Roundabout in rural Iowa is such an attraction people travel from all around to visit it
- A tree in Iowa that has formed a roundabout is now an attraction for tourists
- The tree is in rural Brayton, at the intersection of 350th Street and 710th Street
- It is now so popular that it is listed as a historical landmark on Google Maps
Published on Feb 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Feb 11, 2025 at 4:37 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A roundabout in rural Iowa has become a tourist attraction thanks to the large tree slap bang in the middle of it.
The roundabout is located at the intersection of 350th Street and 710th Street near Brayton, Iowa.
Slap bang in the middle is a huge Cottonwood tree, acting as a natural roundabout and one with an interesting story to tell.
In fact, the roundabout has become so popular that it is now listed on Google Maps as a historical landmark with a rating of 4.7/5.
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The Cottonwood tree has been around since the 19th century
Website Travel Iowa explains how the tree apparently ended up where it is. In the 19th century, a surveyor was tasked with establishing county lines.
Needing to mark the boundary of Audubon County, a Cottonwood sprout was planted into the ground.
That sprout grew into the giant tree that we see today.
The tree is now 100 feet tall and is around 170 years old.
Over time, it formed a natural roundabout on the road, and it has now become something of a local phenomenon with people travelling far and wide to see it. Incredibly, the tree even has its own Facebook page.
Simply labelled as ‘Tree in the Middle of the Road’, the description of the page reads: “At the crossroads one mile west of Audubon and Exira township line at the point where this line intersects the Cass and Audubon County line stands a large, old cottonwood tree.”
The tree has turned into a tourist attraction in Iowa
So many people have come to visit the tree, it now has its own rating on Google Maps and is labeled as a historic landmark.
Thanks to its popularity, it has earned a very respectable 4.7 stars out of 5, and incredibly, it has 154 user reviews.
Even more remarkable is that some of those reviews are actually negative.
Some have complained about the graffiti on the tree, which is justified.
Why would you want to put graffiti on a tree?
However, some have also complained about the dirt road you have to drive on to go see the tree.
Given that it is located deep in rural Iowa, it would be a surprise if anything other than a dirt road led to this famous tree.
You can never please everyone though, right?
Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
