Decorah is the largest city in and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Winneshiek County,

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and

U.S. Route 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major U.S. Highway in the Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a north ...

. Located within the

Driftless Area The Driftless Area, also known as Bluff Country and the Paleozoic Plateau, is a topographic and cultural region in the Midwestern United States that comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme ...

in northeastern Iowa, Decorah is situated in the bluffs of the Upper Iowa River, which flows through the city. Decorah is a

college town A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...

, being the home of Luther College. It is known for its

Norwegian-American Norwegian Americans () are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 milli ...

heritage and the corresponding

Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, with over 33,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, and a library and archives. This treasure showcases one of the most extensive ...

History

Decorah was the site of a

Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...

village beginning ''circa'' 1840. Several Ho-Chunks had settled along the Upper Iowa River that year when the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

forced them to remove from

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. In 1848, the United States removed the Ho-Chunks again to a new reservation in Minnesota, opening their Iowa villages to white settlers. Waa-kaun-see-kaa

The first European-Americans to settle were the Day family from

Tazewell County, Virginia Tazewell County () is a county located in the southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,429. Its county seat is Tazewell. Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA Micropoli ...

. According to local Congregationalist minister Rev. Ephraim Adams, the Days arrived in June 1849 with the Ho-Chunks' "tents still standing—with the graves of the dead scattered about where now run our streets and stand our dwellings." Judge Eliphalet Price suggested that the Days name their new settlement ''Decorah'' after Ho-Chunk leader Waukon Decorah, who was a U.S. ally during the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...

of 1832.

During the 1850s and 1860s, Decorah grew quickly as settlers built dams and mills to harness water power at Dunning's Spring and other local streams. In 1851, the town became the county seat of Winneshiek County. Decorah also became the site of a

United States General Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government responsible for Public domain (land), public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 ...

from 1855 to 1856, making it a destination for immigrants seeking

land patent A land patent is a form of letters patent assigning official ownership of a particular tract of land that has gone through various legally-prescribed processes like surveying and documentation, followed by the letter's signing, sealing, and publi ...

s in northern Iowa. Since 1861, it has been the home of Luther College, a liberal arts institution affiliated with the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...

. The Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad opened a branch to Decorah in 1869. Vesterheim2006

Decorah has become a center for

culture originating from a high number of Norwegian settlements beginning in the 1850s. Each July, Decorah is the host of Nordic Fest, a celebration of Norwegian culture with ethnic dancing, food, and music. Decorah is also the home of the

, the largest museum in the country devoted to a single immigrant group. Until 1972, one of the largest Norwegian language newspapers in the nation was published in Decorah, the '' Decorah Posten''.

Geography

Decorah is located approximately south of the

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

-Iowa border. It is the northernmost major community located along U.S. Route 52 in Iowa. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Decorah is located in and on the bluffs of the Upper Iowa River valley; the river flows through the city en route to its confluence with the

Upper Mississippi River The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, a city at the confluence of its main tributary, the Missouri River. Historically, it may refer to the area above the Arkansa ...

. The river is faced by steep bluffs, characteristic of the

Impact crater

About 470 million years ago, a meteorite as big as a city block smashed into what is now Decorah, supporting a theory that a giant space rock broke up and bombarded Earth just as early life began flourishing in the oceans. The impact dug a crater nearly four miles wide that now lies beneath the town, said Bevan French, one of the world's foremost crater hunters and an adjunct scientist at the National Museum of Natural History. The Decorah crater lay undiscovered until recently because almost none of it is above ground. Instead, it is filled by an unusual shale that formed after an ancient seaway sluiced into the crater, depositing sediment and an array of bizarre sea creatures that hardened into fossils. One such creature is '' Pentecopterus decorahensis'', which was named for the city.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 7,587. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 3,210 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.8% Asian, 1.4%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 1.5% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.6%

