[5] Elijah Buell, among the first European-American settlers in the Clinton area, established the town of Lyons in 1837.

It grew with the lumber and railroad industry through the century, and merged in 1895 with the City of Clinton.

[7] In 1855, the Chicago, Iowa, Nebraska Railroad announced it would build a bridge across the Mississippi River at Little Rock Island.

[citation needed] In 1895, the town of Lyons officially merged with the city of Clinton.

The railroad and river, providing economical transportation in all directions, attracted manufacturing and heavy industry.

The city still boasts a number of magnificent Victorian mansions built during that time.

The US Army Corps of Engineers began a seven-year, $28.9 million levee project.

An 8.1-mile dyke, 4,330 feet of concrete flood wall, six pumping stations, seven closure structures, five major street crossings; 17,320 feet of new sewer; and 23 gate wells were completed and dedicated in June 1981.

In 2005, Clinton was awarded one of the inaugural Iowa Great Places designations.

[9] Under this award, Clinton received a $1 million state budget allocation for cultural and landscape improvements along the city's riverfront.

In 2009, Archer Daniels Midland began construction of a new cogeneration plant to Clinton.

In 2016, the city obtained the certification for Lincolnway Industrial Rail and Air Park.

The park is located adjacent to US Highway 30 and the Clinton Municipal Airport.

Targeted industries for the Clinton Region included chemicals processing, metal fabrication, and value-added agriculture.

Rail.One, HeroBX, and Atlas Roofing Corporation were expected to occupy the Rail Park in 2025.

[citation needed] In the 2010s-2020s, many businesses expanded, adding hundreds of new jobs to the area.

These businesses include Big River Packaging, Nestle Purina, and Archer Daniels Midland.

[14] Clinton is on the western shore of the Mississippi River and is the easternmost city in Iowa.

32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport is about 140 miles east, and can typically be reached in less than three hours by car.

[27] For intracity transit, residents can rely on the MTA's 6 bus routes that run throughout the city.