Lime Springs is a city in

Howard County, Iowa Howard County is a county located in the US state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,469. The county seat is Cresco. The county was founded in 1851; it was named for General Tilghman Ashurst Howard, a Representative of India ...

, United States. The population was 473 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

The Old Town of Lime Springs 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 bea ...

ted in 1857. After the railroad was built into the area, the town relocated nearby to its tracks. The town, then called Lime Springs Station, was platted again in 1867.

Geography

Lime Springs is located at (43.449578, -92.281226). The town center originally existed a little farther to the north around the Lidtke Mill on the

Upper Iowa River The Upper Iowa River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 13, 2011 tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States. Its headwaters rise ...

, but moved south when the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

came to town. 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 of it land.

Climate

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 505 people, 238 households, and 143 families residing 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 253 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.4%

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% Native American, and 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 ...

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 0.4% of the population. There were 238 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.9% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the city was 45.4 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 496 people, 220 households, and 144 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 243 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.39%

, 0.40% Native American, 0.60%

, and 0.60% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.01% of the population. There were 220 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.81. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $39,063. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $21,776 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 $15,706. About 5.2% of families and 5.9% 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 5.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Sweet Corn Days is the festival of the year in Lime Springs, held on the second Sunday in August. Festivities start Thursday and go thru Sunday. Friday and Saturday are filled with tractor pulls, softball games, and activities for the whole family. And there is much for kids to do at Brown Park. Friday has music and Saturday night features live music and a street dance. Beer tent open Thursday night thru Saturday night. Sunday features free sweet corn and a parade. Most windows around town are decorated with "Rocky the Raccoon" the Sweet Corn Days mascot. Lidtke mill iowa

The historic Lidtke Mill converted into a museum is a popular attraction.

Education

Howard–Winneshiek Community School District Howard–Winneshiek Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Cresco, Iowa. It is mostly in Howard and Winneshiek counties, with a small section in Chickasaw County. It serves Cresco, Chester, Elma, Lime S ...

operates public schools. The district was formed from the merger of the Cresco, Lime Springs/Chester, Elma, and Ridgeway school districts, opening on July 1, 1960. In 2015 the district board voted to close the Lime Springs- Chester Elementary School on a 4–1 basis.

References

External links

The Lime Springs HeraldLime Springs Community Club's unofficial city site.The Lime Springs Page
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Lime Springs
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Howard County, Iowa