Mount Ayr is a city in

Ringgold County, Iowa Ringgold County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,663, making it the Iowa county with the second-smallest population. The county seat is Mount Ayr. The county is named after Maj. Samu ...

, United States. The population was 1,623 at the time of the 2020 census. Mount Ayr is a rural community in southwestern Iowa, 22 miles west of

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

on State Highway 2. Mount Ayr was founded in 1875 and the community was named in honor of poet

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

’ birthplace in Ayr, Scotland. The “mount” was added to indicate its location on the highest point of land in the area.

Geography

Mount Ayr is at the intersection of US Route 169 and

Iowa Highway 2 Iowa Highway 2 (Iowa 2) is a Iowa Primary Highway System, state highway which runs across the southernmost tier of counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. At no point along its route is Iowa 2 more than from the Missouri state line, except ...

. Kellerton is approximately nine miles to the east and

Diagonal In geometry, a diagonal is a line segment joining two vertices of a polygon or polyhedron, when those vertices are not on the same edge. Informally, any sloping line is called diagonal. The word ''diagonal'' derives from the ancient Greek � ...

is about eight miles to the northwest. 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 , of which is land and is water.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Mount Ayr has a

hot-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

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 1,623 people, 739 households, and 437 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 601.1 inhabitants per square mile (232.1/km²). There were 811 housing units at an average density of 300.4 per square mile (116.0/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 95.4%

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 ...

, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% 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 ...

, 0.6% from other races and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 2.0% of the population. Of the 739 households, 26.0% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% 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, 4.6% were cohabitating couples, 32.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 17.9% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 40.9% of all households were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 45.5 years. 24.2% of the residents were under the age of 20; 4.3% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 and 44; 23.3% were from 45 and 64; and 27.0% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 1,691 people, 746 households, and 437 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 822 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.1%

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 0.4% 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 1.6% of the population. There were 746 households, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were

living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.4% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age in the city was 49.5 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.5% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 29.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.5% male and 55.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,822 people, 780 households, and 492 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 856 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.96%

, 0.27% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population. There were 780 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were

living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.82. Age spread: 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 30.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,893, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $27,333 versus $20,184 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $14,444. About 8.3% of families and 13.1% 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 ...

, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Library

The Mount Ayr Public Library is a Carnegie Library and has a microfiche film collection dating back to 1838 and a specialized genealogy room.

Parks and recreation

Local places for recreation include: * Judge Lewis Recreational Park, the city park * Poe Hollow Park & Ringgold Trailway * Sun Valley Lake and Resort, including a golf course and boating facilities * Fife's Grove and Loch Ayr, including a park and lake

Education

Mount Ayr is the home of the Mount Ayr Community School District, which serves Mount Ayr,

Beaconsfield Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, northwest of central London and southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High Wycombe. The ...

, Benton, Delphos, Ellston, Kellerton, Maloy, Redding,

Tingley Tingley is a suburban village in the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, Northern England, forming part of the parish of West Ardsley. Tingley forms part of the Heavy Woollen District. It is situated between the cities of Leeds and Wakefield. ...

, and portions of Clearfield. Mount Ayr has one high school (grades 7-12) and one elementary school (grades K-6), as well as a preschool and alternative high school. Enrollment averages around 50 students in each class. The drama department of Mount Ayr Community High School (MACHS) has produced several students who have played at district and state competitions.

Education statistics

For population 25 years and over in Mount Ayr: * High school or higher: 81.4% * Bachelor's degree or higher: 16.6% * Graduate or professional degree: 5.2%

Airport

Judge Lewis Field, located two miles southeast of Mount Ayr and FAA Identified as 1Y3, is a small airport serving single-engine aircraft, operated by the city of Mount Ayr. The airport has a single gravel runway that is long by wide.

Notable people

* Duane Miller (born 1947) professional football player and Drake football record-holder. * Peggy Whitson (born 1960) first female

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

Chief Astronaut.

Gallery

File:Wall Mural, Mt Ayr, IA Post Office, 1998.jpg, Orr C. Fischer, ''The Corn Parade,'' 1941, oil on canvas,

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

on wall of post office. File:Paving Lincoln St in Mount Ayr, Iowa.jpg, Paving Lincoln St.,
about 1935

References

External links

Mount Ayr Record News
weekly newspaper, e-edition
School website
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Mount Ayr {{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Ringgold County, Iowa County seats in Iowa 1875 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1875