Leon is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,822 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Decatur County. The city is located near the Little River Lake Recreation Area. Leon is home to a major rodeo that has been Rodeo of the Year in Iowa for many years. History Leon was incorporated as a city in 1858. It was a shipping point on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Geography Leon is located on US Route 69 and Iowa Highway 2 approximately 12 miles northeast of Lamoni. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Climate According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Leon has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 1,977 people, 826 households, and 482 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 952 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.1% White, 0.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 826 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age in the city was 40.2 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 20.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female. 2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 1,983 people, 858 households, and 513 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 966 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the