what county is ottumwa iowa in?
Ottumwa, IA. Online Offers. Ottumwa ( /ÉtÊmwÉ/ É-tum-wÉ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River. The young town was severely damaged during the Flood of 1851. In 1857, coal was being mined from the McCready bank, a site along Bear Creek four miles west of Ottumwa.