Mount Ayr is a city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,623 at the time of the 2020 census. Mount Ayr is a rural community in southwestern Iowa, 22 miles west of Interstate 35 on State Highway 2. Mount Ayr was founded in 1875 and the community was named in honor of poet Robert Burns’ birthplace in Ayr, Scotland. The “mount” was added to indicate its location on the highest point of land in the area.