About Underwood Iowa
Underwood is located approximately 10 miles northeast of the Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area and is accessible from Interstate 80 at exit 17. Distance to Eppley Airfield, Omaha Nebraska, is 24 miles.
Contributing to a positive quality of life within the City of Underwood is an excellent educational system, 
community hall with tennis courts, baseball and softball complexes, soccer fields, the Trailhead Park with picnic pavilion, churches, Optimist Club, and a state of the art volunteer fire and rescue department.
A large number of local facilities within 30 minutes of Underwood include golf courses, swimming pools, fitness centers, public library, theatres, opera, historical sites and museums, many fine restaurants and popular attractions such as the Old Market, Bluffs Run-Ameristar-Harrahs Casinos, Henry Doorly Zoo and Joslyn Art Museum.
There is currently one housing subdivision being developed within the corporate City limits of Underwood.
Our Proud History
Downtown Underwood near the turn of the 20th century
from a book on Pottawattamie County’s past. The principal early settlers of the area arrived during the period from 1845 to 1850. In 1847, a flour mill and a saw mill were built on Mosquito Creek, southwest of the present site of Underwood. In 1850, the flour mill was destroyed by a flood. The first school was built in 1863 and soon more homes were built near the school and saw mill. It became known as Downsville. A post office was established there.
With the coming of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in 1869, the town of Underwood was established three miles northeast of Downsville, which was later abandoned and has entirely disappeared. In 1882, the other railroad that crossed through Norwalk Township, Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, built a station house, erected a water tank and laid a switch. These improvements were on portions of the farms owned by two men and their farms were to be surveyed and divided into town lots. The name Underwood comes from the name of the first engineer to run a train over the Milwaukee tracks. Two farmers cut the corn stalks off to make a road to the Milwaukee tracks so the depot could be built. This path later became “Main Street”.
In 1902, the town was incorporated, a town marshall appointed, sidewalks constructed and a jail built at the cost of $140. The first addition to the town was presented to the town council in 1903. The old school house was moved onto town property and made into a town hall. In 1905, five street lamps were purchased, sidewalks and streets were extended. From 1907 to 1910 the telephone came to town, a water works system was installed and cement sidewalks constructed. By 1917 a fire department was organized. In 1926 a new consolidated school was built at the cost of approximately $75,000. There were 62 students in high school and 116 in the grades with seven teachers in charge.
In 1965, sewer mains were installed. The new Western Electric plant was finished in 1974 and they helped bring the town’s sewer plant up to date.
Underwood Community Schools
The Mission of the Underwood Community School District, as an extension of the community, is to nurture and guide our students by providing individual, comprehensive, stimulating, and diverse learning experiences for the challenges and decisions of tomorrow.
Underwood Community Schools operate in three attendance centers, all in Underwood, although the 
district includes the towns of Bentley, McClelland and Weston. The elementary houses grades PK-5, the middle school houses grades 6-8 and the high school houses grades 9-12. A latch-key program is offered in the elementary building providing before and after school day care for elementary students and extended day care for preschool students.
The Underwood Community School Board has five members who are elected at large, and whose standard of committment is to provide excellent educational opportunities for our children. Most students elect to partake in one or more of a wide variety of co-curricular activities offered by our district.