Independence District Court serves as the district court of Buchanan county in the First judicial district of Iowa. You can ride around Buchanan county on IS 380, US 20 or SR 150.

In the Summer of 1847 three state legislature appointed commissioners selected Independence as the county seat of Buchanan county. Fully six years later, the city had only 12 residents, a few stores, a sawmill and a blacksmith. It took seven more years for the city to grow by a more significant number and establish mills, machine shops, churches, hotels, stores, a post office and a courthouse. In the 1850's the Wapsipinicon Feed Mill and dam opened for business and went on to produce a well known brand of poultry feed. This mill is still in existence and now run by the Buchanan County Historical Society and can be visited and toured during the Summer months. Any visit to this city should start at the visitor's center located in the restored Chicago Rock Island and Central depot. The depot has been relocated from its original location when it was built in the early 1890's. Next to the depot you will find an Illinois Central locomotive, cargo car and caboose. Two other places you should visit here are the Heartland Acres Agribition center with its exhibits reflecting the past, present and future of agriculture in the area; and the Independence Motor speedway at the Buchanan County Fair grounds during the Summer for an exciting evening.