Camanche, Iowa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids City of Camanche
City
Camanche from the Mississippi River
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Clinton
Founded	1818
Area
• Total	9.66 sq mi (25.02 km2)
• Land	8.88 sq mi (23.00 km2)
• Water	0.78 sq mi (2.02 km2)  7.95%
Elevation	595 ft (182 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,570
• Density	514.64/sq mi (198.70/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	52730
Area code(s)	563
FIPS code	19-10135
GNIS feature ID	0455096
Website	www.camancheia.org

Camanche is a city in Clinton County, Iowa, in the United States. It is located right on the Mississippi River. In 2020, about 4,570 people lived there.

History of Camanche

A post office has been open in Camanche since 1837. The city was named after the Comanche Native American tribe.

The Great Tornado of 1860

On Sunday, June 3, 1860, a very strong tornado hit Camanche. This tornado was so powerful it was like an F4 on the Fujita Scale. An F4 tornado causes extreme damage. It moves at speeds up to 50 miles per hour.

Most buildings in Camanche were badly damaged or destroyed. There was no good way to report weather back then. This meant people living along the Mississippi River did not know the storm was coming.

A raft with 26 men was hit near Camanche. Only three men on board survived. The tornado killed 92 people in total. At least 41 of these deaths were in Camanche. This storm was part of a larger tornado outbreak. More than 140 people died in just a few hours. Over 300 people were hurt.

Geography of Camanche

Camanche is located at 41°47′11″N 90°15′36″W / 41.786470°N 90.259898°W / 41.786470; -90.259898.

The city covers a total area of about 9.43 square miles (24.42 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 8.68 square miles (22.48 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.75 square miles (1.94 square kilometers), is water.

Population and People

This chart shows how Camanche's population has changed over time.

Camanche in 2020

In 2020, the city had 4,570 people. There were 1,952 households, which are groups of people living together. About 1,224 of these were families.

The city's population density was about 514.6 people per square mile. This means that many people live in each square mile of land.

Most people in Camanche, about 93.4%, were White. Other groups included Black or African American (0.7%), Native American (0.3%), and Asian (0.4%). About 2.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Camanche was 44.9 years old. About 23.8% of residents were under 20. About 22.7% were 65 or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (48.9%) and females (51.1%).

Camanche in 2010

In 2010, Camanche had 4,448 people. There were 1,918 households. The population density was about 512.4 people per square mile.

About 97.6% of the people were White. Other groups included African American (0.6%) and Native American (0.2%). About 2.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age was 43.7 years. About 22.6% of residents were under 18. About 17.6% were 65 or older. The city had slightly more females (50.6%) than males (49.4%).

Education in Camanche

Camanche has its own schools. These include Camanche High School, Camanche Middle School, and Camanche Elementary School. All of these schools are part of the Camanche Community School District.

Famous People from Camanche

• Terry Bradshaw, a famous football player who won four Super Bowl championships. He lived in Camanche when he was a child.
• Tom Determann, a member of the Iowa House of Representatives. He grew up here and still lives in Camanche.
• George Winans, a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

See also

In Spanish: Camanche (Iowa) para niños