Corydon, IA Real Estate

With a mere population of around 1585 people, Corydon is the county seat of Wayne County, Iowa. It was incorporated in 1853 with only 300 residents. The name for the town was decided by the winner of a poker game in which Judge Seth Anderson won and named the town after his hometown of Indiana. Consequently, there are only two towns named Corydon in the whole country. 

This quaint little village is a little over 70 miles south of Des Moines and lies in the south central part of the state. Corydon is famous for being the hometown of George Saling, the gold medalist for the 110 meter hurdles in the 1932 Olympics. An annual festivity, the Old Settler's Celebration includes the George Saling Race, along with local high school class reunions. 

Corydon is home to the Prairie Trails Museum. The museum features farm antiques and a portrayal of the Corydon Ocobock Bank that housed the safe robbed by Jesse James and his gang in 1871. James was able to rob the bank because all of the townspeople were attending a meeting on the subject of the first railroad to come through Corydon. This railroad, the M.L.& N line was built through the town in 1879. It was later renamed The Burlington Railroad.

Corydon is home to two parks. One, the Corydon Lake Park has a 58-acre lake, providing camping and fishing, along with a walking trail. The other, Waldon Park, includes a 9-hole golf course. The Prairie Trails Aquatic Center offers public swimming during the summer months.

The average value of a home in the area in 2012 was $61,199, an increase over $45,600 in 2000. Average rent in 2012 was $483. Corydon has one public high school, two junior high schools, one elementary school, and one private school.