Manson, Iowa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manson, Iowa
City
The water tower in Watertower Park
Location of Manson, Iowa
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Calhoun
Area
• Total	3.24 sq mi (8.40 km2)
• Land	3.24 sq mi (8.40 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,240 ft (378 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,709
• Density	527.14/sq mi (203.56/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	50563
Area code(s)	712
FIPS code	19-48990
GNIS feature ID	0463553

Manson is a city in Calhoun County, Iowa, United States. In 2020, about 1,709 people lived there.

Manson's History

Manson was officially planned and laid out in 1872. It was built along the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad line, which helped the city grow.

The 1979 Tornado Event

On June 28, 1979, a very strong tornado hit Manson. This tornado was rated F4, which means it caused incredible damage. It moved slowly through the city from northwest to southeast around 7:45 PM.

The tornado destroyed a large part of Manson. About 25 out of 35 businesses in the downtown area were ruined or badly damaged. The middle school was also destroyed, along with about 110 homes. Another 139 homes were damaged.

Even though the damage was severe, only three people died. This was partly because people had about 30 minutes of warning, and the tornado sirens sounded early. Also, it was still daylight, so the tornado was easy to see. People said it looked like a "lawn mower" had gone through the city because of how much it cleared away.

Geography of Manson

Manson is located at 42°31′50″N 94°32′5″W / 42.53056°N 94.53472°W / 42.53056; -94.53472. The city covers an area of about 3.18 square miles (8.24 square kilometers), and all of it is land.

The Manson Impact Crater

Manson is famous for being near the center of the Manson crater. This crater was formed by a huge meteorite that crashed into Earth about 74 million years ago. Scientists first found out about the crater in the 1930s when people were drilling for oil.

For a while, people thought this was the biggest impact crater in North America. Later, bigger ones were found. Some also thought this impact might have helped cause the extinction of the dinosaurs. However, tests showed that the Manson impact happened 9 million years too early to be connected to the dinosaur extinction event.

Today, you can't see the crater from the ground. It has been filled in by glacial till, which is material left behind by glaciers. Even though it's hidden, this filling has helped make it one of the best-preserved impact sites on Earth. The crater is about 24 miles (39 kilometers) wide, and the city of Manson sits right in the middle of it.

Population and People

Manson's Population in 2020

According to the census in 2020, 1,709 people lived in Manson. There were 773 households in the city. The population density was about 527 people per square mile.

Most of the people living in Manson were White (96.9%). A small number of people were from other racial backgrounds. About 2.3% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Manson was 43.1 years old. About 25.5% of the residents were under 20 years old. Also, 22.7% of the people were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.6%) and females (50.4%).

Education in Manson

The Manson–Northwest Webster Community School District serves the students in Manson. This school district was created on July 1, 1993. It was formed when the Manson and Northwest Webster school districts joined together.

See also

In Spanish: Manson (Iowa) para niños