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Washington, Iowa
The north side of the Washington Square with the Courthouse in the background.
The north side of the Washington Square with the Courthouse in the background.
Official logo of Washington, Iowa
Nickname(s): 
City of Flowers and Trees
Motto(s): 
Onward! To the Salt Mines!
Location of Washington, Iowa
Location of Washington, Iowa
Country  United States
State  Iowa
County Washington
Area
 • Total 5.34 sq mi (13.82 km2)
 • Land 5.33 sq mi (13.82 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
758 ft (231 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 7,352
 • Density 1,378.33/sq mi (532.15/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
52353
Area code(s) 319
FIPS code 19-82335
GNIS feature ID 2397207

Washington is a city in Iowa, United States. It is the main city, also known as the county seat, of Washington County. Washington is part of the larger Iowa City area. In 2020, about 7,352 people lived there.

History of Washington

Washington Iowa Courthouse1858
An 1858 drawing of the Washington County Courthouse.

Washington was started in 1839. It became the county seat for the new Washington County. A college was opened here in 1854, but it closed in 1864. In 2014, the city celebrated its 175th birthday! That's only five years younger than Dubuque, Iowa, which is the oldest city in Iowa.

In 2016, the State Theatre in Washington got a special award. The Guinness World Book of Records said it was the "world's oldest continually operating cinema theatre." This means it has been showing movies longer than any other movie theater in the world!

Geography and Location

Washington is located in Iowa. The city covers an area of about 4.92 square miles (12.74 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

People of Washington

Historical populations
Year Pop. ±%
1870 2,575 —    
1880 2,949 +14.5%
1890 3,235 +9.7%
1900 4,255 +31.5%
1910 4,380 +2.9%
1920 4,697 +7.2%
1930 4,814 +2.5%
1940 5,227 +8.6%
1950 5,902 +12.9%
1960 6,037 +2.3%
1970 6,317 +4.6%
1980 6,584 +4.2%
1990 7,074 +7.4%
2000 7,047 −0.4%
2010 7,266 +3.1%
2020 7,352 +1.2%
Source: and Iowa Data Center
Source:
U.S. Decennial Census
Kurtz House
The Kurtz House is a historic building in Washington.

2020 Census Information

In 2020, there were 7,352 people living in Washington. There were about 3,071 households. A household is a group of people living together in one home.

Most people in Washington are White (84.1%). About 13.8% of the people are Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in the city was 40.7 years old. About 25.9% of the residents were under 20 years old. Also, 23.5% were 65 years old or older. The city has slightly more females (52.5%) than males (47.5%).

Education in Washington

The Washington Community School District is in charge of the schools in the city. This includes Washington High School, where older students go.

Famous People from Washington

  • Harry W. Bolens, a state senator from Wisconsin
  • Smith Wildman Brookhart, a United States Senator
  • Eva Carter Buckner, a poet, writer, and supporter of women's right to vote
  • Charles Almon Dewey, a judge for the United States federal government
  • Matt Fish, a basketball player
  • Owen Gingerich, an astronomer (someone who studies stars and planets)
  • Mike Hennigan, an NFL player and coach
  • Pierce Knox, a blind xylophonist (someone who plays the xylophone)
  • John F. McJunkin, an Iowa state senator
  • Keith Molesworth, a basketball player and coach
  • Pam Roth, an Illinois state representative
  • John M. Work, a Socialist and newspaper editor

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Washington (Iowa) para niños

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