Onawa 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, Monona 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 2,906 at the time of the 2020 Census. It is the largest town on the Iowa side of the Missouri River between

Council Bluffs Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is lo ...

and

Sioux City Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

History

Onawa was named for a character mentioned in the poem ''

The Song of Hiawatha ''The Song of Hiawatha'' is an 1855 epic poem in trochaic tetrameter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which features Native American characters. The epic relates the fictional adventures of an Ojibwe warrior named Hiawatha and the tragedy of his l ...

'' by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

. Onawa 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 1857, and the railway arrived to the city in 1867. The city is known for having the widest main street in the continental United States. Onawa was the site of a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp for captured German soldiers between 1944 and 1946. Historical documents indicate there were never more than 50 POWs in camp. A larger camp existed near the central Iowa town of Algona, and housed as many as 5,400 German POWs.

Geography

Onawa's

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...

and

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

coordinates in decimal form are 42.027490, -96.096513. 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 , all land. Onawa is located in the

Loess Hills The Loess Hills are a formation of wind-deposited loess soil in the westernmost parts of Iowa and Missouri, and the easternmost parts of Nebraska and Kansas, along the Missouri River. Geology The Loess (, , or ) Hills are generally located bet ...

region of western Iowa, a unique geological and environmental area. Nearby are such natural areas as Lewis & Clark State Park,

Preparation Canyon State Park Preparation Canyon State Park is located north of Pisgah, Iowa, United States. Located in the Loess Hills, the park is a relatively undisturbed and undeveloped place. It provides space for picnicking, hiking, and camping in ten hike-in camp sit ...

, and the Loess Hills State Forest.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 Census, there were 2,998 people, 1,345 households, and 756 families living 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 1,519 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.4% non-Hispanic

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 ...

, 0.4% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.1% 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 1.0% 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 ...

people of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 1,345 households, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% 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, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.8% were non-families. Thirty-eight point nine percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 44.8 years. Twenty-three point two of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 24% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 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 2000, there were 3,091 people, 1,329 households, and 796 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,452 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.86%

, 0.03%

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 ...

, 1.16% Native American, 0.19%

, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, 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 the original p ...

, 0.03% from

, and 0.68% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population are

of any race. There were 1,329 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were

living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.0% 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 2.25 and the average family size was 2.89. Population spread: 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,796, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $27,981 versus $20,292 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 $17,928. About 3.3% of families and 6.3% 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 4.9% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

West Monona Community School District operates public schools serving the community.

Culture

The

Eskimo Pie Edy's Pie (formerly known as Eskimo Pie) is an American brand of chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bar wrapped in foil. It was the first such dessert sold in the United States. It is marketed by Dreyer's, a division of Froneri. In wake of the ...

was created in Onawa in 1920 by Chris Nelson, an ice cream shop owner.

Notable people

E. Wight Bakke Edward Wight Bakke (November 13, 1903 – November 23, 1971) was an American sociology and economics professor at Yale University who achieved prominence in the field of industrial relations. He was a Sterling Professor, Yale's highest level of ...

, educator; born and raised in Onawa *

John Stevens Berry John Stevens Berry Sr. is an American attorney and the founder of Berry Law Firm in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is notable for a number of high-profile cases including the defense of Green Berets in Vietnam. Early life and military career John Steve ...

, attorney and author; born and raised in Onawa * Kristine Jepson, opera singer * Neil E. McNeil (Oklahoma), attorney and justice o Oklahoma Supreme Court, born in Onawa * Wayne M. Ropes, businessman and Iowa Secretary of State; born and raised in Onawa'Prominent Former County and State Officla ic?Dies At Des Moines Sunday,' The Onawa Democratic Weekly, July 22, 1948, pg. 1

References

External links

Onawa
Government, Chamber of Commence, and more

- comprehensive statistical data and more about Onawa {{authority control Cities in Monona County, Iowa Cities in Iowa County seats in Iowa