Onawa, Iowa

Onawa, Iowa
City
Motto: "Home of the widest main street in the United States"
Location of Onawa, Iowa
Coordinates: 42°1′39″N 96°5′47″W / 42.02750°N 96.09639°W / 42.02750; -96.09639Coordinates: 42°1′39″N 96°5′47″W / 42.02750°N 96.09639°W / 42.02750; -96.09639
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Monona
Area[1]
• Total	5.19 sq mi (13.44 km2)
• Land	5.19 sq mi (13.44 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	1,050 ft (320 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	2,998
• Estimate (2012[3])	2,945
• Density	577.6/sq mi (223.0/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	51040
Area code(s)	712
FIPS code	19-59115
GNIS feature ID	0459865

Onawa is a city in Monona County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,998 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Monona County.^[4] It is the largest town on the Iowa side of the Missouri River between Council Bluffs and Sioux City.

The city's main claim to fame is that it has the widest main street in the United States - about 75 feet (23 m) wide.

Geography

Onawa's longitude and latitude coordinates
in decimal form are 42.027490, -96.096513.^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.19 square miles (13.44 km²), all of it land.^[1]

Onawa is located in the Loess Hills region of western Iowa, a unique geological and environmental area. Nearby are such natural areas as Lewis & Clark State Park, Preparation Canyon State Park and the Loess Hills State Forest.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 2,998 people, 1,345 households, and 756 families residing in the city. The population density was 577.6 inhabitants per square mile (223.0 /km²). There were 1,519 housing units at an average density of 292.7 per square mile (113.0 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.4% White, 0.4% African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 1,345 households of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.8% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the city was 44.8 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 24% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 3,091 people, 1,329 households, and 796 families residing in the city. The population density was 629.1 people per square mile (243.1/km²). There were 1,452 housing units at an average density of 295.5 per square mile (114.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 97.86% White, 0.03% African American, 1.16% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.03% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,329 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.89.

Population spread: 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,796, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $27,981 versus $20,292 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,928. About 3.3% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Interesting facts

Barack Obama campaigning at the Onawa Public Library, March 2007

The Eskimo Pie was created in Onawa in 1920 by Chris Nelson, an ice cream shop owner. A young customer could not decide between an ice cream sandwich and a chocolate bar, so Nelson created a chocolate covered ice cream bar. The original product was called the "I-Scream-Bar". The creation was put on a stick in 1934. In 1921 Nelson entered into an agreement with Russell Stover to market and produce the product. The handwritten agreement is part of a display at the Monona County Historical Museum in Onawa.

Onawa was the site of a POW camp for captured German soldiers, sometime between 1944 and 1946. Historical documents indicate there were never more than 50 POWs in camp. A larger camp existed near the central Iowa town of Algona, and housed as many as 5,400 German POWs.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Onawa, Iowa.

• Onawa Portal style website, Government, Chamber of Commence, and more
• City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Onawa

v t e Municipalities and communities of Monona County, Iowa, United States County seat: Onawa Cities Blencoe Castana Mapleton Moorhead Onawa Rodney Soldier Turin Ute Whiting Indian reservations Omaha Reservation‡ Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties