Ottumwa, Iowa

Ottumwa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 U.S. census. Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River.

The original town was founded on the former camps of Meskwaki Chiefs Wapello and Appanoose. Ottumwa first developed as an industrious city economically based in farm-equipment manufacturing and meatpacking, those being John Deere and John Morrell & Co. (now JBS) respectively. The city is also home to Indian Hills Community College to provide for higher education. Ottumwa is the center of the Ottumwa Micropolitan Area which includes all of Wapello and Davis counties.