Prairie City Map
Prairie City is a city in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,680 at the 2010 census.
Prairie City was founded by James Elliot in 1856, for whom it was originally named; it was later changed because there was already another Elliot in the state. The first resident was William Means, who built a tavern 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Elliot's cabin. The railroad first came through Prairie City in 1866. The first school in Prairie City was built on 1868; the city's district remained independent until a merger with that of Monroe in 1990, brought about by the destruction by fire of Monroe's high school.
Prairie City's Historical Society was established in 1995. The Prairie City Historical Museum is located at 109 S. Main Street and open by appointment. Many artifacts from Prairie City's history are housed in the museum including the Dowden Potato Digger, which was originally manufactured in Prairie City.
Nearby cities include Reasnor, Mingo, Newton, Altoona, Hartford.