Wayfarrow

Donnan

Ghost town · Fayette County, Iowa

Hawkeye quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1981, 1:24,000)
Hawkeye quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1981, 1:24,000) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Donnan is a ghost town in Fayette County, Iowa. It is one of 2 former communities in Fayette County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 50th among the 79 Iowa counties with a vanished settlement on record.

Donnan was established in 1878, in the late 19th century; at its height the population reached about 7.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Donnan as a historical populated place: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 42.8961° N, 91.8781° W.

Key facts

Founded1878
Peak population7
Last recorded population7
Nearest living townRandalia, IA
Distance to it2.3 miles
Coordinates42.89611, -91.87806

Open the location on a map

What's there now

Donnan is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Randalia, IA (population 37), about 2.3 miles away in a straight line. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Images

Donnan, Iowa, memorial sign, showing the former location of the City of Donnan.
Donnan, Iowa, memorial sign, showing the former location of the City of Donnan. · Firsfron / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Donnan?

Donnan is in Fayette County, Iowa, at 42.8961, -91.8781.

How many ghost towns are in Fayette County?

Fayette County, Iowa has 2 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.