Coalville, Iowa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Coalville, Iowa
CDP
Location of Coalville, Iowa
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Webster
Area
• Total	2.26 sq mi (5.85 km2)
• Land	2.18 sq mi (5.65 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2)
Elevation	1,115 ft (340 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	651
• Density	298.21/sq mi (115.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	50501
Area code(s)	515
FIPS code	19-14835
GNIS feature ID	0455503

Coalville is a small community in Webster County, Iowa, United States. It's called a census-designated place (CDP) because it's a community that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town. In 2020, about 651 people lived here. Coalville is located right on U.S. Route 20, close to Fort Dodge's big gypsum mines.

History of Coalville

Map of the Coalville area from 1908. It shows railroads and coal mines (in red). Coalville is in the upper left part.

Coalville got its name from the coal mines nearby. It was one of the first places in northern Iowa where people started mining coal. By 1860, early settlers were already digging coal from rocks along the Des Moines River.

In 1870, a mine opened on Holiday Creek, about a mile east of Coalville. Workers built a three-mile long track, called a tramway, to carry coal to the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad. This railroad later became the Illinois Central. Also in 1870, a deep hole, or shaft, was dug right in Coalville to reach more coal.

The Fort Dodge Coal company took over these mines and opened even more in the Coalville area. By 1880, they started using machines to help with the mining, not just people. In 1883, the Fort Dodge Coal company had 350 miners. They produced about 30 carloads of coal every day!

Another company, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company, dug a 105-foot deep shaft in Coalville in 1895. They had 100 workers digging a six-foot thick layer of coal. This mine was used up in the early 1900s. The Gleason Coal Company also dug a shaft in 1899. It worked until 1907 and produced a huge amount of coal – 200,000 tons! Gleason dug a new shaft in 1908.

Miners in Coalville formed a group called United Mine Workers local 392 in 1899. By 1907, it had 133 members. Miners earned between $1.91 and $2.56 each day.

Coalville was very small in 1902, with only 26 people. By 1940, the population grew to 150.

Geography of Coalville

Coalville is located at 42°26′37″N 94°07′43″W / 42.443522°N 94.128558°W / 42.443522; -94.128558. It sits on the west side of the Des Moines River.

The United States Census Bureau says that Coalville covers about 2.26 square miles (5.85 square kilometers) in total. Most of this area, about 2.18 square miles (5.66 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.07 square miles (0.19 square kilometers), is water.

People in Coalville

2020 Population Count

In 2020, the census counted 651 people living in Coalville. There were 261 households, which are groups of people living together in one home.

The community had about 298 people per square mile (115 people per square kilometer). There were 299 homes in total.

The average age of people in Coalville was 38.2 years old. About 27.6% of the people were under 20 years old. About 17.1% were 65 years old or older. The community had slightly more males (51.6%) than females (48.4%).

2010 Population Count

In 2010, the census showed that 610 people lived in Coalville. There were 267 households.

The average age in 2010 was 42.6 years. About 23.6% of the people were under 18 years old. About 14.8% were 65 years old or older. The community had slightly more males (50.3%) than females (49.7%).

The average income for a household in Coalville was $43,750.

Education in Coalville

The Fort Dodge Community School District runs the schools that serve Coalville. Kids in elementary school go to Butler Elementary School. For middle and high school, students attend Fort Dodge Middle School and Fort Dodge Senior High School.

See also

In Spanish: Coalville (Iowa) para niños