[4] The first resident was William Means, who built a tavern 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Elliot's cabin.

The first school in Prairie City was built on 1868(The Plainsmen) ; the city's district remained independent until a merger with that of Monroe in 1990, brought about by the destruction by fire of Monroe's high school.

The Prairie City Historical Museum is located at 109 S. Main Street and open by appointment.

The city was the subject of Douglas Bauer's popular reminiscence of change in small town Iowa from the 1950s through the 1970s, Prairie City, Iowa: Three Seasons at Home.

[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.21 square miles (3.13 km2), all land.

22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[14] The city annually celebrates Prairie Days, an "old settler's" festival, in June.

[citation needed] The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, located adjacent to the city, includes 5,500 acres (22 km2) of land that has been restored to Iowa's original rolling hills and tall grass prairies, plus several miles of surfaced trails, an auto tour, and the Prairie Learning Center.

[15] Prairie City has a number of parks which include sports facilities, playgrounds, and open areas.

A May, 2023 article by the Des Moines, Iowa news outlet KCCI reported Prairie City had collected over $2 million in fines and issued over 25,000 speeding tickets in just 2.5 years, based on the use of 4 speeding ticket cameras.

[17] Prairie City employs seven police officers, giving it a 245-to-1 citizen-to-officer ratio—nearly three times the US average—and making it one of the most heavily policed municipalities per capita in the developed world.