Keosauqua District Court located in Van Buren is the county's district court in the Eighth judicial district of Iowa. SR 1 coming down from the North meets SR 16 and then ends at SR 2. SR 98 also comes down from the North to end at SR 2.

Keosauqua lies along the Des Moines river. Its beginning came before Iowa statehood when its streets were plotted around 1839. Almost twenty years later industry came to the city when a flour mill was built. By the middle of the 19th century, the mill was joined by a saw mill, pottery plant, plow factory, wagon factory, tanneries and a packing plant. Rail service arrived in the city around 1880. The Twombly Building was built for Voltaire P. Twombly in recognition of his receipt of the Medal of Honor. Used as a dry goods and grocery store and a newspaper office; it is now the Van Buren Historical Society museum with exhibits and displays of historic artifacts. The society also maintains other old structures and historic sites such as the Pearson House, circa 1845, which was a residence and Underground Railroad site, the Ellis School, circa 1847, the Keosauqua Log Cabin and the Selma Cabin. Chequest Wildlife area just West of Keosauqua attracts a lot of hunters because the various game in this park.