Welcome to Fort Madison, Iowa
Fort Madison is a river city of about 10,000 residents best known as the home of the Iowa State Penitentary, the state's maximum-security prison for men. Fort Madison also has the last remaining double swing-span bridge on the Mississippi River, the world's largest, with a top level for cars and a bottom level for trains.
The original Fort Madison, the Midwest's oldest American military garrison on the upper Mississippi River, was erected shortly after the signing of a treaty in 1804, which ceded lands east of the Mississippi to Americans in exchange for $1,000 per year and the condition that the tribes could continue to reside there until the land was surveyed and sold by the U.S. government.
Today, the community of Fort Madison stands as a hallmark of a bygone era, and a wonderful place to visit in the southern tip of Iowa as you travel along the Great River Road.
Area Attractions and Locations
Find the best resources for local tourism attractions, entertainment venues, recreation opportunities, dining options, lodging choices and travel services in the six convenient clickable categories below. Create an itinerary and add your favorites to your next trip to the Iowa Great River Road. (Click here for an interactive map)