How many trains pass through Fort Madison in a day?

We see roughly 60-80 trains pass through every day. And no, there is no set schedule for these trains except for Amtrak’s Southwest Chief.

• The #4 stops in Fort Madison at 10:22am on it’s way to Chicago, IL.

• The #3 stops in Fort Madison at 6:05pm on it’s way to Kansas City, MO.

Where does the Southwest Chief run?

The Southwest Chief runs between Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA daily. It’s journey is 2,265 miles and takes about 43 hours. The major stops are Chicago, crossing the Mississippi River in Fort Madison, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Los Angeles.

When was the first Tri-State Rodeo?

The first rodeo took place in 1948 after Gene Autry stopped in Fort Madison to graze his animals and rest during his train journey from Texas to his Madison Square Garden show in New York City.

Is the Historic Iowa State Penitentiary open for tours?

Historic ISP is the oldest territorial prison west of the Mississippi River and was used from 1839 until it’s closing in 2015. The prisoners were moved a mile away to the new Iowa State Prison and the old prison was left vacant. It is not open for tours at this time.

What birds can be found on the Mississippi River Flyway in Fort Madison?

Fort Madison is located on the Mississippi River Flyway and sees Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons and other wading birds, Canadian Geese and the American Bald Eagle among others..

What makes Fort Madison unique?

• Fort Madison is proud to be home to Iowa’s oldest Mexican community, rich in history and cultrual traditions.

• The Mississippi River flows east to west instead of north to south.

• Fort Madison is one of two county seats in Lee County, which is the only situation like this in Iowa!