Spirit Lake, Iowa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spirit Lake, Iowa
City
Spirit Lake, Iowa
Location of Spirit Lake, Iowa
The town of Spirit Lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Map courtesy of USGS
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Dickinson County
Incorporated	October 14, 1878
Area
• Total	4.50 sq mi (11.65 km2)
• Land	4.48 sq mi (11.60 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation	1,473 ft (449 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,439
• Density	1,214.60/sq mi (468.97/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	51360
Area code(s)	712
FIPS code	19-74415

Spirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. It is a special place located along the western shore of East Okoboji Lake. This area is part of the beautiful Iowa Great Lakes region. In 2020, about 5,439 people lived here. Spirit Lake is also the county seat of Dickinson County, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located.

History of Spirit Lake

How Spirit Lake Got Its Name

The name "Spirit Lake" comes from the Dakota Sioux people. They called it "The Lake of The Spirit." This shows how important and special the lake was to them.

Early Settlers and Conflicts

In 1856, three brothers-in-law, O.C. Howe, B.F. Parmenter, and R.U. Wheelock, visited the Lakes area. They liked it so much that they decided to create the town of Spirit Lake. Soon, other settlers joined them, building homes near the lakes.

However, the new settlers and the native people did not always get along. On March 13, 1857, a conflict occurred. Chief Inkpaduta of the Sioux led a group against the non-native settlers. Many settlers lost their lives during this event, and only four women survived.

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  Courthouse, 1902

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  Stevens Block, 1902

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  Main Street, 1936

Geography of Spirit Lake

Land and Water Area

Spirit Lake covers a total area of about 4.65 square miles (12.04 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 4.63 square miles (11.99 square kilometers). A small part, about 0.02 square miles (0.05 square kilometers), is water. This water area includes parts of the lakes that are within the city limits.

Population and People

Spirit Lake's Growing Population

The number of people living in Spirit Lake has changed over the years. Here's a look at how the population has grown:

Who Lives in Spirit Lake?

In 2010, there were 4,840 people living in Spirit Lake. These people lived in 2,157 households. A household is a group of people living together in one home. About 1,268 of these households were families.

The average age of people in Spirit Lake was about 41.9 years old. About 23.1% of the residents were under 18 years old. This means there are many kids and teenagers in the city. About 19.9% of the residents were 65 years or older.

Education in Spirit Lake

Local Schools

The Spirit Lake Community School District provides public education for students in Spirit Lake. This district includes schools for different age groups, from elementary to high school.

Media and News

Staying Informed in Spirit Lake

Residents of Spirit Lake can stay updated through local media. The Dickinson County News is a newspaper that provides local news. There are also two radio stations, KUOO-FM (103.9) and KUQQ-FM, that serve the area.

Notable People from Spirit Lake

Spirit Lake has been home to some important people:

• Berkley Bedell (1921–2019) was a politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Iowa from 1975 to 1987. This means he helped make laws for the country.
• Margaret Hance (1923–1990) made history as the first female mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. She served in this role from 1976 to 1983.

See also

In Spanish: Spirit Lake (Iowa) para niños