Peosta is a city in
Dubuque 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, and an
exurb
An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing density, and growth. It s ...
of the city of
Dubuque
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...
. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa
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 ...
. The population was 1,908 in the
2020 census, an increase of 193% from 651 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 ...
.
Peosta experienced a 70% increase in population (estimated) from 2000 to 2007, making it the state's 10th fastest-growing city during that period. Peosta is currently the sixth-largest city in Dubuque County, but it will likely soon pass
Epworth (pop. 1,860) to become the fifth-largest. The community is home to the 2015 ASA D Northern Nationals Men's Slow Pitch Champions, Kass & Company, a large industrial park, the largest campus of
Northeast Iowa Community College
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is a public community college with two main campuses in Iowa, one in Calmar and one in Peosta. The college serves the Iowa counties of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, Winneshiek, Dub ...
, and a handful of new commercial businesses. However, the city is increasingly becoming a
bedroom community
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
, much like nearby
Asbury, made up of suburban
subdivisions
Subdivision may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Subdivision (metre), in music
* ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009
* "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2)
* ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005
* "Subdivisions" (song), by Rush ...
.
History
Peosta is named after the leader of a local
Native American tribe that once lived in Dubuque County. Chief Peosta, of the
Mesquakie tribe, was a close friend of
Julien Dubuque
Julien Dubuque (January 1762 – 24 March 1810) was a Canadian of Norman origin from the area of Champlain, Quebec who arrived near what now is known as Dubuque, Iowa, which was named after him. He was one of the first European men to settle in t ...
, one of the first European settlers in the area. Dubuque was also the founder of the City of Dubuque, Iowa, and was allegedly married to Chief Peosta's daughter, who was reportedly named "Potosa".
For most of its history, and even as recently as 1990, Peosta was a quiet rural town of approximately 100 people. The groundwork for later growth was laid in the 1960s, when the new four-lane
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
opened along the city's southern edge, providing quick access to Dubuque. The city was also aided by the opening of Northeast Iowa Technical Institute (later NICC) in 1979. However, it was only when the city's industrial park began to flourish in the 1990s that the population began to soar. Peosta grew from 128 people in 1990 to over 1,300 today, and it continues to climb rapidly. This 1000% growth in 20 years has helped attract new businesses and services to Peosta as well. The city now boasts two elementary schools, its own community center, hotel,
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chris ...
, industrial park and expanding neighborhoods.
Law and government
Peosta has a
mayor–council form of government, employing a full-time city clerk, and part-time city council (mayor and five
at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
city council members). The city clerk is Karen Snyder, the current mayor is James Merten, and the council members are: Steve Gremmel, Gerry Hess, Ray Stephan, Jesse Begle, and Karen Lyons. The city council meets at 7 P.M. on the second Tuesday of the month at the Peosta Community Centre.
Peosta has three city departments: Public Safety (police and
fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
),
Public Works
Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, sc ...
, and Parks & Recreation. The Parks & Recreation Dept. operates the Peosta Community Centre and Peosta's city park.
In the
Iowa General Assembly
The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Repres ...
, Peosta is represented by Senator
Tod Bowman
Tod Bowman, (born March 29, 1965) is a Democratic Party of Iowa, Democratic politician and legislator from the state of Iowa. He was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2010. He represents District 29, which holds Clinton County, Iowa, Clinton, Dubuqu ...
(D) in the
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, United States. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . ...
, and Representative Shannon Lundgren (R) in the
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...
. At the federal level, Peosta is located within
Iowa's 1st congressional district
Iowa's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its northeastern part, bordering the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, and the Mississippi River. The district includes the cities o ...
, represented by
Ashley Hinson
Ashley Elizabeth Hinson (born June 27, 1983) is an American politician and journalist serving as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 1st congressional district since 2021. Her district comprises much of the northeast quadrant of the state, includi ...
(R) in the
U.S. House of Representatives
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 ...
. Peosta, and all of Iowa, are represented by U.S. Senators
Chuck Grassley
Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, and the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States sen ...
(R) and
Joni Ernst
Joni Kay Ernst (née Culver; born July 1, 1970) is an American former military officer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Iowa since 2015. A member of the ...
(R).
Geography
Peosta's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 42.449157, -90.846420.
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.
Economy
Peosta is home to a large and growing industrial park. The city's
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...
,
warehousing
A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, tow ...
, and
shipping
Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting Commodity, commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it h ...
companies form the main part of the economy. Most of the companies in the city are relatively new, which has led to a significant number of commuters driving to Peosta's employers from Dubuque, Asbury, or
Dyersville
Dyersville is a city in eastern Delaware County and western Dubuque County in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,477 at the time of the 2020 census, up from 4,035 in 200 ...
