Alvord, IA

united states

Alvord is a tiny farming town of 173 people in northwest Iowa's Lyon County, just 15 miles from Minnesota. Highway 9 runs right through town, connecting it east to Rock Rapids and west toward South Dakota. Most visitors arrive from Sioux Falls (45 miles via I-29 south to Highway 9) or make the 200-mile drive from Des Moines. The town's water tower features a distinctive Native American chief silhouette that's been a Highway 9 landmark for decades.