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Altoona Iowa Map

Explore Altoona, Iowa, with this interactive street and satellite map.

This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.

Interactive Map of Altoona, Iowa

How to Use This Altoona, Iowa Map

This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Altoona, Iowa. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of Iowa or beyond.

Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).

TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Altoona.

Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.

Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.

City	Altoona
State	Iowa (IA)
County	Polk County
Country	United States of America
Timezone	Central Time (America/Chicago)

Latitude	41.646353
Longitude	-93.478611
Population	19,565
Density	646.8 /km²
Incorporated	Yes
ZIP Code	50009
Area Code	515
County Seat	Des Moines
School District	Southeast Polk Community School District

🌦 Goto Altoona Weather Page: Altoona, Iowa — Weather Warnings, Forecast, Radar, Satellite & Current Conditions

About Altoona, Iowa

Altoona is a locality in Polk County, Iowa, United States. It has a population of 19,565. The population density is 646.8 people per km². Altoona is located at 41.6464°N, 93.4786°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. Altoona is an incorporated locality. ZIP code: 50009.

Altoona rises from the vast expanse of the Iowa prairie, where the horizon stretches wide and the sky claims a profound, singular dominance over the land. It lies 5.0 miles northeast of Pleasant Hill, IA (from Pleasant Hill, IA: bearing 34°T), and is situated 8.0 miles east-northeast of Des Moines. The surrounding landscape consists of rhythmic, tilled fields that hold the golden light of autumn with a quiet, persistent clarity. Gentle slopes define the terrain, leading toward the modest path of Little Fourmile Creek just a mile away. Within the center of the community, the Enabling Garden provides a deliberate, cultivated space where the earth is shaped by human intent. Even in the stillness of the afternoon, one senses the ancient, heavy silence of the plains that once stretched unbroken across this geography.

Altoona traces its origins to the expansion of the rail lines that once pulsed through the heart of the Midwest, turning small agricultural outposts into hubs of movement and commerce. The local economy has shifted significantly from its early reliance on the surrounding soybean and corn harvests to a more diverse landscape of modern industry and commerce. Residents often speak of the transition from a quiet farming village to a place that balances the remnants of its agrarian heritage with the demands of contemporary growth. The soil here remains deep and dark, a reminder of the wealth that first drew settlers to stake their claims in the middle of the continent. Through the changing seasons, the labor of the people continues to organize the land into a productive grid that feeds the wider region.

Altoona maintains a cultural character defined by an unshowy civility, where neighbors value the steady, predictable rhythm of a life lived close to the land. Notable landmarks like the local entertainment destinations draw visitors from far beyond the county lines, yet the streets retain a sense of grounded, ordinary purpose. While Dean Lake rests seven miles away, providing a quiet water feature for those seeking the stillness of the shoreline, the true spirit of the area is found in its public spaces and community gatherings. The influence of German and Scandinavian heritage lingers in the architecture and the straightforward, pragmatic temperament of the people who reside here. Though Altoona is a place of steady progress, it preserves a literate, modest atmosphere that honors the quiet dignity of the Midwestern plains.

Nearby Outdoor Places

Lions Park (Local Park) — locality lies within
Park (Local Park) — 0.2 mi, 177° S
Gay Lea Wilson Trail (State Recreation Area) — 0.2 mi, 220° SW
Rosewood Trail (Local Recreation) — 0.5 mi, 145° SE
Cottonwood Trail (Local Recreation) — 0.7 mi, 143° SE
Runabouts (Attraction) — 1.2 mi, 284° W
Galleon (Attraction) — 1.2 mi, 294° NW
The Clipper (Attraction) — 1.2 mi, 294° NW
Lady Bug (Attraction) — 1.2 mi, 288° W
Sheriff Sam's Saloon Show (Theatre) — 1.2 mi, 286° W
American Puppet Theater (Theatre) — 1.3 mi, 290° W
SEP Stadium (Stadium) — 3.8 mi, 157° SE
Richard L. Easter Museum Complex (Museum) — 5.0 mi, 226° SW
County School (Museum) — 5.0 mi, 226° SW
Cattle Tie-Outs (Zoo / Wildlife Park) — 5.2 mi, 223° SW
Halls of Law and Flame (Museum) — 5.2 mi, 228° SW
Straw Sculpture (Public Artwork) — 5.3 mi, 227° SW
Site of Camp Burnside 1862 (Monument) — 6.8 mi, 236° SW
The Pinnacle (Monument) — 7.2 mi, 239° SW
Margo Frankel Woods State Park (State Park) — 7.3 mi, 284° W
WWII Memorial Plaza (Monument) — 7.3 mi, 239° SW
Liz Lidgett Gallery & Design (Gallery) — 8.1 mi, 241° SW
Iowa Hall of Pride (Museum) — 8.4 mi, 243° SW
Barb Wire Point (Viewpoint) — 8.4 mi, 212° SW
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 9.2 mi, 108° E · 12k acres
Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 13.3 mi, 123° SE · 12k acres
Big Creek State Park (State Park) — 16.3 mi, 308° NW

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