West Bend is a village in Kossuth and Palo Alto (originally) counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 791 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
West Bend got its start in the early 1880s, following the construction of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway through that territory. It was originally called Ives after the president of the railroad, but the townspeople had it changed to West Bend from the bend in the river. West Bend (aka Ives) was the first town in Palo Alto County. A special five cent tax to build a railroad station was promised to the railroad if they would create a stop when the railroad was built, which was done.
Geography
The village straddles the county line at 580th Avenue, in the southwest part of Kossuth County and the southeast part of Palo Alto County, in northwestern Iowa.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
West Bend is served by a lightly used former branch line of the Rock Island Railroad now owned by the Union Pacific Railroad.