Maquoketa, Iowa

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Maquoketa, nicknamed the Timber City, is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,112 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County^GR6. The name is pronounced muh-COKE-it-uh.

U.S. Highway 61 adjoins the city, and the city benefits from traffic between Dubuque, Iowa and the Quad Cities. Iowa Highways 62 and 64 also pass through the city.

Maquoketa Caves State Park is located a few miles Northwest of the city.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Politics
- 3.1 Mayors
4 Demographics
5 Events
6 About the Town
7 Notable natives
8 External links

[edit] Geography

Maquoketa is located at 42°4′1″N, 90°39′58″W (42.066901, -90.666238)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.0 km² (3.5 mi²). 8.9 km² (3.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.86%) is water.

[edit] History

Maquoketa was founded in 1838 with the building of a log cabin by J.E. Goodenow and Lyman Bates. Originally the it was called Springfield, but later decided to change its name on March 13, 1844 to Maquoketa due to fact that there were already numerous towns and cities named Springfield. In 1853 the town became incorporated. The historic Hurstville Lime Kilns are located just north of the city. The name derives from Indian words meaning Bear River.

[edit] Politics

[edit] Mayors

Tom Messerli (Current)
Jack Rosenberg

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 6,112 people, 2,614 households, and 1,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.0/km² (1,773.3/mi²). There were 2,797 housing units at an average density of 313.0/km² (811.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.10% White, 0.16% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.34% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.

There were 2,614 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,984, and the median income for a family was $36,705. Males had a median income of $25,819 versus $19,421 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,360. About 9.1% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Events

Maquoketa Gold

August 11-13, 2006, Maquoketa was the home to the first annual [1]"Maquoketa Gold." Maquoketa Gold is a weekend long progressive festival, aimed at "changing the way people think, through music, cultural discussions, and variations in time and space." The festival was held approximately 10 miles northwest of the city. The festival is currently in the planning stages for its 2nd annual installment, Maquoketa Gold 2007: The Summer Of Yes. Next year's festival will feature themed campsites, the erection of a TiPi, and the debut of "Hillside Times". The hopes and dreams of all participants are soley relying on how many spins Jesse completes in his new dreamcoat, scheduled to be completed sometime next spring.

[edit] About the Town

Maquoketa boasts a numerous variety of businesses, including 7 taverns, 8 restaurants, three computer stores, a WalMart, 7 gas stations (one being a truck stop), an internet cafe, three pharmacies, and numerous other small businesses. Among these businesses is Obie's Bar, famous for its homemade tacos, and Flapjack's, famous for its pancakes.