Wadena, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wadena, Iowa
|
|
|---|---|
Location of Wadena, Iowa
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Fayette |
| Incorporated | July 11, 1895 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.75 sq mi (1.95 km2) |
| • Land | 0.75 sq mi (1.95 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 883 ft (269 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 209 |
| • Density | 277.93/sq mi (107.31/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
52169
|
| Area code(s) | 563 |
| FIPS code | 19-81570 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0462599 |
Wadena is a small city located in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. In 2020, about 209 people lived there.
Wadena gets its electricity from Alliant Energy. Phone and internet services are provided by Windstream. For cell phones, U.S. Cellular offers the best service because they have a tower nearby. Since Wadena is in a valley, other cell phone companies might not have strong signals. If you want cable TV, you'll need to use satellite services like Dish Network or DirecTV.
Wadena is famous in Iowa for a big rock music festival. It was held on a farm near the city from August 1 to 3, 1970. Another festival happened in July 1995, but it wasn't as well-known as the first one.
The city is also known for its lighted cross. This cross is on a hill south of town and looks over Wadena. It was put up in 1976 during the country's 200th birthday celebrations. The lighted cross is kept shining thanks to donations from people. Also, the "Barney Burger" is a very popular food item in Wadena!
Wadena is part of the North Fayette Valley School System. In 2013, the Valley Community School District joined with the North Fayette CSD. They formed the new North Fayette Valley district. Their new mascot is the Tigerhawk, which combines the old mascots: the Valley Tigers and the North Fayette Hawks. High school students (grades 9-12) go to North Fayette Valley High School in West Union. Middle school students (grades 7-8) attend North Fayette Valley Middle School, located between Elgin and Clermont. Most elementary students from Wadena go to Valley Elementary, which is in the same building as the middle school.
Contents
Geography of Wadena
Wadena is located in Iowa at coordinates 42.840464 degrees North and -91.656473 degrees West.
The city is found along Iowa County Road W51. It is just two miles south of Iowa State Route 56. Wadena is in an area of Iowa called the Driftless Area. This area has hills and valleys that were not flattened by glaciers long ago.
The United States Census Bureau says that Wadena covers about 0.74 square miles (1.95 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.
The Volga River flows along the south side of the city.
Population Changes Over Time
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1900 | 170 | — |
| 1910 | 253 | +48.8% |
| 1920 | 318 | +25.7% |
| 1930 | 312 | −1.9% |
| 1940 | 377 | +20.8% |
| 1950 | 316 | −16.2% |
| 1960 | 275 | −13.0% |
| 1970 | 237 | −13.8% |
| 1980 | 230 | −3.0% |
| 1990 | 236 | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 243 | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 262 | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 209 | −20.2% |
| Source: and Iowa Data Center Source: |
||
The population of Wadena has changed over many years. You can see how many people lived in the city during different census years in the table above.
Wadena's Population in 2020
According to the census taken in 2020, Wadena had 209 people living there. There were 107 households and 55 families. The city had about 277.9 people per square mile. There were 109 homes, with an average of 144.9 homes per square mile.
Most of the people in Wadena were White (92.8%). A small number were Black or African American (0.5%), or from two or more races (5.7%). About 1.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In the households, 26.2% had children under 18 living with them. About 36.4% were married couples. Some households had a single female (17.8%) or male (33.6%) as the head of the house. Almost half of all households (48.6%) were not families. About 37.4% of households were just one person. About 17.8% of households had someone aged 65 or older living alone.
The average age of people in Wadena was 46.9 years. About 22.5% of residents were under 20 years old. Another 25.8% were 65 years or older. The city had slightly more males (56.5%) than females (43.5%).
Wadena's Population in 2010
In the census of 2010, Wadena had 262 people. There were 111 households and 68 families. The population density was about 354.1 people per square mile. There were 123 housing units.
Most people were White (99.2%), and 0.8% were from two or more races. About 0.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 30.6% of households had children under 18. About 48.6% were married couples. The average household had 2.36 people, and the average family had 2.94 people.
The average age in Wadena was 37.6 years. About 26.7% of residents were under 18. About 16.4% were 65 or older. The city had almost an equal number of males (49.6%) and females (50.4%).
Education in Wadena
Wadena is part of the North Fayette Valley Community School District. Before this, it was part of the Valley Community School District. This district joined with the North Fayette district on July 1, 2018, to form the current school system.
See also
In Spanish: Wadena (Iowa) para niños