. Some of the larger employers in the city include: Berry Plastics, First Gear, Mi-T-M, Bodine Electric, and
Colony Brands. Also, Northeast Iowa Community College employs hundreds of people at its Peosta Campus.
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 1,377 people, 438 households, and 369 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 456 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.9%
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 ...
, 2.0%
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, 0.1%
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, 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 ...
or
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 0.9% of the population.
There were 438 households, of which 61.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% 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, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 15.8% were non-families. 11.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.46.
The median age in the city was 30.2 years. 38.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 35.8% were from 25 to 44; 16.1% were from 45 to 64; and 4.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% 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 651 people, 223 households, and 183 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 223 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.92%
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 ...
, 0.15%
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 ...
, 0.31%
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 0.61% 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 ...
or
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 0.77% of the population.
There were 223 households, out of which 49.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.3% 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, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.24.
Age/gender spread: 34.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 38.2% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $56,250, and the median income for a family was $56,797. Males had a median income of $38,500 versus $23,516 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 $17,499. About 1.2% of families and 1.7% 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 1.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Education
All public school students living in Peosta are zoned to schools in the
Western Dubuque Community School District
The Western Dubuque Community School District, (WDCSD; also known as Western Dubuque or WD) is a rural state school, public school district based in Farley, Iowa, Farley, Iowa (United States, USA). The district, which operates schools in western D ...
.
Elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
students are zoned to Peosta Elementary School (in Peosta) for grades K-4.
Middle school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
students are zoned to Drexler Middle School in
Farley
Farley may refer to:
People
* Farley (name), a list of people with the given name or surname
Places Antarctica
* Mount Farley
* Farley Massif
Australia
* Farley, New South Wales
* Farley railway station
England
* Farley, Derbyshire
* Farle ...
, and
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
students are zoned to
Western Dubuque High School
Western Dubuque High School (commonly West Dubuque, West Dub, WDHS, or WD) is a four-year public high school located in Epworth, Iowa. It is one of two high schools in the Western Dubuque Community School District, and enrolls 935 students in gra ...
, in nearby
Epworth.
[WDHS Boundary map]
" Western Dubuque Community School District
The Western Dubuque Community School District, (WDCSD; also known as Western Dubuque or WD) is a rural state school, public school district based in Farley, Iowa, Farley, Iowa (United States, USA). The district, which operates schools in western D ...
. Retrieved on July 24, 2018.
Like many other rural communities in Iowa, Peosta also has a private school. Seton Catholic Elementary School- Peosta is one of two buildings that comprise Seton Catholic Elementary School, and is affiliated with the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Archdiocese of Dubuque ( la, Archidiœcesis Dubuquensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian chu ...
. For grades PreK-5, students attend the building in Peosta, and for grades 6–8, students attend the building in Farley. For high school, parochial students attend Beckman High School in
Dyersville, Iowa
Dyersville is a city in eastern Delaware County and western Dubuque County in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,477 at the time of the 2020 census, up from 4,035 in 2000 ...
or
Wahlert High School
Wahlert Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in Dubuque, Iowa, United States, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque.
History
During a meeting on June 17, 1955, Archbishop Leo Binz and the pastors of the Dubuque Cath ...
in
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...
.
For higher education, Peosta benefits from a campus of
Northeast Iowa Community College
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is a public community college with two main campuses in Iowa, one in Calmar and one in Peosta. The college serves the Iowa counties of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, Winneshiek, Dub ...
, which includes large nursing, welding, business, and computer programs, among other majors. Most of the students at the school transfer to other 4-year colleges, including many to the 3 small colleges in Dubuque:
Clarke College,
Loras College
Loras College is a private Catholic college in Dubuque, Iowa. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students and is the oldest post-secondary institution in the state of Iowa. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree pr ...
, and
University of Dubuque
The University of Dubuque (UD) is a private Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian university in Dubuque, Iowa. About 2,200 students attend the university.
History
The University of Dubuque has had a long history in Dubuque since its foundi ...
.
See also
*
Dubuque County, Iowa
Dubuque County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 99,266, making it the eighth-most populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Dubuque. The county is named for Julien Dubuque, the first Eur ...
*
Northeast Iowa Community College
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is a public community college with two main campuses in Iowa, one in Calmar and one in Peosta. The college serves the Iowa counties of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, Winneshiek, Dub ...
References
External links
Official City WebsiteComprehensive statistical data and more about Peosta
{{authority control
Cities in Iowa
Cities in Dubuque County, Iowa