Colo is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States.

[2] The town is home to the "Crossroads of the Nation" as Lincoln Highway and Jefferson Highway intersect at Colo.[3] It is part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area.

Settlement of the area which would become Colo began in 1856 when the small village of New Albany was founded.

By the early 1860s the railroad reached the area with the first train station in Story County being built in the community in 1863.

[4] Colo would be incorporated on April 26, 1876 and would take its name from the dog of railroad official John Blair.

Reportedly Colo the dog succumbed to a grisly fate as it was crushed by a train that was carrying construction material.

[5][6] The community would see an influx of visitors in the 1920s and 1930s with the completion of the Lincoln and Jefferson highways which intersect in Colo.[7][8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.06 square miles (2.75 km2), all land.

22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Located near Colo is Hickory Grove Park, Story County's largest recreational, fishing, and swimming area with 445 acres, including a 98-acre (400,000 m2) lake.

The intersection is marked by the historic complex of Reed/Niland Corner, which includes a diner, vintage gas station, motel, and small park.

The Overland Route of the Union Pacific Railroad runs through Colo, splitting the town in half.