Clarion is a friendly, walkable county seat of about 2,800 people with a compact Main Street, the Heartland Museum, a local brewery and enough shops, parks and community events to make multi‑week stays pleasant and low‑stress rather than tedious.
If you want more variety on days off, Fort Dodge (~39 miles) and Mason City (~54 miles) are within about an hour’s drive and provide larger hospitals, restaurants, shopping and weekend entertainment so you won’t feel isolated while on assignment.