Eldridge is a city in Scott County,

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, United States. The population was 6,726 in the 2020 Census; Eldridge is a rural community and part of the

Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of five cities (originally Tri-Cities, later four, see #History, History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport, Iowa, Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, Bettendorf (the fifth to be included) in southeaster ...

metropolitan area.

History

Jacob M. Eldridge, the city's namesake, arrived in central Scott County in 1846, having purchased land for $1.25 per acre. Immigrants from Germany soon followed, and northern Scott County slowly began to develop. Railroads were developed during the 1860s, bringing more settlers. Eldridge Junction, built on land donated by Jacob Eldridge, was incorporated on July 2, 1871. A post office and a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

church were soon built. Eldridge faced several challenges during its early years. The railroad faltered financially during the 1880s and was re-located to Oxford Junction, while a

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

epidemic several years later was said to have totally isolated the city. A fire heavily damaged the city's business district in 1904, and in 1918 a tornado of unknown strength heavily damaged or destroyed several residences and the church, and killed three people. Each time, the city recovered, and the farming community maintained its status as a grain and livestock shipping center. The city began growing in population during the 1950s, starting with the formation of the Scott County Library System (a countywide network of libraries serving smaller communities in the area) in 1950, and the North Scott Community School District in 1956. By the late 1960s, the population had grown to more than 1,000 residents, and with the creation of several industrial parks to encourage new business development, the city continued to grow.

Geography

Eldridge is located north of Davenport along U.S. Route 61. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 6,726 people, 2,679 households, and 1,854 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was 689.3 inhabitants per square mile (266.1/km²). There were 2,820 housing units at an average density of 289.0 per square mile (111.6/km²). The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the city was 92.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.8% from other races and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 3.7% of the population. Of the 2,679 households, 36.3% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.1% were cohabitating couples, 24.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 14.8% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 30.8% of all households were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 39.2 years. 29.5% of the residents were under the age of 20; 4.4% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 and 44; 24.6% were from 45 and 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 5,651 people, 2,213 households, and 1,576 families living in the city. The

was . There were 2,296 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.8%

, 0.5%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 2,213 households, of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were

living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 28.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 11.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

As of the census, 04000US19, 16000US1924600&_street=&_county=Eldridge&_cityTown=Eldridge&_state=04000US19&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y Eldridge city, Iowa
– Fact Sheet – American FactFinder, (Factfinder.census.gov) Accessed 2010-09-16 of 2000, there were 4,159 people, 1,501 households, and 1,179 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,540 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.58%

, 0.24%

, 0.05% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the population. There were 1,501 households, out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.15. 31.5% are under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $54,167, and the median income for a family was $62,401. Males had a median income of $45,407 versus $23,285 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,514. About 3.2% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Government

Eldridge has a mayor-council form of government with a mayor and five city council members. All council members are at-large. City council meetings are conducted bi-monthly on the first and third Mondays of each month at the Eldridge Community Center. The city is managed by a city administrator.

Education

Eldridge hosts three of the seven public schools in the North Scott Community School District, which has its administrative offices there as well. The North Scott High School, North Scott Junior High and Ed White Elementary School are in Eldridge. The other four elementary schools in the district are in the outlying communities of Donahue, Long Grove, Park View and Princeton. Residents are represented by a seven-member board of education, which conducts bi-monthly meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at the Administration Center.

Popular culture

Promised Land (2012 film) ''Promised Land'' is a 2012 American drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt and Hal Holbrook. The screenplay by Damon and Krasinski is based on a story by Dave Eggers. ''Pr ...

, Matt Damon's character, Steve Butler, is from the area of Eldridge, Iowa.

Notable people

* Beth Bader (born 1973), member of the

LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly ...

* Kari Lake (born 1969), the 2022 Republican nominee for Arizona Governor, and a 2024 United States Senate nominee, graduated from North Scott High School in Eldridge.

References

External links

City of Eldridge
Comprehensive statistical data and more about Eldridge {{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in the Quad Cities Cities in Scott County, Iowa 1871 establishments in Iowa