Nevada ( ) 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, Story 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 6,925 in the 2020 census, an increase from 6,658 in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

. Nevada is part of the

Ames, Iowa Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is best known as the home of Iowa State University (ISU), with leading agriculture, design, engineering, and veterinary medici ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

, which is a part of the larger Ames-

Boone, Iowa Boone ( ) is a city in Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, Des Moines Township, and county seat of Boone County, Iowa, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encom ...

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

. Nevada is the second-most populous city in Story County. The city's name is pronounced differently from the U.S. state of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

History

Nevada 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 bear ...

ted in 1853. It was named after the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

mountains. On October 11, 1853 the T. E. Alderman family moved into the first structure in Nevada. This Structure served as Pioneer Store, Post office, and Court Room. A post office has been in operation in Nevada since 1854. Historic properties in Nevada include Briggs Terrace Evergreen Lane Property, completed in 1879, and the Nevada Downtown Historic District, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2003. In 2019, the district became the 54th Main Street Iowa community, part of the larger

Main Street Programs in the United States Main Street Programs aim to revitalize downtowns and commercial districts through preservation-based economic development and community revitalization. The " Main Street Project" was begun in 1977 with a pilot involving 3 towns: Galesburg, Illinois ...

Geography

Nevada's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 42.019152, -93.451775. 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 6,798 people, 2,761 households, and 1,811 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 2,990 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.3%

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 ...

, 1.3%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.0%

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 ...

, 1.7% 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 1.5% 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 3.4% of the population. There were 2,761 households, of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% 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, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 37.1 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 6,658 people, 2,716 households, and 1,787 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,882 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.97%

, 0.59%

, 0.14% Native American, 0.66%

, 0.54% from

, and 1.11% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.02% of the population. There were 2,716 households, out of which 33.07% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were

living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.1% 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 2.38 and the average family size was 2.92. Age spread: 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $42,527, and the median income for a family was $48,700. Males had a median income of $32,635 versus $24,680 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 $20,392. About 3.9% of families and 5.6% 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 4.4% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Media

;Newsprint The ''Nevada Journal'' publishes a weekly newspaper which comes out on Thursday, and the "Story Today" released on Wednesday. The Nevada Journal provides in-depth coverage of local and regional issues as well as sports and is the official newspaper for the City of Nevada. National news coverage is provided on a daily basis by the ''

Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junction ...

'' and the ''

Ames Tribune ''The Ames Tribune'' is a newspaper published Tuesday through Sunday based in Ames, Iowa. The newspaper is owned by Gannett. In 1986, the ''Tribune'' was bought by Michael Gartner and Gary Gerlach, two former executives at ''The Des Moines Regist ...

''. ;Radio and television While Nevada has no broadcast stations of its own, it is well served from the Ames-Des Moines television and radio markets. Nevada is featured in John Darnielle's 2017 novel ''

Universal Harvester ''Universal Harvester'' is a novel by the American novelist and singer-songwriter John Darnielle. It is the second novel written by Darnielle, after '' Wolf in White Van''. It tells the story of a video store clerk in Iowa who finds strange and ...

''.

Transportation

Nevada is served by

US Highway 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...

which was known as the

Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 1913 ...

and Lincoln Way in town. It bisects Nevada north and south through the business district. A new US Highway 30 bypass was built in the 1970s to the south of the city and Lincoln Way through town was reduced to county road status. Iowa Highway 133 now connects the business district to the new US Highway 30 to the south. Nevada is also served well by a network of paved farm to market county roads. Nevada was served by the

Chicago and North Western Railroad The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

. The

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

now owns the line which crosses the city east to west north of the business district. Up until the mid-1980s, all railroad crossings except for a new one in the northwest section of town were protected by WRRS center harp style wigwag signals. Shortly thereafter, these signals were replaced with standard flashers and gates due to safety concerns and lack of available wigwag parts. Nevada was also served by the

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At the end ...

's "Spine Line" between

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, MN and

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, MO. This north-south line jogged east-west through southern Nevada. It then veered north again and crossed under the C&NW mainline east of Nevada. An agency station was maintained until 1980 when the Rock Island went bankrupt and ceased to function. The C&NW purchased the Rock Island "Spine Line" which offered better and more direct connections for

and

. Since the two rail lines did not directly interchange east of town where the C&NW crosses over the Rock Island, a new connection on the west side of Nevada was built. It goes from the C&NW east-west main line to connect with the former Rock Island on the southwest side of Nevada. The junction on the Spine Line was referred to as "Chicago Junction" while the junction on the east-west mainline was referred to as "Kansas City Junction". This new line necessitated the building of an overpass for the old Lincoln Highway on the west side of Nevada. The

purchased the Chicago and North Western Railroad in 1995. Rail traffic on both the east-west mainline and the "Spine Line" along with interchange traffic has increased considerably in the years since the purchase.

Education

Nevada Community School District operates public schools. The school colors are purple and gold, and the mascot is a cub. *Central Elementary School *Nevada Community Middle School *Nevada Community High School *Nevada Community Resource Center

In popular culture

The 2017 novel ''

'' by American novelist and singer-songwriter

John Darnielle John Darnielle (; born March 16, 1967) is an American musician and novelist best known as the primary, and originally sole, member of the American band the Mountain Goats, for which he is the writer, composer, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist. ...

is set primarily in Nevada.

Notable people

Dayton Countryman Dayton Wendell Countryman (March 31, 1918 – September 13, 2011) was an American attorney, farmer, and politician who served as the 26th Attorney General of Iowa from 1955 to 1957. Early life and education Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Count ...

(1918–2011), Iowa Attorney General *

Neva Patterson Neva Louise Patterson (February 10, 1920 – December 14, 2010) was an American actress. Early years Born on a farm near Nevada, Iowa, Patterson was the daughter of mailman George Patterson and seamstress Marjorie Byers Patterson. After gradua ...

(1920–2010),

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

Paul Rhoads Paul Robert Rhoads (born February 2, 1967) is an American college football coach. He is currently an analyst at Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State. A long-time Power Five conferences, major conference assistant coach and head coach, he is ...

(born 1967)

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

coach, former head coach at

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

Billy Sunday William Ashley "Billy" Sunday (November 19, 1862 – November 6, 1935) was an American outfielder in baseball's National League and widely considered the most influential American evangelist during the first two decades of the 20th century. Bo ...

, baseball player and evangelist * Michael Wacha, baseball player for St. Louis Cardinals, grandson of a local family

References

External links

City of Nevada website
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Nevada *
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Story County, Iowa County seats in Iowa Populated places established in 1853 1853 establishments in Iowa