Brighton, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brighton, Iowa
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| Motto(s):
Home of Lake Darling State Park
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Location of Brighton, Iowa
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Washington |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.78 sq mi (2.03 km2) |
| • Land | 0.78 sq mi (2.03 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 751 ft (229 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 600 |
| • Density | 767.26/sq mi (296.15/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
52540
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| Area code(s) | 319 |
| FIPS code | 19-08470 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2393419 |
Brighton is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It's part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 600 at the 2020 census.
History
Brighton was laid out in 1840. During the 1840s and 1850 quickly developed into one of the largest centres of hog production west of the Mississippi. In 1851, David Powers discovered the fossil remains of a Mastodon. The fossil was three and a half feet long, fourteen inches wide at the larger end, and weighed eighty-three pounds. In 1854 Brighton was sorely afflicted by the Cholera.
In 1882, the Iowa Central Railway and the narrow-gauge Burlington and Western Railway battled for right-of-way as they built west from Coppock toward Brighton. At several points, crews for the rival railroads tore up tracks the other had put down. The line through Brighton was originally platted as a street, 3 blocks south of the business district. The B&W reached Brighton in mid 1882 and claimed the entire street as its right-of way. After vandalism, arrests and court battles, the two lines built parallel tracks down the street (with the B&W claiming the center line) to their crossing west of town. This has been described as the Brighton Railroad War. Both lines crossed the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad on the east side of town. The Burlington and Western was later widened and taken over by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy and the Iowa Central was taken over by the Minneapolis and St. Louis.
There were three railroad depots in town. The Burlington and Western (after 1902, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy) depot was on the east side of town, at the south end of Liberty St. The Iowa Central (after 1901, the Minneapolis and St. Louis) depot was on the west side, between Mechanic St. and Harrison St. The Rock Island depot was several blocks south, also between Mechanic and Harrison. The Rock Island had a stockyard west of its depot, while the Burlington and Western stockyard was east of its depot.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.71 square miles (1.84 km2), all of it land.
Brighton is located where Iowa State Road 78 and Iowa State Road 1 meet and is located near the Skunk River and near Lake Darling State Park.
Demographics
| Historical populations | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1870 | 785 | — |
| 1880 | 836 | +6.5% |
| 1890 | 861 | +3.0% |
| 1900 | 807 | −6.3% |
| 1910 | 776 | −3.8% |
| 1920 | 1,014 | +30.7% |
| 1930 | 800 | −21.1% |
| 1940 | 791 | −1.1% |
| 1950 | 705 | −10.9% |
| 1960 | 724 | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 632 | −12.7% |
| 1980 | 804 | +27.2% |
| 1990 | 684 | −14.9% |
| 2000 | 687 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 652 | −5.1% |
| 2020 | 600 | −8.0% |
| Source: and Iowa Data Center Source: |
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2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 652 people, 269 households, and 178 families living in the city. The population density was 918.3 inhabitants per square mile (354.6/km2). There were 295 housing units at an average density of 415.5 per square mile (160.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.8% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population.
There were 269 households, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the city was 39.5 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.
Education
The Washington Community School District operates local area schools, including Washington High School.
Notable residents
- Francis W. Cushman, U.S. Representative from Washington
- William Ward Johnson, U.S. Representative from California
- Mila Tupper Maynard, Unitarian minister
- Ellen Smith Tupper, American apiarist and first female editor of an entomological journal
See also
In Spanish: Brighton (Iowa) para niños
