Spencer, Iowa is the county seat of Clay County in far northern Iowa and home to 11,233 people, with 16,590 in the micropolitan area. Located 187 miles north of Des Moines and 97 miles northeast of Sioux City on the Little Sioux River, Spencer is the commercial hub for a large area in northwest Iowa, and is the gateway and principal city of the Iowa Great Lakes Region. Incorporated in 1880, the city grew from 300 settlers to over 11,000 in its current day population. The city has a large retail base, an attractive set of parks, and a thriving downtown, based no doubt in part to its location to the wealthy and high traffic Iowa Great Lakes region. Spencer is best known as the home of the large Clay County Fair, which is a large summer festival that comes in 2nd in numbers of visitors only to the Iowa State Fair. The community's proximity to recreation and a thriving arts culture (ranked as one of the 100 best "small arts towns" in the US) make Spencer an attractive, and well-kept small city. This gallery contains photos of downtown Spencer along and near to the Grand Avenue Corridor (Highway 71), which is the main highway through downtown.

Visit www.spencer-ia.com for more information on this community, including a large gallery of historical photos and postcards.