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. The 2020 census population of the city included 1,463 people in student housing. According to the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $55,920, and the median income for a family was $85,822. Male full-time workers had a median income of $49,643 versus $43,991 for female workers. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $27,154. About 4.5% of families and 10.0% 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 11.0% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 96.9% were high school graduates or higher and 43.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 8,127 people, 2,855 households, and 1,527 families living in the city. The

was . There were 3,121 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.6%

, 1.5%

, 2.2% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 2,855 households, of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.5% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age in the city was 29.6 years. 14.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 32.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.3% were from 25 to 44; 19.5% were from 45 to 64; and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 8,172 people, 2,819 households, and 1,561 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,968 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.99%

, 1.13%

, 0.10% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.01%

, 0.42% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population. 34.0% were of Norwegian, 30.3%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 5.4% English and 5.2% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 2,819 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.80. The city's age demographics were spread out, with 15.0% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 17.8% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.5 males.

Economy

2009-0528-MN-IA13-Decorah-WinneshiekCourthouse

Decorah serves as the

of Winneshiek County, which is a major employer. The county courthouse was built in 1903. Decorah's largest employer is Luther College, in addition to several national corporations. Because Winneshiek County's economy is primarily based on farming, Decorah serves as an agricultural hub. Decorah is also home to Seed Savers Exchange, an

heirloom plant An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, heritage fruit (Australia and New Zealand), or heirloom vegetable (especially in Ireland and the UK) is an old cultivar of a plant used for food that is grown and maintained by gardeners and farmers, particular ...

farm and preservation organization.

Parks and recreation

Each July, Decorah hosts Nordic Fest, a celebration of Norwegian culture. Decorah is also the home of the

, the largest Norwegian museum in the United States. Natural features include Dunning's Spring,

Ice Cave An ice cave is any type of natural cave (most commonly lava tubes or limestone caves) that contains significant amounts of perennial (year-round) ice. At least a portion of the cave must have a temperature below 0 °C (32 °F) all ye ...

, and Siewers Spring. The city is home to several parks built on bluffs, particularly Phelps Park, Palisades Park, and Pulpit Rock. Until 2003, Decorah had a community ski area, the Nor-Ski Runs Ski Area. Decorah is home to an operating trout hatchery as well as Twin Springs Park, the former home of the hatchery. The Raptor Resource Project is located in Decorah. Each year they host
livestreamed webcam
of a family of nesting

bald eagles The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a Species complex, species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies ...

as they rear their young.

Education

Decorah is part of the Decorah Community School District in Winneshiek County. The high school is

Decorah High School Decorah High School is a public high school located in Decorah, Iowa. The school colors are red and royal blue, and the mascot is the Vikings. It is a part of the Decorah Community School District. In addition to Decorah, the census-designate ...

, and the mascot is the Vikings. St. Benedict School of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dubuque () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. The Diocese of Dubuque was erected in 1837 and ...

is in Decorah. It opened in 1885 in a two-story, four-room frame building. The school, with five nuns as teachers, was initially until high school but in 1919 became an elementary-middle school only. The convent, which had a second-floor bridge to the original school building, was renovated to be the second school building. In 1964 the current school was built for $268,000 in southern Decorah. A new addition was established in the 1980s, with a music room, a storage and teaching aid area, and two classrooms. Decorah is also home to Luther College, a private four-year residential college affiliated with the

and known especially for their Nordic Choir. Their mascot is "The Norse."

Media

Newspaper: The community newspaper is printed twice a week in Decorah - ''The Driftless Journal'' and ''Decorah Public Opinion''. Newspaper office location: 110 Washington Street, Decorah, IA 52101. Web: The local independent news web site is Decorah News.

Radio

2009-0528-MN-IA16-Decorah-MilwaukeeRoadDepot

* KLNI 88.7 (

Minnesota Public Radio Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, KNOW-FM, News & Information, KSJN, YourClassical MPR and KCMP, The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper ...

