Ottumwa is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, home to about 25,430 people across 16 square miles. Its ZIP code is 52501.
Homes sold for a median of $121 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ottumwa. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Ottumwa’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)73 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Kirksville Regional Airport (IRK)65 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Kansas City, MO174 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL251 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Ottumwa; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Ottumwa had 25,529 residents in the 2020 census, up 2% since 2000.
It’s the 19th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Wapello County grew from 35,426 residents in 1900 to 35,437 in 2020.
Wapello County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 36.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 24 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ottumwa Industrial Ap, IA weather station (6 miles away).
12,594 jobs at 699 businesses in Wapello County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
280 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Ottumwa.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 29 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 34 |
| Dentists | 29 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 83 |
| Mental health providers | 70 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 16 |
| Optometrists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 14 |
| Pharmacies | 10 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (16 nearby)
Grocery stores (6 nearby)
Pharmacies (6 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1844.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Ottumwa Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa Virtual LearningOttumwa | Pre-K–12 | 106 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Pickwick Early Childhood CenterOttumwa | Pre-K–K | 560 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| Eisenhower Elementary SchoolOttumwa | K–5 | 248 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Horace Mann Elementary SchoolOttumwa | K–5 | 250 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| James Elementary SchoolOttumwa | K–5 | 249 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Wilson Elementary SchoolOttumwa | K–5 | 335 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Douma Elementary SchoolOttumwa | 1–2 | 327 | Public | 2.6 mi |
| Fahrney ElementaryOttumwa | 3–5 | 490 | Public | 2.6 mi |
| Liberty Intermediate SchoolOttumwa | 6–7 | 633 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Evans Junior High SchoolOttumwa | 8–9 | 684 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Gateway High SchoolOttumwa | 9–12 | 213 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Ottumwa High SchoolOttumwa | 10–12 | 910 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa Christian SchoolOttumwa | Pre-K–12 | 97 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 2.4 mi |
| Seton Catholic Elementary SchoolOttumwa | Pre-K–5 | 49 | Roman Catholic | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.