleasant. The 2020 census counted 964 residents. WACO Community School District operates local schools, with WACO High School in Wayland, while city hall, the fire department, community center, fitness center, and all-weather track keep everyday civic life close to Main Street. West Park Wetlands adds a splash pad, play equipment, and a half-mile paved path.

ATTRformulanone from Huntsville, United States / CC BY-SA 2.0

The settlement was first known as Crooked Creek; it became a voting precinct in 1840 and later took the Wayland name as the village developed along the Skunk River country. WACO formed from the communities of Wayland, Ainsworth, Crawfordsville, and Olds, and the high school moved to Wayland in 1989. School activities, Little League, 4-H, clubs, and community-center events fill out the calendar, while Washington, Mount Pleasant, Burlington, and Iowa City handle larger trips. Wayland is a southeast Iowa village where a consolidated school, small city facilities, and the old river-and-road pattern still fit together.