State Center is located at the highest point in Marshall County, midway between Marshalltown and Nevada.

The town was established by the Cedar Rapids & Missouri Railroad on 80 acres (32 ha) of land in 1863.

Unlike many other towns along the route, the street was paved with concrete rather than brick pavers.

The district contains a mix of commercial buildings, an opera house, a medical facility, residential and industrial structures.

Watson's Grocery was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.