Buchanan County Court House · Photo: Kevin Schuchmann · CC BY-SA 3.0Independence has 98 acres of parks, 16 for every 1,000 residents
87% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2% of Independence’s land is conserved, about 74 acres. 1.2 miles of mapped trail cross Independence, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 53% of U.S. towns · #93 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Independence?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Independence have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Independence is ahead of 53% of U.S. towns, #93 of 140 in Iowa. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Riverwalk Park
Lion's Club Park
All 10 parks & preserves
74 conserved acres
2% of Independence’s land. Who manages Independence’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pool Park And Athletic Field Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Three Elms Ball Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Orchard Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Riverwalk Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Lions Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Water Tower Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| 4Th Ward Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| 5Th Ward Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| 3Rd Ward Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Teacher'S Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
3 places to go in Independence
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
2 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
2.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
12 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Independence: April and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 31 | 45 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 45 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 5.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
January is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Independence →
Questions about parks and trails in Independence
How much of Independence is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Iowa town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Independence’s trails?
Orchard Park and Riverwalk Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Independence?
2.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Independence?
3,032 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Independence or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 98 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Independence have?
Ahead of 53% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #93 of 140 in Iowa. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Independence neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →