Pleasantville, Iowa Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Pleasantville, Iowa
City

Location of Pleasantville, Iowa
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Marion
Area
• Total	2.45 sq mi (6.35 km²)
• Land	2.45 sq mi (6.34 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km²)
Elevation	912 ft (278 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,676
• Density	684.92/sq mi (264.49/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	50225
Area code(s)	515
FIPS code	19-63750
GNIS feature ID	2396237

Pleasantville is a city in Marion County in Iowa, United States. The population was 1,676 at the time of the 2020 census. Pleasantville is most famous for being the corporate headquarters of Smokey Row Coffee and the hometown of softball player Chelsea Thomas whose honors include, three time All American at The University of Missouri (2011, 2012, 2013), three time conference pitcher of the year (twice in the Big 12, once in the SEC), and United States National Team member.

History
Movie
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
Education
Gallery
See also

History

Pleasantville was surveyed and established as a town on August 1, 1849 on land then owned by William Wesley Jordan. Previous to the ownership of Mr. Jordan, the land comprising the original town plot of Pleasantville changed hands for one horse and $30.

Pleasantville City Hall

A petition for incorporation was filed in District Court on June 11, 1872 with an election subsequently held in which there were 46 votes in favor and 16 votes against.

The completion of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Line through Pleasantville in 1879 caused an increase in development and Pleasantville became one of the active business centers in Marion County and the principal shipping point between Knoxville and Des Moines.

The earliest population figures available begin in 1900 with 738 residents.

The first school was built in the fall of 1847, and in 1868, the school district joined with the Masonic Lodge in building a three-story brick building that remained a school facility until 1992. Today, the Pleasantville School district consists of three buildings, an elementary, a middle school, and a high school.

Movie

The movie Pleasantville was released in the United States on October 23, 1998. Shortly before and during the film's release, as a promotional tie-in, an online competition gave entrants the chance to visit Pleasantville, Iowa. Over 30,000 people entered. The winner, who remained anonymous, declined the trip and opted to receive the $10,000 cash prize instead.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.54 square miles (6.58 km²), of which, 2.53 square miles (6.55 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.

Demographics

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1880	449	—
1890	510	+13.6%
1900	738	+44.7%
1910	691	−6.4%
1920	859	+24.3%
1930	757	−11.9%
1940	895	+18.2%
1950	893	−0.2%
1960	1,025	+14.8%
1970	1,297	+26.5%
1980	1,531	+18.0%
1990	1,536	+0.3%
2000	1,539	+0.2%
2010	1,694	+10.1%
2020	1,676	−1.1%
Source: and Iowa Data Center Source: U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,694 people, 674 households, and 426 families living in the city. The population density was 669.6 inhabitants per square mile (258.5/km²). There were 719 housing units at an average density of 284.2 per square mile (109.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.8% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.

There were 674 households, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.12.

The median age in the city was 36 years. 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.