Athelstan is a tiny hamlet in Taylor County, Iowa, United States, along the Platte River, on the border with Missouri; it is majority owned by the Young family. The population was 18 at the 2000 census. As of the 2010 census, it had become included in a namesake census-designated place which had an overall population of 19.

Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,896, making it the fourth-least populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Bedford. The county was formed in 1847 and named after General and President Zachary Taylor.