Calmar is a city in Winneshiek County,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, United States. The population was 1,125 at the 2020 census. It is at the junction of

U.S. Route 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows ...

and State highways 150 and 24, with both state routes terminating in Calmar.

History

Calmar was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1854. It was named after

Kalmar Kalmar (, , ) is a city in the southeast of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 36,392 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of ...

, a city in Sweden. The settlement experienced growth in 1868 when the railroad was built through it. Calmar was incorporated on July 14, 1869.

Geography

Calmar is located at (43.182054, -91.866446). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 978 people, 444 households, and 252 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 492 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.6% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 444 households, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.2% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 34.9 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.7% male and 48.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,058 people, 452 households, and 269 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 482 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.87%

, 0.19%

, 0.09% Native American, 0.19%

, and 0.66% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.47% of the population. There were 452 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $50,063. Males had a median income of $29,875 versus $21,708 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,958. About 3.4% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Calmar is home to one of two campuses of

Northeast Iowa Community College Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is a public community college with two main campuses in Iowa, one in Calmar and one in Peosta. The college serves the Iowa counties of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, Winneshiek, Dub ...

. The community is within the

South Winneshiek Community School District The South Winneshiek Community School District (SW) is a rural public school district headquartered in Calmar, Iowa. With campuses in Calmar and Ossian, it serves grades Pre-K through 12th. The district is entirely in Winneshiek County, and in ...

. South Winneshiek High School is in Calmar. Its elementary and middle schools are in Ossian. CFS Catholic School formed as a consolidation of Catholic schools in Calmar,

Festina Festina F16184 Festina is a Spanish watch brand. In 1985, businessman Miguel Rodríguez acquired Festina, a brand founded in Switzerland in 1902, thus forming the ''Festina-Lotus group.'' History Festina was created in 1902 by the Stüdi f ...

, and Spillville. Prior to fall 2020 its campuses are St. Aloysius Center in Calmar and St. Wenceslaus Center in Spillville. In 2019 CFS and St. Theresa of Calcutta in

Ossian Ossian (; Irish Gaelic/Scottish Gaelic: ''Oisean'') is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson, originally as ''Fingal'' (1761) and ''Temora'' (1763), and later combined under t ...

announced plans to consolidate into a single school, with the Calmar campus closing. Beginning fall 2020 the Ossian campus will house grades K-2 and middle school while the Spillville campus will house grades 3-4.

Notable person

John Brayshaw Kaye John Brayshaw Kaye (June 10, 1841 – March 29, 1909) was an English-born American poet, lawyer and politician. Life and works John Brayshaw Kaye was born in Yorkshire, England, June 10, 1841, the fifth child and the fourth son of Abram and M ...

- poet and former mayor of Calmar

Notes

References

External links

City of Calmar, Iowa Website
Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more
City-Data.com
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Calmar
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Winneshiek County, Iowa