The town of Solon is a great example of a classic Iowa community. This close-knit, small, and beautiful town is a great place to visit.

Solon isn't a suburb, but it has the advantage of being located close to Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Coralville.
Google Maps
The City of Solon is located in Johnson County in eastern Iowa. The town provides a good location for residents to live in a smaller community and easily commute to work in the nearby larger cities.
City of Solon Website
Residents enjoy living in a tight-knit community, and they also have easy access to the same amenities that people living in more crowded areas enjoy. This eastern Iowa town is located in Johnson County.
Solon has about 2,000 residents, so it's one of Iowa's smaller (not smallest!) communities.
City of Solon/Facebook
For a town this size, Solon has a lot to offer visitors, families, and people looking for a new place to call home. The sirens sound at noon and 5pm each day. It's a long standing tradition that adds to the small-town charm of the area.
The residents of Solon take great pride in their community.
Tom Altman/Flickr
Even if you aren't planning a big move anytime soon, this little Iowa town is worth a stop. There are a handful of excellent and award-winning restaurants here. This lovely town is close to several other desirable Iowa communities as well as Lake MacBride. Their annual celebration is Solon Beef Days. It is scheduled for July 21st and 22nd this year.
Big Grove Brewery, 101 W Main Street, Solon
Bruce W./Yelp
Fashion I./Yelp
Established in 2013, this beautiful restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. They are known for serving delicious and creative locally sourced dishes that are in season. This full-service bar and restaurant has a friendly and contemporary ambiance. They also make great beers, including Arms Race, Que Sera, and Big Grove IPA.

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A pork belly BLT with fried green tomato is a summer favorite at Big Grove Brewery in Solon.
Jose P./Yelp
The menu changes according to the season and ingredient availability. Big Grove Brewery sources as much food as possible from local and small-scale farmers.
Salt Fork Kitchen, 112 E Main Street, Solon
Anne W./Yelp
Kyle H./Yelp
This is another great restaurant located in downtown Solon. They serve high-quality locally sourced food daily for breakfast and lunch. Dinner service is Friday nights between 5:30pm and 8:30pm. All of the food at Salt Fork Kitchen is lovingly made from scratch. Their eggs come from happy free-range chickens and they work closely with farmers to serve the best possible representation of Iowa food.
The area around Solon is just as beautiful as the town itself.
Tom Altman/Flickr
Tom Altman/Flickr
Small neighborhoods off the beaten path are common, here.
Lake Macbride State Park is located at Solon's edge on highway 382.
Rich Herrmann/Flickr
Take a swim at Lake Macbride at the beautiful designated beach area or spend time fishing for channel catfish, walleyes, muskie, and crappies. This is the only Iowa lake where you can catch the prized Kentucky spotted bass. Fishing is excellent here either from the shoreline or from a boat.
Lake MacBride has seven boat ramps and a boat rental facility is conveniently located.
Mike WIllis/Flickr
Visitors and residents of the lake area enjoy canoes, paddle boats, kayaks, pontoons, and motorboats. This is a peaceful lake. There is a 5mph speed limit, here and a 10hp motor limit throughout the summer months.

Are there other truly special yet often overlooked Iowa towns we should know about? Tell us about them in the comments.

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