Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Iowa and serves as the county seat of Henry County. It is situated in central Henry County at the intersection of U.S. Routes 218 and 34. The city occupies a total area of 8.53 square miles, comprising 8.51 square miles of land and 0.02 square miles of water. Its geographic location places it within the broader context of the American Midwest.

The first permanent settlement at Mount Pleasant was established in 1833, with the city officially founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders. It was incorporated as a town in 1842 and again in 1851. The area has a rich historical background, including hosting a solar eclipse expedition in 1869 and serving as the site where Arabella A. Mansfield became the first woman licensed to practice law in the United States in 1869.

Notable landmarks include the Union Block building, which once housed an opera house that attracted national speakers like Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. The Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute, built in 1861, was damaged by fire in 1936; its campus later became home to the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility after hospital facilities were transferred starting in 1976. The city also features the historic Iowa Wesleyan University campus.

Cultural attractions include the Midwest Old Thresher's Reunion, an annual five-day event ending on Labor Day that draws over 100,000 admissions. This reunion celebrates agricultural heritage through displays of steam engines, farm tractors, and antique cars. The city also retains ties to its educational past, particularly with the P.E.O. Sisterhood, which was founded on the Iowa Wesleyan University campus by seven students.

As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,274. The economy features manufacturing, distribution, and agribusiness companies such as Wal-Mart Distribution Center and West Liberty Foods. Transportation access is provided by Amtrak's California Zephyr line and U.S. Routes 34 and 218. The city is served by the Mount Pleasant Community School District and Henry County Health Center, which are among the larger local employers.