City of Independence, IA Government

City of Independence, IA Government Founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1867, located along the banks of the mighty Wapsipinicon River.

Independence Iowa is located in the heart of Buchanan County. Independence was founded in 1847 and is filled with rich history throughout the community. Independence was a nationally known horse-racing center, and was sometimes referred to as the "Lexington of the North" back in the late 1880's and 1890's.

🎆 Important Fireworks Reminder for Independence Residents! 🎆As we prepare for upcoming holiday festivities, our team of ...
06/12/2026

🎆 Important Fireworks Reminder for Independence Residents! 🎆

As we prepare for upcoming holiday festivities, our team of employees and elected officials wants to remind everyone of the specific dates and times consumer fireworks are legally permitted within our community.

In accordance with Independence City Code Section 41.14(2), which aligns with Section 364.2(6) of the Code of Iowa, consumer fireworks may only be used within city limits during the following windows this year:

July 3: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

July 4: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Our priority is maintaining a safe, peaceful, and enjoyable environment for all residents. We kindly ask that you respect these approved hours, be mindful of your neighbors and pets, and prioritize safety. Utilizing consumer fireworks outside of these designated dates and times is strictly prohibited and subject to local citations.

06/11/2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 11 at 8:54AM CDT until June 11 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
SVRDVN

The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Northern Buchanan County in northeastern Iowa...
Northwestern Delaware County in northeastern Iowa...

* Until 1000 AM CDT.

* At 854 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from near Shell Rock to near La Porte City, moving east
at 55 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
Independence, Jesup, Fairbank, Edgewood, Hazleton, Lamont, Greeley,
Aurora, Dundee, Stanley, Wapsipinicon Golf Course, Fontana County
Park, Littleton, Buchanan County Fairgrounds, Otterville, Backbone
State Park, Independence Airport, Jakway Park, and Fontana Park.

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building.

Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading
killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to
be struck by lightning.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 PM CDT for northeastern
Iowa.

06/11/2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 11 at 8:31AM CDT until June 11 at 9:45AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
SVRDVN

The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Southern Buchanan County in northeastern Iowa...
Northern Johnson County in east central Iowa...
Benton County in east central Iowa...
Western Delaware County in northeastern Iowa...
Linn County in east central Iowa...
Northern Iowa County in east central Iowa...

* Until 945 AM CDT.

* At 830 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from near Conrad to near Garwin to 6 miles south of Tama,
moving east at 55 mph.

HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to
mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.

* Locations impacted include...
Cedar Rapids, Independence, Vinton, Manchester, Marengo, Marion,
Coralville, North Liberty, Hiawatha, Mount Vernon, Robins, Belle
Plaine, Center Point, Lisbon, Fairfax, Solon, Tiffin, Ely, Atkins,
and Walford.

This includes the following highways...
Interstate 80 in Iowa between mile markers 234 and 241.
Interstate 380 between mile markers 1 and 55.

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

This is a DANGEROUS SITUATION. These storms are producing widespread
wind damage across central Iowa. SEEK SHELTER NOW inside a sturdy
structure and stay away from windows! Continuous cloud to ground
lightning is occurring with these storms.
Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading
killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to
be struck by lightning.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 PM CDT for northeastern
and east central Iowa.

06/11/2026

Tornado Watch issued June 11 at 7:33AM CDT until June 11 at 3:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 311 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN ILLINOIS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 13 COUNTIES

IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS

BUREAU PUTNAM

IN NORTHWEST ILLINOIS

CARROLL HENRY IL JO DAVIESS
MERCER ROCK ISLAND STEPHENSON
WHITESIDE

IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS

HANCOCK HENDERSON MCDONOUGH
WARREN

IN IOWA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 21 COUNTIES

IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA

BENTON CEDAR CLINTON
IOWA JACKSON JOHNSON
JONES LINN MUSCATINE
SCOTT

IN NORTHEAST IOWA

BUCHANAN DELAWARE DUBUQUE

IN SOUTHEAST IOWA

DES MOINES HENRY IA JEFFERSON
KEOKUK LEE LOUISA
VAN BUREN WASHINGTON

IN MISSOURI THIS WATCH INCLUDES 2 COUNTIES

IN NORTHEAST MISSOURI

CLARK SCOTLAND

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALEDO, ANAMOSA, BETTENDORF,
BURLINGTON, CARTHAGE, CEDAR RAPIDS, CLINTON, CREDIT ISLAND,
DAVENPORT, DUBUQUE, FAIRFIELD, FREEPORT, GALENA, GENESEO,
HENNEPIN, INDEPENDENCE, IOWA CITY, KAHOKA, KEOKUK, KEOSAUQUA,
MACOMB, MANCHESTER, MAQUOKETA, MARENGO, MEMPHIS, MOLINE,
MONMOUTH, MOUNT CARROLL, MOUNT PLEASANT, MUSCATINE, OQUAWKA,
PRINCETON, ROCK ISLAND, SIGOURNEY, STERLING, TIPTON, VINTON,
WAPELLO, AND WASHINGTON.

