Downtown, Franklin Street in Pella, IW

UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.

#19. Pella

Pella’s Dutch heritage is celebrated at the annual Tulip Time Festival and the Vermeer Mill, which features the largest working grain windmill in the country. Situated near Iowa’s largest lake, Lake Red Rock, Pella offers scenic views of both natural attractions and historic treasures like the Pella Opera House, which opened in 1900. Molengracht Plaza features a group of shops and restaurants with a canal winding through the complex. Pella Community Schools earn high grades from residents.  

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