Colfax, IA

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Colfax is a city in Jasper County, Iowa The town was founded in 1866 and was named for Schuyler Colfax, vice-president with U.S. Grant. The population was 2093 at the 2010 census.

In its heyday, the city of Colfax had two main industries that drew thousand to the area: the mining of coal, and the use of the mineral springs discovered near the city.

In the process of drilling for coal in 1875, a well containing high mineral content was discovered near Colfax. The city flourished with this new discovery, and over the next four decades, thousands of people visited the town to partake in the healing powers of the fourteen mineral springs there. Nine hotels offering mineral baths and spa treatments opened to guests, and four bottling companies opened to produce bottled mineral water for the masses. In 1912-1913, the city received funding to build a Carnegie library. The library is still is use today. The booming business of the city's mineral springs industry declined and died out as the Great Depression swept the country.

Colfax Today

In 2001-2002 Colfax signed an agreement with Jasper County and extended water and sewer to the northern boundary and now have Subway, McDonalds, Comfort Inn, Microtel and a Convenience Express with a Colfax Truck Plaza at the I-80 exit. We have two Caseys (one south and one north), and a Kum & Go which is located just off of the I-80 exit.

We have a new housing subdivision called "Timberline Estates" on our southern boundary with single family housing and town homes located in a "tree lined" timber setting.

The Community has a newly redesigned high school set overlooking the City swimming pool and Lewis Park which has a disc golf course, tennis court, playground and shelter for small family picnics. A few years ago the Colfax-Mingo Elementary was remodeled making a facility better serving today's needs for the children.

Our local family of dentists has relocated from the downtown to a new facility north of the Skunk River where their clientele is able to enjoy the wildlife in the reserve to the north and the wildflowers on the south.

Our small downtown group of restaurants and businesses take pride in their businesses and are continually striving to make improvements.

We hold a "Halloween Walk" each year the week before Halloween which brings hundreds of people to the downtown to stroll the streets and partake in the free items passed out by the businesses, enjoy some food vendors and check out all of the costumes/decorations.