06/11/2026

Flood Watch issued June 11 at 2:40AM CDT until June 11 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be
possible.

* WHERE...Portions of northwest Illinois, including the following
counties, Carroll, Jo Daviess and Stephenson and Iowa, including
the following counties, Benton, Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque,
Jackson, Jones and Linn.

* WHEN...Through this evening.

* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- Several rounds of heavy rain producing thunderstorms will be
seen across the watch area. Storms may redevelop over the
same areas resulting torrential rainfall and possibly several
inches of rain.

You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood
Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared
to take action should flooding develop.

06/11/2026

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued June 10 at 8:44PM CDT until June 10 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
301 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN ILLINOIS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES

IN NORTHWEST ILLINOIS

CARROLL JO DAVIESS STEPHENSON

IN IOWA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES

IN NORTHEAST IOWA

BUCHANAN DELAWARE DUBUQUE

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF DUBUQUE, FREEPORT, GALENA,
INDEPENDENCE, MANCHESTER, AND MOUNT CARROLL.

We appreciate the feedback from our community!After receiving some concerns about the entrance to Jaycee Park, our Stree...
06/10/2026

We appreciate the feedback from our community!

After receiving some concerns about the entrance to Jaycee Park, our Streets and Parks Departments teamed up over the past couple of days to make some fantastic improvements.

Our crews worked diligently to resolve the previous drainage issues. As you can see in the progress pictures, water from the sidewalk and road is now carefully directed to run off the edges, flowing into the culvert on the east side and safely down the newly placed erosion stone on the west side. Crews also applied hard-packed millings over the entire entrance to create a smoother, more durable surface for everyone visiting.

These updates completely solve the drainage concerns while bringing a great touch of beautification to the park. A huge thank you to our dedicated team of city employees for their quick and effective work!!

06/10/2026

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued June 10 at 12:01PM CDT until June 10 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
301 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN ILLINOIS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 9 COUNTIES

IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS

BUREAU PUTNAM

IN NORTHWEST ILLINOIS

CARROLL HENRY IL JO DAVIESS
MERCER ROCK ISLAND STEPHENSON
WHITESIDE

IN IOWA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES

IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA

CEDAR CLINTON JACKSON
JONES LINN MUSCATINE
SCOTT

IN NORTHEAST IOWA

BUCHANAN DELAWARE DUBUQUE

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALEDO, ANAMOSA, BETTENDORF,
CEDAR RAPIDS, CLINTON, CREDIT ISLAND, DAVENPORT, DUBUQUE,
FREEPORT, GALENA, GENESEO, HENNEPIN, INDEPENDENCE, MANCHESTER,
MAQUOKETA, MOLINE, MOUNT CARROLL, MUSCATINE, PRINCETON,
ROCK ISLAND, STERLING, AND TIPTON.

06/10/2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 10 at 11:36AM CDT until June 10 at 12:30PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
SVRDVN

The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Buchanan County in northeastern Iowa...
Northern Linn County in east central Iowa...

* Until 1230 PM CDT.

* At 1136 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from near Washburn to near Benton County Fairgrounds,
moving northeast at 50 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
Independence, Jesup, Center Point, Central City, Fairbank,
Winthrop, Hazleton, Walker, Coggon, Quasqueton, Lamont, Brandon,
Rowley, Aurora, Stanley, Troy Mills, Paris, Wapsipinicon Golf
Course, Fontana County Park, and Monti.

This includes Interstate 380 between mile markers 32 and 39, and
between mile markers 49 and 55.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building.

Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading
killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to
be struck by lightning.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

06/09/2026

City Hall Temporary Closure Notice

To accommodate an urgent flooring project, Independence City Hall will be closed to the public for the remainder of today, June 9, and all of tomorrow, June 10.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we complete these necessary facility improvements. Our team remains available to assist you by phone and email during this time, and we encourage you to utilize our online resources through the city website.

We look forward to welcoming you back during our regular business hours on Thursday, June 11. Thank you for your patience. https://alrt.se/u/DGPVsEsDlQ0

Address

331 1st Street E
Independence, IA
50644

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 12pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13193342780

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