Photo: Bill Whittaker (talk) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fort Dodge, about 40 miles southwest of Clarion, is the regional center for shopping, health care and jobs for much of north-central Iowa.
The city has a Hy-Vee, Walmart and other chain stores. UnityPoint Health-Trinity Regional Medical Center is there, along with Iowa Central Community College.
Industry in Fort Dodge includes gypsum, processed from local deposits, and animal health product makers. The city has worked on downtown revitalization and new housing.
For Wright County residents, Fort Dodge is often the destination for a dentist appointment, a car purchase or a dinner out.
Curt Hanneman writes for Clarion News Online.