Welcome to Cascade, Iowa

Written By Danna Larson

Cascade, Iowa (pop. 2,303) is our featured rural community this week! Today's guest blog post is from Katelyn Wolfe, director of the Cascade Area Chamber of Commerce, where she works with business community in Cascade through events, social media, networking opportunities, and more! We'll be sharing stories throughout the week from local leaders and business owners who are making an impact here.

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Welcome to Cascade! 

Cascade is a small Iowa town full of 2,303 of the kindest people you’ll ever meet, beautiful scenery, and a vibrant community spirit. 

Conveniently located on Highway 151, just 30-45 minutes from Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, Cascade offers a thriving small-town lifestyle with all of the ‘big city’ amenities in close reach.

Cascade has a one-of-a-kind, historic downtown featuring old brick buildings, many of which have been recently restored, and the North Fork of the Maquoketa River running right through downtown! Each weekend, downtown Cascade is bustling as people visit the locally owned, unique shops and delicious restaurants who call Cascade home.  

We have some of the highest rated schools in the state including Cascade Elementary, the 10th highest rated school in all of Iowa; Cascade Jr/Sr High School, ranked as high performing and significantly beating every single metric including graduation rate and post-secondary readiness; and Aquin Catholic School, serving grades pre-k to 8 with 82% of students rated as proficient or higher on their most recent standardized testing.

Along with our top tier schools, Cascade offers superior child care options, a robust workforce, a growing industrial park, and an invested community dedicated to improving Cascade for future generations. 

Recreation abounds in Cascade with several parks and a new city pool, a river walk and walking trails, a campground, golf course, American Legion ball park, and access to all of the midwest outdoor sports one could desire. 

Cascade also has many community events including an outdoor market series, live music all summer with Rockin’ on the River in the gorgeous limestone amphitheater located at Riverview Park, an annual Wing & Brew fest, and Cascade Hometown Days — a three-day free event celebrating the community spirit of Cascade. 

We hope you enjoy hearing the stories to follow and they inspire you to chase your dreams.

Special thanks to Allison Corbin of Captured by Corbin Photography for these great photos!

Danna Larson
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