News) * KPVL 89.1 (Studios in both Postville and Decorah) * KLCD 89.5 (Classical

) * K247BF-LP 97.3 (Translator for KWVI) * K257CI-LP 99.3 (Translator for KQYB-FM) *

KDHK KDHK (100.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a hot adult contemporary radio station in Decorah, Iowa. KDHK is also the home for the Iowa Hawkeyes, broadcasting Iowa Hawkeyes football and basketball. History The station's original call letters were KRDI- ...

100.5 "Hawk Rawk" * K268AF-LP 101.5 (Translator for KFSI) *

KVIK KVIK (104.7 FM broadcasting, FM) is a radio station city of license, licensed to serve Decorah, Iowa, Decorah, the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa. The station is owned by LA Communications Stations, Inc. KVIK broadcasts a classic hits ...

104.7 "The Viking" * KDEC 1240 * KWLC 1240 ( Luther College) Other nearby stations include: * KCZQ 102.3 (

Cresco, IA Cresco is a city in Howard County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,888 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 3,905 at the 2000 United States Census, 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County, Iowa, Howard Co ...

) * KOEL 950 ( Oelwein, IA) * KOEL-FM 92.3 (

Oelwein Oelwein is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,920 at the time of the 2020 census, a decrease of 11.5% from the 2000 census. The largest community in Fayette County, it is located at the junction of State Highways ...

- Waterloo, IA) *

WIZM-FM WIZM-FM (93.3 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States, the station serves the La Crosse area. The station is currently owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting. WIZM-FM ...

93.3 ( La Crosse, WI) * KQYB 98.3 ( Spring Grove, MN- La Crosse, WI) * KNEI 103.5 ( Waukon, IA) * KROC-FM 106.9 ( Rochester, MN)

Notable people

* Ephraim Douglass Adams,

Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...

historian * Theodora Cormontan, Norwegian-American pianist *

William Foege William Herbert Foege ( ; ''-ghee''; born March 12, 1936) is an American physician and epidemiologist who is credited with "devising the global strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox in the late 1970s". From May 1977 to 1983, Foege serv ...

, epidemiologist * Edward L. Garden,

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

politician * Josey Jewell,

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

linebacker,

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

Georgann Johnson Georgann Johnson (born Georgia Anne Johnson, August 15, 1926 – June 4, 2018) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She was also known as Georgiann Johnson and Georgianne Johnson. Early years Johnson was born in Decorah, Iowa ...

, actress * John Brayshaw Kaye, poet and politician *

Raef LaFrentz Raef Andrew LaFrentz (born May 29, 1976) is an American former professional basketball Power forward (basketball), power forward and Center (basketball), center who played for the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and Portland Tra ...

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

power forward * Hanna Astrup Larsen (1873–1945), writer and editor * Weston Noble, music educator *

Mark Pinter Mark Pinter (born March 7, 1950) is an American actor best known for his numerous roles in daytime soap operas. Early life and education Pinter was born in Decorah, Iowa. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre arts from Iowa State Univers ...

, actor * Harley Refsal, woodcarver * Jerry Reichow, nine-year NFL veteran, offensive end for 1957 champion

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

Rob Sand Robert Sand (born August 12, 1982) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 33rd Iowa auditor of state since 2019. Sand is a member of the Democratic Party. Sand was the assistant attorney general of Iowa from 2010 to 2017. I ...

Iowa State Auditor The Iowa auditor of state is the state auditor of the government of Iowa, United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal ...

* Dean Schwarz, American Potter and Painter *

Oswald Veblen Oswald Veblen (June 24, 1880 – August 10, 1960) was an American mathematician, geometer and topologist, whose work found application in atomic physics and the theory of relativity. He proved the Jordan curve theorem in 1905; while this was lo ...

, mathematician, geometer and topologist * Johannes B. Wist, journalist

Notes

References

External links

City website

Decorah Newspapers

Decorah Community Schools

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Decorah, Iowa {{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Winneshiek County, Iowa Populated places established in 1849 County seats in Iowa Driftless Area 1849 establishments in Iowa Norwegian-American culture in Iowa