Dakota City is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Humboldt 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 759 at the time of the 2020 census. Dakota City shares its western border with the much larger city of Humboldt. It is the least populous county seat in Iowa.

History

Dakota City was laid out in 1855 and was named after the

Dakota people The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...

. A post office was established as Dakotah in 1856, and renamed Dakota City in 1924.

Geography

Dakota City's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 42.721944, -94.200317. 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 , of which is land and is water.

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 843 people, 351 households, and 238 families residing 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 382 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.0%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.4%

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 ...

, 1.4% 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 1.7% 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 4.2% of the population. There were 351 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% 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, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.2% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 39.3 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 911 people, 356 households, and 253 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 379 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.01%

, 0.11% Native American, 0.11%

, 0.44% from

, and 0.33% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.43% of the population. There were 356 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were

living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

was $33,977 and the median family income was $39,306. Males had a median income of $30,250 versus $23,229 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 $15,441. About 5.2% of families and 6.6% 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 6.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The

Humboldt Community School District Humboldt Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Humboldt, Iowa. It is mostly in Humboldt County, with portions in Webster and Wright counties. It serves Dakota City, Humboldt, Hardy, Renwick, and Rutland ...

operates public schools.Humboldt
."

Iowa Department of Education The Iowa Department of Education sets the standards for all public institutions of education in Iowa and accredits private as well as public schools. It is headquartered in Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city i ...

. Retrieved on September 15, 2018. The city is served by Mease Elementary (Dakota City), Taft Elementary School ( Humboldt), Humboldt Middle School, and Humboldt High School.

Point of interest

The Three Rivers Bike Trail, built on an abandoned railroad grade, passes through town. One of its interesting features is a trestle just south of its highway 3 overpass where it crosses another abandoned railway — also converted to a trail. The "Three Rivers" refers to the East and West Forks of the Des Moines River and to the Boone River, all of which it spans.

Notable person

Harry Reasoner Harry Truman Reasoner (April 17, 1923 – August 6, 1991) was an American journalist for CBS and ABC News, known for his adroit use of language as a television commentator, and as a founder of the long-running ''60 Minutes'' program. Over the ...

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

correspondent

References

External links

Three Rivers Trail
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Dakota City
Home Page , The City of Dakota City Iowa
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Humboldt County, Iowa County seats in Iowa 1855 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1855