Charter Oak is a city in

Crawford County, Iowa Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,525. Its county seat is Denison. The county was named for William Harris Crawford, U.S. senator from Georgia and United States Secretar ...

, United States, along the

East Soldier River The Soldier River is a tributary of the Missouri River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 30, 2011 in western Iowa in the United States. Several portions ...

. The population was 535 at the 2020 census.

History

Charter Oak was first mentioned in newspapers August 13, 1869. The town Post Office was established May 4, 1876. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway was completed in February 1887, bringing the train through town twice daily as it hauled postage and freight from Manilla to Sioux City. Articles of Incorporation were filed for the town of Charter Oak February 14, 1891. Charter Oak was a busy community with many businesses to employ community members. The first school was built in 1889, as the community grew the school became too small. The current school building was built in 1916. In 1929 the first street was paved. In 1980 the freight service on the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railroad ended, the rail line was removed, and the station was sold.

Geography

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.

Major Highway

Iowa Highway 141 Iowa Highway 141 (Iowa 141) is an east–west highway in the western and central portions of the state. It is the most direct link between Sioux City and Des Moines. It also serves as a freeway link between Des Moines and the outlying com ...

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 502 people, 229 households, and 125 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 268 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.6%

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, 0.6%

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 ...

, 1.4%

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 ...

, 1.0% 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 1.4% 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 7.2% of the population. There were 229 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% 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, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.4% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 42.5 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.8% were from 25 to 44; 30.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 530 people, 245 households, and 149 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 275 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.62%

and 0.38%

of any race were 0.19% of the population. There were 245 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were

living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.83. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,482, and the median income for a family was $40,781. Males had a median income of $26,838 versus $19,712 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 $16,583. About 3.1% of families and 5.5% 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 none of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Charter Oak–Ute Community School District; consisting of Charter Oak,

Soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

, and

Ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute (band), an Australian jazz group * Ute (given name) * ''Ute'' (sponge), a sponge genus * Ute (vehicle), an Australian and New Zealand term for certain utility vehicles * Ute, Iowa, a city in Monona County along ...

; operates a K-8 public school. Charter Oak-Ute CSD is in a Whole Grade Sharing partnership with Maple Valley Anthon-Oto CSD for grades 9-12.
Open Enrollment
allows students to enroll in other districts, neighboring districts that students also enroll in are Denison Community School District and Boyer Valley Community School District, following the terms and conditions o
Iowa Code 282.18
an
Iowa Administrative Code 281-17