This Tiny Town in Iowa Feels Like a Living Time Capsule

Who wouldn’t love a place that has an annual celebration dedicated to free pancakes? Centerville, Iowa, is a quintessential tiny town with a population just above 5,000. While it may be small in size, it’s big on community pride. This modern-day Mayberry is like a living time capsule, as it preserves pieces of its past, while moving forward to create a community for the future. It is home to what is claimed to be the world’s largest town square, where you'll find charming locally owned businesses and a pancake-themed small-town festival. 

Located just north of the Missouri border, Centerville definitely isn’t the center of Iowa (the name doesn't refer to its location at all; instead, it's actually a mispelling of the original name, Senterville). Centerville is just under two hours southeast of the cool capital city of Des Moines, making for an easy day trip. Nearby, Lake Rathbun is a hotspot in the summer for fishing, boating, and paddling, with the lakefront Honey Creek State Park offering beautiful views from the hiking trails. 

The all-important center of Centerville is the town square. Signs advertise it as the “world’s largest town square.” Though it may not truly be the world's largest, it is the largest in Iowa, which is remarkable enough for a town this size. The four-square-block area known as the Courthouse Square Historic District is home to more than 100 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Aside from its size, this square stands out for its vibrancy. While a lot of small-town squares have dried up, leaving boarded-up storefronts, Centerville’s square is thriving with local businesses. On a recent trip to visit family, we stayed at Tangleberries, a sweet cafe topped by three rentable lofts. Nearby, the renovated Continental Hotel offers nearly 30 rooms in a historic hotel built in 1893. You feel closer to the town's roots while staying on the charming square instead of at a carbon-copy chain hotel near a highway.

Staying on the square gives you access to the many thriving businesses. Restaurants like the Pit Pony Pub and Soula’s Family Restaurant are the kinds of places where the servers learn the names and favorite dishes of frequent customers. This oversized square is home to over a dozen strollable stores. You can wander through the boutiques to find fun flair and hunt through antique stores for gems from the past. 

The Centerville town square has a real sense of place. Trees and a grassy lawn surround the grand Appanoose County Courthouse, built in 1904. Pops of color come from the many murals and the yellow-and-green exterior of the restored-but-closed Ritz Theatre. An art deco neon marquee lights up the Majestic Theater, which opened in 1913 and now operates as an event space. 

Now, it’s time to talk pancakes—free pancakes, to be exact. For more than 70 years, Centerville has hosted its annual Pancake Day. In 1949, the community launched this grand tradition as a way to thank its workers. The tradition has continued, and today, around 20,000 pancakes are served each year. In 2021, the town broke the Guinness World Record for the most pancakes served in a single setting. 

Beyond the plates of pancakes, Centerville’s Pancake Day now serves up fun community events each September, with a parade, a pageant, and live performances. As with most great small-town festivals, kids can bounce their way through the inflatables and get colorful face painting, while the adults mill around and enjoy this slice of Americana. You'll definitely feel the time-capsule vibe.

With small-town life focused around a historic square and a community festival, Centerville is a blast from the past. However, this charming time capsule town isn’t stuck in bygone days. Check it out and help it continue to thrive for future generations.