Whitten, Iowa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Whitten, Iowa
City
Location of Whitten, Iowa
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Hardin
Area
• Total	0.50 sq mi (1.29 km2)
• Land	0.50 sq mi (1.29 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	1,033 ft (315 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	100
• Density	201.21/sq mi (77.69/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	50269
Area code(s)	641
FIPS code	19-85305
GNIS feature ID	0463014

Whitten is a city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. The population was 100 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

C.C. Whitten, an official for the Northwestern Railway System, platted the town in 1880. Whitten was incorporated in 1882 with a population of 350. By 1914, Whitten was proud of its church membership of 170, its schools, three general stores, a blacksmith shop, restaurant, bank, produce house, implement store, and two doctors. In fact, Whitten was never without a doctor until 1973 when Dr. George Blaha died after serving the community for 60 years.

In the early 20th century, the city experienced several devastating fires which destroyed much of the town. The city rebuilt very little. Today, Whitten is one of many small Iowa towns struggling to survive.

In the 1980s, Whitten saw a brief growth spurt due in part by the consolidation of the school with Conrad. However, because of Whitten's lack of industry, young people quickly left the town seeking better opportunities.

Geography

Whitten is located at 42°15′41″N 93°0′27″W / 42.26139°N 93.00750°W / 42.26139; -93.00750 (42.261478, -93.007387).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.54 square miles (1.40 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 149 people, 60 households, and 42 families residing in the city. The population density was 275.9 inhabitants per square mile (106.5/km²). There were 66 housing units at an average density of 122.2 per square mile (47.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.3% White, 1.3% African American, and 3.4% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.

There were 60 households, of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the city was 37.3 years. 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.1% were from 25 to 44; 32.3% were from 45 to 64; and 10.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

Twister

Part of the 1996 movie Twister starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton was shot just outside Whitten. The famous scene with Hunt and Paxton taking cover in a farm pumphouse and strapping themselves down with a leather belt to avoid being blown away was filmed at an old Whitten farmhouse owned by the Haywood family.

Education

BCLUW Community School District operates public schools serving Whitten. The schools are BCLUW Elementary School in Conrad, BCLUW Middle School in Union, and BCLUW High School in Conrad.

The Union-Whitten school district served Whitten until July 1, 1992, when it merged into BCLUW.

Notable people

• Ray Boynton (1883 – 1951), Artist
• Denise Long Rife (1951 - ), Sportswoman

See also

In Spanish: Whitten (Iowa) para niños