Panama Iowa Map

About Panama, Iowa

Panama is a locality in Shelby County, Iowa, United States. It is a small community with a population of 235. The population density is 312.9 people per km². Panama is located at 41.7264°N, 95.4722°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. Panama is an incorporated locality. ZIP code: 51562.

Panama anchors itself firmly within the expansive, tilled horizon of western Iowa, where the land swells in subtle, rhythmic rolls of rich dark soil. It lies 37.9 miles north-northeast of Council Bluffs, IA (from Council Bluffs, IA: bearing 32°T), and is situated 9.1 miles northwest of Harlan. Mosquito Creek traces a quiet path through the nearby terrain, its presence marked by the deepening of green along the banks where cottonwoods lean toward the water. The sky here possesses a vast, unencumbered clarity, often turning a bruised violet during the long, humid dusks of late summer. Four miles away, the Schimerowski Recreation Area offers a modest reprieve from the geometric precision of the surrounding fields, providing a quiet corridor of local flora that contrasts with the relentless, productive order of the corn and soybean rows.

Panama retains the quiet, industrious character of the pioneers who settled these prairies, their legacies reflected in the sturdy architecture and the enduring patterns of the local agricultural economy. Life here moves in accordance with the seasonal cycles of planting and harvest, a rhythm that dictates the pace of the streets and the quiet commerce of the neighborhood. While Little George Lake sits ten miles distant, the identity of Panama remains tethered to the fertile plains that define the region’s economic foundation. A sense of unshowy, literate civility permeates the daily interactions of the residents, who maintain a life defined by the reliable labor of the land and a steady, grounded connection to the geography of the Midwest.

About This Panama Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Panama, Iowa. Coordinates: 41.726377, -95.472224. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for Panama includes the ZIP code (51562), telephone area code (641), county seat of Shelby County (Harlan), and school district assignment (Harlan Community School District).

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.