Waterloo, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Waterloo, Indiana
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Location of Waterloo in DeKalb County, Indiana.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | DeKalb |
| Township | Grant, Smithfield |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.11 sq mi (5.47 km2) |
| • Land | 2.11 sq mi (5.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 915 ft (279 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,116 |
| • Density | 1,002.84/sq mi (387.16/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
46793
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| Area code(s) | 260 |
| FIPS code | 18-81278 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2397725 |
Waterloo is a small town in DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. It is located in both Grant and Smithfield townships. In 2020, about 2,116 people lived there.
Contents
A Look Back: Waterloo's History
Waterloo was first planned out in 1856. This happened when the railroad lines were built to reach that spot. It is thought that the town was named after Waterloo in Belgium.
A special building, the Waterloo Community Mausoleum, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. This means it is an important historical site.
Where is Waterloo? (Geography)
In 2010, Waterloo covered an area of about 1.74 square miles (4.51 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Something very cool was found near Waterloo in 1888! It was a nearly complete skeleton of a mastodon. A mastodon is an ancient, elephant-like animal. You can see this skeleton at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.
Who Lives in Waterloo? (Population)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 343 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,259 | 267.1% | |
| 1880 | 1,376 | 9.3% | |
| 1890 | 1,478 | 7.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,244 | −15.8% | |
| 1910 | 1,167 | −6.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,172 | 0.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,244 | 6.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,257 | 1.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,414 | 12.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,432 | 1.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,876 | 31.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,951 | 4.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,040 | 4.6% | |
| 2000 | 2,200 | 7.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,242 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 2,116 | −5.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of Waterloo has changed over the years. You can see how it grew and shrank in the chart above.
People and Families in 2010
In 2010, there were 2,242 people living in Waterloo. They lived in 809 households. A household is a group of people living together. Most of these were families.
Most of the people living in Waterloo were White (95.3%). A small number were African American (0.5%) or Native American (0.1%). Some people were from other backgrounds (1.7%) or mixed races (2.4%). About 3.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Many households (42.5%) had children under 18 living with them. About 48.1% were married couples. Some households had a single parent, either a mother (16.8%) or a father (6.4%). About 28.7% were not families.
The average age of people in Waterloo was 31.5 years old. About 30% of the residents were under 18. About 10.1% were between 18 and 24 years old.
Learning in Waterloo: Schools and Library
Waterloo is part of the Dekalb County Central United School District. Students in Waterloo go to these public schools:
- Waterloo Elementary School
- DeKalb Middle School
- DeKalb High School
The town also has the Waterloo-Grant Township Public Library. It is one of four public libraries in DeKalb County. This library is a Carnegie library, which means it was built with money from Andrew Carnegie. It first opened in 1913.
Getting Around: Trains in Waterloo
Waterloo is located on an old railroad line. This line was once called the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. Today, it is part of the Norfolk Southern Railway.
Waterloo is served daily by two Amtrak passenger trains. These trains are the Capitol Limited and the Lake Shore Limited. They help people travel to and from Waterloo.
In 2010, the town received money to improve the train station. The goal was to make it easier for everyone to use, including people with disabilities. This is called meeting ADA standards. Even though a new platform wasn't built, the money was used for other improvements. In 2016, new lighting, electronic signs, and a parking lot were added. The old train station building was also moved closer to the tracks and reopened for Amtrak passengers.
Waterloo on TV
Did you know that a TV station once started in Waterloo? WINT-TV, Channel 15, began broadcasting from studios in Waterloo in 1954. This station later became WANE-TV in Fort Wayne in 1956.
See also
In Spanish: Waterloo (Indiana) para niños
