Exira is a city in

Audubon County, Iowa Audubon County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,674, making it Iowa's third-least populous county. Its county seat is Audubon. The county was named after John James Audubon, the naturalist and ...

, United States, along the East Nishnabotna River and

U.S. Route 71 U.S. Route 71 or U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) is a major north–south United States highway that extends for over 1500 miles (2500 km) in the central United States. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstat ...

. The population was 787 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

The oldest town in Audubon County, Exira was founded in 1857. The town was named for Exira Eckman, daughter of Judge John Eckman from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, who agreed to purchase a lot of property in the town if the town was named for his daughter. The main industries in and around Exira are agriculture and agribusiness. Exira has a school, completed in 1959. There are four churches in the town. On July 2, 1958, Exira was ravaged by the flooding of the East Nishnabotna River. Nineteen persons in the area lost their lives, 75 homes were destroyed and almost 20 businesses in the western part of Exira were damaged. Exira is well known for its

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

celebrations, which have been celebrated since 1861. The morning parade and the evening fireworks draw thousands of visitors to the town. Other attractions in the area include the Plow in the Oak Park, south of Exira on Highway 71, and Littlefield Recreation Area, southeast of Exira, which features a lake,

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

restoration area and a live bison pair.

Geography

Exira is located at (41.591617, -94.878247). 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 t ...

, 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 in ...

of 2010, there were 840 people, 381 households, and 217 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was . There were 422 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.6%

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 o ...

, 0.2%

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% 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 ...

, and 0.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 1.4% of the population. There were 381 households, of which 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.63. The median age in the city was 49.7 years. 16.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.4% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 29.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 43.1% male and 56.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 810 people, 362 households, and 211 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 394 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.64%

, 0.25%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.49%

, and 0.49% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.86% of the population. There were 362 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 27.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.74. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 33.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,319, and the median income for a family was $32,222. Males had a median income of $25,917 versus $17,656 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 $15,124. About 9.9% of families and 11.7% 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 19.0% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is served by the Exira–Elk Horn–Kimballton Community School District. It was in the Exira Community School District until it consolidated into Exira-EHK on July 1, 2014.

Notable people

* Ben F. Jensen (1892–1970)

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for the former

Iowa's 7th congressional district Iowa's 7th congressional district is a former congressional district in Iowa. It was eliminated after the 1970 election, leaving Iowa with six congressional districts. The state has since been reduced to four congressional districts. Redistrict ...

Jack Pardee John Perry Pardee (April 19, 1936 – April 1, 2013) was an American football linebacker and the only head coach to helm a team in college football, the National Football League (NFL), the United States Football League (USFL), the World Footbal ...

(1936–2013) NFL player and

Head Coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

The Thomas B. Thielen Student Health Center at Iowa State University is named after former Exira resident, Thomas B. Thielen. Thielen served as vice president for student affairs at Iowa State University from 1977 to 1997. The housing complex, Frederiksen Court, at Iowa State University is named for former Exira resident, Charles "Chuck" Frederiksen. His family moved to Exira, when he was three, where he attended and graduated from high school as valedictorian of his class. For nearly 50 years, Chuck had a distinguished career in the college and university housing profession. He became the Director of Residence in 1967 and retired in 1996. During his tenure at Iowa State, Chuck oversaw the construction, staffing and occupancy of many student housing and dining service facilities, including five residence halls and single and married family apartment complexes. Chuck received two significant recognitions during and following his retirement from ISU. The first was the establishment of the Frederiksen Leadership Award for student leaders living in university housing. The second recognition was the naming of a new housing complex, Frederiksen Court, in April 2002. Frederiksen Court currently houses more than 3,500 single undergraduate students in 29 buildings.

References

External links

Exira Community Schools
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Exira
{{authority control Cities in Audubon County, Iowa Cities in Iowa 1857 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1857