Denison's industrial roots and diverse community in Western Iowa
Denison is the seat of Crawford County in western Iowa, and a city of roughly 9,000 residents. Though farmland surrounds it, the town’s main industry is meatpacking. “We have a very diverse community, and we’re more of an industrial plant town, which is where most of our employment is,” says Tracy Brus, a broker associate with Denison Realty, LLC, who grew up in Denison. “It’s really pretty quiet. It’s close to cities like Sioux City, but it’s a pretty small town as far as that goes.” Homebuyers are also drawn here by Denison's strong parks system and annual events.
The city of Denison is one with great history and a promising future.
Smithfield Foods has a meatpacking facility in Denison and is the area's largest employer.
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Early 20th-century homes within town
Most of Denison’s homes sit on the gridded streets in the center of the community, some of which date from the turn of the 20th century. Victorian or Prairie-style homes can sell from $100,000 to $275,000, based on size and condition. Ranch and National-style properties go between $75,000 and $200,000. Subdivisions are located in Denison’s outskirts, often with larger ranch-style, split-level or New Traditional houses that go between $175,000 and $400,000.
Historic homes of various styles, shapes, and colors line the streets of central Denison.
Modern homes can be found on the edges of Denison in small pockets or on acreages.
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Sports facilities and neighborhood parks throughout Denison
The Denison Parks and Recreation Department manages the city’s green spaces and athletic facilities. These include the Northside Recreation Complex, which has baseball, softball and multipurpose sports fields, plus the Denison Aquatic Center, with pools and water slides as well as a putt-putt course. Washington Park and Doty Park each offer playgrounds and basketball courts in town. Just outside the community, Yellow Smoke Park has a 37-acre lake with a sand beach for swimmers and sunbathers, in addition to a 4-mile trail and a campground.
The basketball court of Washington Park provides a central gathering spot for all ages.
Yellow Smoke Park offers a beach, camping, trails, and much more.
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Celebrating an Oscar-winning actress and award-winning barbecue
Oscar-winning actress Donna Reed, most famous for her role in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” was born and raised in Denison, and the Donna Reed Foundation is still headquartered in the community. Each December, the Donna Reed Theater in Uptown puts on a free screening of the classic holiday film, while the museum within the theater is open each Saturday. Denison also puts on the Tri City BBQ Festival every September, with several competition categories including a contest for the best barbecue between the Omaha, Sioux City and Des Moines areas. The contests are sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, which attracts competitors from across the region. “It’s a big deal,” Brus says. “They’ll shut the streets off and have bands and concerts, and they have lots of food trucks.”
The famous actress Donna Reed called Denison home and there is a small museum dedicated to her.
Uptown Denison is literally the center of everything going on in town.
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Shops, bars and restaurants in Uptown
The intersection of Broadway and Main Street is the heart of Uptown Denison, the city’s central business district. Bars like The Old Fashioned and shops like Reynold’s Clothing call the area home. “The stores have little nights like ‘shop and sip’ nights, where they coordinate with each other,” Brus says. Meanwhile, Latin American restaurants have popped up along Main Street, as the majority of the city’s residents are of Latino descent. Denison’s main grocery store, Hy-Vee, is also in Uptown. More restaurants, especially chains, sit along Lincoln Highway, the four-lane highway that runs through the town.
Denison's small shops and businesses love to collaborate for events and sales.
HyVee is conveniently located in Uptown Denison.
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Education through the Denison Community School District
The Denison Community School District serves students in the area. The system receives a B overall grade from Niche for its four schools. Kids may attend either B-minus-graded Denison Elementary or B-graded Broadway Elementary, followed by Denison Middle, graded a B. Denison High receives a B-plus grade. The district partners with Western Iowa Tech Community College, which has a campus in the community, to offer over 40 dual enrollment courses to Denison High students.
Denison Elementary is one of two elementary schools serving younger students.
Denison Community High School serves around 800 students in grades 9-12.
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Directly between Sioux City, Des Moines and Omaha
Denison is the seat of rural Crawford County and the only city in it with more than 1,000 residents. Residents generally drive to get around town, as Denison lacks a public transit option. Iowa Highways 30 and 59 intersect just outside of town and are the main highways through the area. Sioux City and Omaha, Nebraska, are each roughly 75 miles away, and Des Moines is around 115 miles. Eppley Airfield in Omaha offers the closest commercial flights. Crawford County Memorial Hospital sits just off Highway 59 in Denison.
Written By
Brendan Doyle
Photography Contributed By
Drew Davis
Video By
EB Fox
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On average, homes in Denison, IA sell after 36 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Denison, IA over the last 12 months is $105,000, down 43% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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