La Motte is a small city in northern Jackson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 237 at the time of the 2020 census. The town was started in the nineteenth century by several settlers from the Eastern United States including Alexander La Motte and David Owen Montague.
History
alt=A street in La Motte|thumb|The City of La Motte, looking into the center town
David Owen Montague arrived in Jackson County, Iowa, from Vermont in 1838 and settled in the area of La Motte in 1843. The city is named after Alexander La Motte, one of its founders. La Motte was a Frenchman abandoned by his father in New York City prospecting for lead in the area. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, La Motte was serviced by two newspapers, first La Motte News, then the La Motte Tribune.
Two sites in La Motte are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Narrow Gauge Depot, and the Harris Wagon and Carriage Shop.
Geography
La Motte is located in hilly countryside west of Bellevue. Farmers Creek passes through the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.