Centerville District Court is formally known as the Appanoose District Court in the Eight judicial district of Iowa. Sr 2 and SR 5 passing through Appanoose county meet in Centerville. SR 142 runs along part of the county's Northern border.

Appanoose County, established around 1843 and authorized by the Iowa Territorial Legislature three years later is named for the chief of the Sac and the Fox Indian tribes who headed the peace party during the Black Hawk War. You may not know it, but Appanoose County was one of the main coal mining areas in Iowa during the first part of the 20th Century. Centerville has three municipal parks. Two of them are mini parks but the third, Morgan Cline park, has a city pool, several shelter houses, playground equipment and tennis courts. The Centerville Airport, which accommodates private, charter and corporate aircraft, offers an unusual and hospitable service, it provides courtesy cars for its patrons during their stay in the area. The State Street Sinclair gas station has been fully restored by the Historic Preservation committee and is the scene of drive-through dinners held on the third Thursday of every month.