Peterson is a city in

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Flor ...

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 322 in the 2020 census, a decline from 372 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 ...

History

The first settlement was made at Peterson in 1856. In 1862, a fort was built in Peterson by settlers to defend against anticipated Dakota attacks during the

Dakota War The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...

, though the fort was never attacked. The blockhouse from this fort still stands near its original location at the corner of Second and Park. Peterson 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 1881 when the railroad was extended to that point. The city was named for Adlie Peterson, an early settler.

Geography

Peterson's longitude and latitude coordinates
in decimal form are 42.918490, -95.341502.
It is situated near the

Little Sioux River The Little Sioux River is a river in the United States. It rises in southwestern Minnesota near the Iowa border, and continues to flow southwest for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map ...

. 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.

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 334 people, 156 households, and 95 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 196 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 on ...

and 0.6% 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 2.1% of the population. There were 156 households, of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% 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, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25% 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 2.78. The median age in the city was 50.5 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.9% were from 45 to 64; and 26.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 372 people, 181 households, and 106 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 200 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.00%

of any race were 1.08% of the population. There were 181 households, out of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were

living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.68. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 30.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $35,577. Males had a median income of $28,500 versus $20,179 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 $16,932. About 2.9% of families and 10.3% 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 7.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Media

The ''

Peterson Patriot ''The Peterson Patriot'' is the town newspaper for those residing in or near the town of Peterson, Iowa. The paper plays a key role in communicating local news to the area's residents. The paper was started in 1880 and is still running as of June, ...

'' has been in print since 1880.

Education

Sioux Central Community School District Sioux Central Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in unincorporated Buena Vista County, Iowa, south of Sioux Rapids. The district covers portions of Buena Vista and Clay counties, as well as small sections ...

serves the community.Sioux Central
"

Iowa Department of Education The Iowa Department of Education sets the standards for all public institutions of education in Iowa and accredits private as well as public schools. It is headquartered in Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city i ...

. Retrieved on July 21, 2018. Previously it was served by the Peterson School District. In the early 1960s it consolidated with the Linn Grove School District to form the Sioux Valley School District.History
"

. Retrieved on July 21, 2018. On July 1, 1993 the Sioux Valley district merged with the Sioux Rapids-

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

School District to form the Sioux Central district.REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66
."

. Retrieved on July 20, 2018.

References

External links

City-Data
Comprehensive statistical data and more about Peterson
{{authority control Cities in Clay County, Iowa Cities in Iowa