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Muscatine, Iowa/Illinois

Homes for Sale in the Muscatine, IA Area

Avg. Home Price: $234K

Find homes for sale in the Muscatine, Iowa, area and learn more about the local real estate market and its surrounding communities.

Former Muscatine resident, Samuel Clemens (you might know him as Mark Twain), once wrote of the area, “And I remember Muscatine—still more pleasantly—for its summer sunsets. I have never seen any, on either side of the ocean, that equaled them.”

His fond recollection of this breathtaking region provides some insight into why Muscatine is a great place to live, work, play, and visit (and it’s not just because of the sunsets). The Muscatine, Iowa area is bursting with character. Residents enjoy many well-decorated and beautifully organized events. There are boutiques, cafes, and parks galore, and the views from the Mississippi River’s stunning bridge at night are a must-see. The Muscatine, Iowa area is home to many beautiful, tight-knit communities and is in close proximity to bigger cities like Davenport and Iowa City, too. The area has a ton to offer families and the closeness of the communities adds to its charm.

Explore homes for sale in the Muscatine, Iowa Area while you learn more about the community and what the region has to offer.

The Pearl of the Mississippi: About the Muscatine, Iowa Area

Residents in the area enjoy a mild climate, close proximity to schools, and a supportive community with beautiful views thanks to the Mississippi River. Located about 25 miles from the Quad Cities and about an hour and a half away from the Cedar Rapids area, Muscatine was once known as the “Pearl Button Capital of the World,” and boasts a stable economic base that is appealing even to communities with larger populations.

The Muscatine, Iowa area is also about a half day’s drive from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Omaha, and Indianapolis. It’s only a few hours from Des Moines and Chicago, and because of its location, it has had strategic importance for over 150 years.

Muscatine Community Events

The Muscatine, Iowa Area Community

The area’s net of employment reaches out to communities on both sides of the Mississippi, making this region a strong economic force in the Iowa/Illinois bi-state area. Muscatine is located along two designated routes of Iowa’s “Commercial-Industrial Network”, U.S. Highway 61 and Iowa Highway 92. Highway 61 serves as a major agricultural industry route to the south from Burlington to Muscatine, where it becomes a heavy-industrial and major commuter route to the northeast between Muscatine and Davenport.

In conjunction with Iowa 92, which provides access to the Avenue of the Saints (U.S. 218/IA 27) to the west and the lightly populated western Illinois via the Norbert Beckey Bridge to the east, Highway 61 serves as a shortcut for traffic from northeastern Missouri and southeastern Iowa en route to the Quad Cities, Chicago, and points beyond.

The Muscatine area has a lot to offer families including a historic downtown and a newly renovated riverwalk alongside the Mississippi River, bike routes that run from one end of town to the other through parks, coffee shops, and 10 state-of-the-art theatres. The area also has excellent sports programs at both the city and school levels and is home to one of the best soccer stadiums in Iowa.

Muscatine, Iowa/USA-July 17, 2018: A close up of bay windows on Muscatine’s historic buildings in the downtown historic district on the banks of the Mississippi River.

The Muscatine area is comprised of eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The Muscatine Community School District is home to Muscatine High School, which has the athletic teams under the name “Muscatine Muskies,” as well as the Muscatine Community College, home to the “MCC Cardinals.” A brand-new, state-of-the-art STEM wing at Muscatine High School brings together the work of mathematics, engineering, technology, and science into a meaningful whole. High school students also have access to a variety of certification programs available in collaboration with Muscatine Community College that supports cultivating a talented, future-ready workforce. Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors® can help you buy a home in the Muscatine Community School District.

Working in the Muscatine, Iowa Area

Muscatine has a great mix of agricultural and economic opportunities. Its proximity to great healthcare and the University of Iowa makes it even better. From the time the lumber industry boomed until it was hailed as the “Pearl Button Capital of the World,” the Muscatine area is known as the place where homegrown and globally known companies can make their mark.

The famous “7-minute commute to anywhere in town” lets residents focus on more important things—like their quality of life, their families, and their passions. Who needs to sit in a car that long anyway?

Household names like Heinz, Bayer, and Bridgestone complement the likes of HNI Corporation (you might be sitting in a HON office chair as you are reading this), KENT Corporation (and its subsidiaries), Bayer, Stanley Consultants, Carver Pump, and Musco Lighting, which offer lucrative careers for residents and students alike.

Things to Do Throughout the Muscatine, Iowa Area

From the elegant Merrill Hotel that has become quite the promising focal point of the area to beautiful parks, museums, theatres, and hiking trails, the region has tons of stuff to do with even more to see.

Fall
What better way to enjoy the perfect fall weather than to head to a winery? Sweetland Farmstead is a beautiful vineyard that offers awesome views and great experiences. If wine isn’t your thing, you can head to Contrary Brewing Company and check out their huge selection of beers on tap. The Pine Creek Grist Mill is another way to check out the area’s interesting history, too.

