Marquette is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 429 at the era of the 2020 census, up from 421 in 2000. The city, which is located upon the Mississippi River, is named after Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette, who along bearing in mind Louis Joliet discovered the Mississippi River just southeast of the city upon June 17, 1673.

Marquette is located directly across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and the two cities are joined by U.S. Route 18, which crosses the river upon the Marquette-Joliet Bridge. Effigy Mounds National Monument and the Yellow River State Forest are a few miles to the north. The city of McGregor is located just to the south. Marquette itself was originally incorporated as North McGregor in 1874, and it served as a railroad terminus for its southern neighbor.

Along gone McGregor, the city became a major hub upon the railroad, as grain from throughout Iowa and Minnesota was sent through the city en route to Lake Michigan. Initially trains had to be ferried across the river between Marquette and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, in order to continue their journey, but this system came to an halt when Prairie du Chien businessman John Lawler had a unshakable pontoon bridge built to attach the two cities’ rail lines. Marquette bearing in mind became house to a major rail yard, which even as late as 1920 was the busiest in Iowa, employing 400 people. Not too long afterwards, the railroad’s significance declined, the last passenger train stopped in Marquette in 1960, and the pontoon bridge was disassembled in 1961. Today the city is a tourist destination along the mighty Mississippi River; with Antique Shops (School House Mall & My Kinda Stuff), A Winery (Eagles Landing Winery), Riverboat Cruise (Maiden Voyage Tours), Riverboat Casino (Casino Queen), Motels, Hotels and Bed & Baths for your stay.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total Place of 1.81 square miles (4.69 km), of which 1.74 square miles (4.51 km²) is house and 0.07 square miles (0.18 km) is water.