Cherokee, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cherokee, Iowa
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Downtown Cherokee
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| Motto(s):
"Citizens With a Passion for Community and a Community with Passion for its Citizens!"
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Location of Cherokee, Iowa
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Cherokee |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.86 sq mi (17.76 km2) |
| • Land | 6.83 sq mi (17.70 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,194 ft (364 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,199 |
| • Density | 760.87/sq mi (293.77/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
51012
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| Area code(s) | 712 |
| FIPS code | 19-13080 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0455370 |
Cherokee is a city in Iowa, United States. It is also the county seat of Cherokee County, Iowa. This means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 5,199 people lived here.
Contents
History of Cherokee
Cherokee was officially started as a town in 1870. It was named after the Indian tribe from the Southeast. Most members of this tribe were moved to Indian Territory in the late 1830s. Cherokee became an official city on April 5, 1873.
In 2014, a large food company called Tyson Foods closed its plant in Cherokee. This plant was the biggest employer in the city at the time. About 450 people lost their jobs, which was a big change for the community.
Geography and Climate
Cherokee is located in Iowa. The city covers an area of about 6.45 square miles (17.76 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
What's the Weather Like in Cherokee?
The weather in Cherokee, Iowa, changes a lot throughout the year. Summers are usually warm, and winters can be very cold with snow.
| Climate data for Cherokee, Iowa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1921−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
68 (20) |
86 (30) |
94 (34) |
106 (41) |
103 (39) |
108 (42) |
109 (43) |
101 (38) |
94 (34) |
80 (27) |
68 (20) |
109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48.4 (9.1) |
54.3 (12.4) |
71.4 (21.9) |
82.6 (28.1) |
89.9 (32.2) |
93.3 (34.1) |
94.3 (34.6) |
93.0 (33.9) |
90.1 (32.3) |
83.9 (28.8) |
67.9 (19.9) |
52.4 (11.3) |
96.3 (35.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 26.7 (−2.9) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
44.7 (7.1) |
58.9 (14.9) |
70.5 (21.4) |
80.8 (27.1) |
84.3 (29.1) |
81.9 (27.7) |
75.4 (24.1) |
62.0 (16.7) |
45.5 (7.5) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
57.8 (14.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.9 (−8.4) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
34.0 (1.1) |
46.6 (8.1) |
58.7 (14.8) |
69.4 (20.8) |
73.2 (22.9) |
70.6 (21.4) |
62.6 (17.0) |
49.2 (9.6) |
34.8 (1.6) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
46.7 (8.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.1 (−13.8) |
11.1 (−11.6) |
23.3 (−4.8) |
34.4 (1.3) |
46.9 (8.3) |
58.0 (14.4) |
62.1 (16.7) |
59.4 (15.2) |
49.8 (9.9) |
36.4 (2.4) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
35.4 (1.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −17.1 (−27.3) |
−11.0 (−23.9) |
0.8 (−17.3) |
18.6 (−7.4) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
44.3 (6.8) |
49.5 (9.7) |
47.5 (8.6) |
33.4 (0.8) |
19.9 (−6.7) |
6.4 (−14.2) |
−8.8 (−22.7) |
−20.5 (−29.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −35 (−37) |
−34 (−37) |
−23 (−31) |
−8 (−22) |
21 (−6) |
34 (1) |
40 (4) |
34 (1) |
19 (−7) |
−5 (−21) |
−17 (−27) |
−27 (−33) |
−35 (−37) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.65 (17) |
0.78 (20) |
1.66 (42) |
3.17 (81) |
4.28 (109) |
5.20 (132) |
3.40 (86) |
4.12 (105) |
3.29 (84) |
2.25 (57) |
1.46 (37) |
0.93 (24) |
31.19 (792) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.5 (19) |
8.4 (21) |
5.2 (13) |
2.7 (6.9) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
4.0 (10) |
9.4 (24) |
37.8 (96) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.8 | 5.6 | 6.9 | 9.2 | 12.8 | 11.4 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 8.5 | 7.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 96.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.9 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 20.1 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Cherokee
The number of people living in Cherokee has changed over the years. Here's how the population has grown and shrunk:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 438 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,523 | 247.7% | |
| 1890 | 3,441 | 125.9% | |
| 1900 | 3,865 | 12.3% | |
| 1910 | 4,884 | 26.4% | |
| 1920 | 5,824 | 19.2% | |
| 1930 | 6,443 | 10.6% | |
| 1940 | 7,469 | 15.9% | |
| 1950 | 7,705 | 3.2% | |
| 1960 | 7,724 | 0.2% | |
| 1970 | 7,272 | −5.9% | |
| 1980 | 7,004 | −3.7% | |
| 1990 | 6,026 | −14.0% | |
| 2000 | 5,369 | −10.9% | |
| 2010 | 5,253 | −2.2% | |
| 2020 | 5,199 | −1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Cherokee in 2020
In 2020, there were 5,199 people living in Cherokee. These people lived in 2,272 households. A household means all the people living in one home.
- About 24% of households had children under 18.
- Most people in Cherokee are White (about 90%).
- About 6.6% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
- The average age in the city was 46.2 years old.
- About 22.5% of residents were under 20 years old.
- The city has a nearly even split between males (49.4%) and females (50.6%).
Arts and Culture
Cherokee has some interesting places and events that celebrate its history and community.
Historic Sites
- The Cherokee Sewer Site is a very old place where Native Americans processed bison. It helps us learn about ancient times in the Midwest.
- The Phipps Site is another important place. It was a farming village about 1,000 years ago. It is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a place of great historical importance to the whole country.
Fun Annual Events
- Jazz Festival: Every January, Cherokee hosts a Jazz Festival. Famous musicians often perform here.
- Summer Fairs: During the summer, you can enjoy the Cherokee County Fair and the Cherokee Rodeo.
- Creek Fest: This is a summer music festival held by Mill Creek. Big music groups have performed here in the past.
Museums and Music
- Sanford Museum and Planetarium: This museum opened in 1951. It was created to be a free place for everyone to visit. You can explore exhibits about archaeology (studying old things), art, space (astronomy), rocks (geology), history, nature, and even dinosaurs (paleontology)!
- Cherokee Symphony: Cherokee is home to a 60-member symphony orchestra. It's quite special for a city this size to have its own symphony!
Education
The Cherokee Community School District is in charge of the schools in Cherokee. They make sure students get a good education.
Infrastructure
Cherokee has important facilities to help its residents. This includes hospitals like Cherokee Regional Medical Center and the Cherokee Mental Health Institute.
Notable People
Many interesting people have come from Cherokee or lived there. Here are a few:
- Ralph Block: A film producer and writer.
- Elwood Brown: A basketball coach.
- Guy M. Gillette: A U.S. Representative and Senator from Iowa.
- T. J. Hockenson: A professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings.
- Royal C. Johnson: A highly decorated World War I veteran and U.S. Representative.
- Edward Lindberg: An Olympic gold medalist in track and field from 1912.
- Francis L. Sampson: An Army officer whose story helped inspire the movie Saving Private Ryan.
- Adam Timmerman: A professional football player who won the Super Bowl.
See also
In Spanish: Cherokee (Iowa) para niños
