Wayfarrow

Ells

Ghost town · Crawford County, Iowa

Boyer quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1980, 1:24,000)
Boyer quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1980, 1:24,000) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Ells is a ghost town in Crawford County, Iowa, recorded as unincorporated community in Crawford County, Iowa, United States. It is one of 3 former communities in Crawford County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 32nd among the 79 Iowa counties with a vanished settlement on record.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Ells 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 42.1675° N, 95.2369° W.

Key facts

Elevation1,217 ft
Nearest living townKiron, IA
Distance to it5 miles
Coordinates42.16750, -95.23694

Open the location on a map

What's there now

Ells is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Kiron, IA (population 247), about 5 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 1,217 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Ells?

Ells is in Crawford County, Iowa, at 42.1675, -95.2369.

How many ghost towns are in Crawford County?

Crawford County, Iowa has 3 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.