Marengo is a city in and the county seat of Iowa County, Iowa, United States. It has served as the county seat since August 1845, even though it was not incorporated until July 1859. The population was 2,435 in the 2020 census, a decline from 2,535 in 2000.
History
Marengo was laid out in 1845 and platted in 1847. The city's name commemorates the Battle of Marengo, where Napoleon defeated the Austrian army.
The Iowa County Courthouse, built in 1893, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a group of escaped slaves from Missouri to Michigan. On February 20, the group stayed at the Draper B. Reynolds Farm 1.5 miles south of Marengo.
An explosion at the C6-Zero alternative fuel production plant resulted in a fire and multiple injuries December 2022, prompting the city to urge residents to evacuate and avoid the area until the toxic smoke cleared.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
The Iowa River passes north of town.