Spirit Lake is a city in

Dickinson County Dickinson County is the name of three counties in the United States: * Dickinson County, Iowa * Dickinson County, Kansas * Dickinson County, Michigan See also * Dickenson County, Virginia Dickenson County is a county located in the Commonw ...

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, 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: Wiscon ...

, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2020 census. It is 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 ...

of Dickinson County. The town is located along the western shore of

East Okoboji Lake East Okoboji Lake is a natural body of water, approximately in area, in Dickinson County in northwest Iowa in the United States. It is part of the chain of lakes known as the Iowa Great Lakes. The area was long inhabited by the Santee or Easte ...

, in the Iowa Great Lakes region.

History

The Dakota Sioux originated the name of "Spirit Lake" referring to it as "The Lake of The Spirit." In 1856, three brothers-in-law created the town of Spirit Lake after a visit to the Lakes area piqued their interest. The three brothers-in-law, O.C. Howe, B.F. Parmenter, and R.U. Wheelock, were soon joined by various other settlers, making homes along the lakes' shores. These settlers however, did not get along peacefully with the natives, and on March 13, 1857 Chief Inkpaduta of the Sioux led a revolt against the non-native settlers, killing all but four women. File:Courthouse in Spirit Lake, Iowa (1902).jpg, Courthouse, 1902 File:Stevens Block in Spirit Lake, Iowa (1902).jpg, Stevens Block, 1902 File:FI0002907.jpg, Main Street, 1936

Geography

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 th ...

, 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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 4,840 people, 2,157 households, and 1,268 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 2,578 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.7%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 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 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 2,157 households, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% 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 ...

living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.2% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 41.9 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,261 people, 1,792 households, and 1,130 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,024 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.99%

, 0.14%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.09% from

, and 0.61% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population. There were 1,792 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.92. Age spread: 24.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,224, and the median income for a family was $44,652. Males had a median income of $30,746 versus $21,357 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 $18,661. About 5.3% of families and 6.6% 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 ...

, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the city of Spirit Lake is provided by the

Spirit Lake Community School District The Spirit Lake Community School District is a rural public school district based in Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States. In addition to Spirit Lake, the district also serves Orleans, portions of Okoboji and Superior, as well as rural areas in no ...

Media

Spirit Lake is served by the Dickinson County News, both in print and online, KUOO-FM (103.9) and KUQQ-FM.

Notable people

Berkley Bedell Berkley Warren Bedell (March 5, 1921 – December 7, 2019) was an American Democratic Party politician and businessman who served as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 6th congressional district from 1975 to 1987. After starting a successful bus ...

(1921–2019), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 6th district (1975–1987) *

Margaret Hance Margaret Taylor Hance (July 2, 1923 – April 29, 1990) was the first female mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, taking office in 1976. She proved popular, winning four consecutive two-year terms, from 1976 to 1984. Biography Hance (born Margaret Taylor) ...

(1923–1990), first female mayor of

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

(1976–1983) *

Douglas Franklin Wright Douglas Franklin Wright (March 25, 1940 – September 6, 1996) was an American serial killer who murdered at least seven people between 1969 and 1991. He was sentenced to death for three of these murders and was executed in 1996 at the Oregon S ...

(1940–1996), serial killer

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Dickinson County, Iowa Micropolitan areas of Iowa County seats in Iowa