Filmed in April 2023, I drive around the village Kalona, Iowa to see what's going on.

Kalona is a city in Washington County, Iowa. It is part of the Iowa City metropolitan area. The population was 2,630 at the time of the 2020 census. Kalona is the secondlargest city in Washington County.

Amish settlement in what is now the Kalona area began in the 1840s, placing the Amish among the first European settlers in the area. The split between Old Order Amish and Amish Mennonites occurred in the 1860s in most places, but it was not until the 1880s that the formal split occurred in Iowa, even though a process of sorting out between conservatives and changeminded Amish had begun a decade earlier or so in Iowa. Most Amish Mennonites later assimilated and lost their Amish identity. The Beachy Amish broke away from the Old Orders in the 1920s.

Kalona was established by the railroad on August 6, 1879. The name was suggested to the railroad by a Mr. Myers, who owned a bull of that name.

Kalona is home to a burgeoning craft, antiques, and local products industry. Its proximity to both Iowa City, Iowa and a large Amish settlement have allowed growth in population and industry in recent years. The town is home to a variety of locally owned shops and restaurants. The city centers around the historic old town business section of Kalona, which features many local businesses that are popular with tourists.

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,363 people, 1,053 households, and 657 families living in the city.

The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

The per capita income for the city was $22,474. About 5.0% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over. #driving #travel #drivingtour