2025 · OrientIowaWaterTower · Wikimedia Commons
Orient’s story
147 years in pictures
2 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
- 1879Orient is settled
- 2004IAMap-doton-Orient
- 2025OrientIowaWaterTower
OrientIA
A town of 448, settled in 1879. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
448
residents
Median home value
$113K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
38.9
years
Jobs based here
87
A commuter town
What makes Orient stand out
The thing Orient does most differently from other towns.
Small town
448 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Orient’s report card
Now in Orient
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Orient? Is a D− for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Orient’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Orient. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Orient’s public schools outperform 3% of Iowa districts
The public schools Orient’s kids attend trail 97% of Iowa’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
D−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orient Elementary School | PK–6 | 58 | C− |
| Orient-Macksburg Senior High School | 7–12 | 50 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state testsAll 2 schools →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Orient
Most working residents leave Orient for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Greenfield (16%), Creston (9%) and Des Moines (7%). Half commute less than 39 miles.
4%work in town
Where working residents work
In Orient4%
Greenfield16%
Creston9%
Des Moines7%
West Des Moines6%
39 mi
median commute distance
87
jobs based in Orient
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Orient has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
26″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–34°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall40–63°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingDrought
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health
How healthy Orient is
Orient tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures.
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Adair County Memorial Hospital
7.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0.1% of Orient is conserved land
0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 0 of 273 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. ABC City Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Orient for work
Where Orient’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
87jobs based in Orient
4%of working residents work in town
39 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Orient
4 notable people were born in Orient.
About Orient
City in Iowa, United States
Orient is a city in Orient Township, Adair County, Iowa, United States. The population was 368 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1879
- Population
- 368
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,352 ft
- ZIP code
- 50858
More about Orient
Still missing for Orient:local news coverageupcoming events