Exira is a city in Audubon County, Iowa, United States, along the East Nishnabotna River and U.S. Route 71. The population was 787 at the time of the 2020 census. History The oldest town in Audubon County, Exira was founded in 1857. The town was named for Exira Eckman, daughter of Judge John Eckman from Ohio, who agreed to purchase a lot of property in the town if the town was named for his daughter. The main industries in and around Exira are agriculture and agribusiness. Exira has a school, completed in 1959. There are four churches in the town. On July 2, 1958, Exira was ravaged by the flooding of the East Nishnabotna River. Nineteen persons in the area lost their lives, 75 homes were destroyed and almost 20 businesses in the western part of Exira were damaged. Exira is well known for its Fourth of July celebrations, which have been celebrated since 1861. The morning parade and the evening fireworks draw thousands of visitors to the town. Other attractions in the area include the Plow in the Oak Park, south of Exira on Highway 71, and Littlefield Recreation Area, southeast of Exira, which features a lake, prairie restoration area and a live bison pair. Geography Exira is located at (41.591617, -94.878247). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 840 people, 381 households, and 217 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 422 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.6% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 381 households, of which 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.63. The median age in the city was 49.7 years. 16.4% of residents were under the age