Creston

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Creston, IA

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A former railroad town filled with modern amenities – that’s Creston!

Walkable • Railroad • Lake • Iowa • Camping •

The city of Creston was settled in 1868 by a group of railroad surveyors who camped there as part of the Burlington and Missouri Railroad. The campsite was nestled on the crest of the rail line that ran between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, giving the city its name and official inception in 1871.

When it comes to traveling, residents have options. Route 34 runs directly through town, linking up to I-34 which takes you to Des Moines or I-29 to Omaha. Creston is a very walkable community with 5.25 square miles. Residents here enjoy spending time at McKinley Lake, where they can camp, fish, or walk the many trails.

As for education, Creston students are served by the Creston Community School District. Though, there are some private schools as well. Buena Vista University’s satellite campus and Southwestern Community College are located in Creston.

Transportation

49

Somewhat Walkable

out of 100 WalkScore® Rating

You might be able to get out and walk when living in this area. Some errands can be accomplished on foot, but for others you’ll need a car.

43

Somewhat Bikeable

out of 100 BikeScore® Rating

You might be able to find places to ride your bike in this area, but you’ll most likely want your car for most errands.

Schools

Creston Elementary School

Public

Grades 1-5

410 Students

7
out of 10

Creston Middle School

Public

Grades 6-8

291 Students

6
out of 10

Creston High School

Public

Grades 9-12

532 Students

6
out of 10
School data provided by GreatSchools    The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Green Valley State Park

Commuter Rail

Military Bases

Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2025.