Winter
Keep warm and get inspired at the Artists of Muscatine art gallery or get your thrift on at Wild Thing or The Junk Asylum (you can literally find anything here). The Environmental Learning Center is also a great stop to learn more about Iowa wildlife and even offers a few live animals!

Summer
Fun for all ages, head to the Muscatine Aquatic Center to cool off, play 18 at the Municipal Golf Course, check out the lagoon at Weed Park, or head to Fridley’s Palms Theatre for a show. Discovery Park has two awesome lakes that are great for fishing and Deep Lakes Park is perfect for paddleboarding.

Spring
Head to Wildcat Den State Park for the “Punch Bowl” or the National Pearl Button Museum to learn more about the famous nickname. The Land of the Swamp White Oak Preserve invites visitors to get lost in nature and the Mark Twain Overlook is perfect for a quick hike and beautiful views.

Explore Homes For Sale in the Muscatine, Iowa Area

You don’t have to take Mark Twain’s word for it, continue browsing this page to learn more about what real estate options the Muscatine area has to offer. View homes for sale in the Muscatine, Iowa area to get a better feel for the real estate and surrounding communities.

If you need to do a little more research before buying, check out the pages below to explore additional options:

Careers at Ruhl&Ruhl

If you’re looking for new career opportunities in the Iowa area, we’re always looking for folks to join our Ruhl&Ruhl team. Check out our careers page for more information.

Nearest Ruhl&Ruhl Office
226 E. 2nd Street
Muscatine, IA 52761
Phone Number: (563) 441-1776

Muscatine Area History

The first European-American settler in Muscatine was George Davenport, after whom Davenport is named. He built a trading post on the site in 1833, and the lumber industry followed.

The town was incorporated as Bloomington in 1839. However, because many other towns were named Bloomington, there was considerable confusion in mail routing and delivery. As a result, the town changed its name to Muscatine, a name no other city in the United States has.

In 1884, a German immigrant started a button factory, cutting buttons from the shells of freshwater clams. The town soon earned the nickname the Pearl of the Mississippi because of its success in manufacturing pearl buttons.

Muscatine Area Community

The Muscatine Area is an economically strong business center, where several Fortune 500 businesses have chosen to locate. This includes HNI/HON/Allsteel, Heinz, Inc., and Monsanto.

However, the economy is not the only strong part about the Muscatine Area. Families can spend their weekend at one of the many local parks, check out the growing arts scene, or eat at a local “Blue Zone Certified” restaurant. The Blue Zones Project offers research and information targeted at helping people living longer, better lives by changing their environment and lifestyles.

Housing is affordable in the Muscatine Area, and job stability is good. Combine these with the community’s initiative for healthy living, and the future looks strong.

Attractions and Entertainment

Mark Twain Overlook: See the sunsets Mark Twain raved about from the Mark Twain Overlook in Muscatine, Iowa. The overlook not only provides a great vantage point for watching the sun set, and rise, but also offers a view of Muscatine’s downtown and southern corridor.

Weed Park: Weed Park covers a total of 72 acres, including a 3-acre lagoon. Both Weed Mansion and Weed Park are part of the legacy of the early settler, Dr. Benjamin Weed. There are few facilities Weed Park doesn’t offer, so if you’re looking for somewhere to spend your time outside, this is the place to do it.

Muscatine History and Industry Center: The Muscatine History and Industry Center features the history of the pearl button industry in Muscatine which produced 37 percent of the world’s pearl button supply. It also illustrates the thriving manufacturing and entrepreneurial center the town has become today.

Muscatine Art Center: The Muscatine Art Center, located in a 1908 Edwardian mansion, is a permanent, municipal, non-profit institution. The Art Center collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits objects of historical and aesthetic importance for the benefit of present and future generations. In addition, through the use of the permanent collection and special exhibitions, educational programs are provided for all ages to encourage and promote the advancement, understanding, enjoyment and diffusion of knowledge of the visual arts.

Kent-Stein Park: Kent-Stein Park contains a total of 66 acres and adjoins a 11-acre slough. Facilities include concession stands, baseball diamonds, softball diamonds, horseshoe courts, picnic areas, fishing in the slough and more. The facilities host a multitude of events including those sponsored by national, state and local associations involving participants of all ages.

Muscatine Aquatic Center: Opened in 2004, this outdoor facility features five slides, a zero depth entry area and an interactive play structure with a kid slide. Family restrooms, self-service lockers, a multi-purpose room and full concessions are also available.

Wildcat Den State Park: Wildcat Den State Park is one of the most unique in Iowa, combining natural beauty and solitude, preservation of historical structures, trails, camping and picnic areas for recreational use. One of those historical structures is the Pine Creek Grist Mill, which is a restored 1848 mill with intact mill machinery.

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