Ely is a city in Linn County,

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 ...

. The population was 2,328 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the

Cedar Rapids metropolitan area The Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Iowa, anchored by the city of Cedar Rapids. As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 257,940, and a ...

History

Ely was platted in June 1872 by T.M. Johnson. The town is named after John F. Ely, who was one of the pioneers of Linn county, a prominent railroad builder in the early days and one of the officers and stockholders of the

Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway (BCR&N) was a railroad that operated in the United States from 1876 to 1903. It was formed to take over the operations of the bankrupt Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railway, which was, in ...

. After the railroad was established in town more buildings were erected including a warehouse by Andrew Fuhrmeister, a store building by Jerry Smith, a bar, and a drug and hardware store were also built as more and more people began moving into town.

Geography

Ely is located at (41.875431, -91.583061). 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, 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 in ...

of 2010, there were 1,776 people, 628 households, and 466 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was . There were 650 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.5%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.0% 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 2.3% of the population. There were 628 households, of which 48.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% 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, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.8% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.29. The median age in the city was 33.2 years. 32.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.2% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 5.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.5% male and 49.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,149 people, 424 households, and 315 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 434 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.09%

, 0.35%

, 0.26% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population. There were 424 households, of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were

living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $57,250, and the median income for a family was $62,500. Males had a median income of $41,292 versus $29,286 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 $20,936. About 2.4% of families and 5.8% 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 7.0% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public Schools

Residents of Ely belong to the College Community School District. The school district operates: *Prairie High School *Prairie Point Middle School and Ninth Grade Academy *Prairie Creek Intermediate *Prairie Heights Elementary *Prairie View Elementary *Prairie Crest Elementary *Prairie Ridge Elementary *Prairie Hill Elementary The school district is located within the

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. It ...

city limits. Ely formerly had its own public school building, which was built in 1923, but has since ceased operations as a school and houses city government offices, City Council Chambers, a senior dining facility, meeting rooms and The History Center and archives.

Ely School House The Ely School House is a historic building located in Ely, Iowa, United States. The building was built in 1923 in the Tudor Revival style. After the building served as a school building it became the community center for the town of Ely. It n ...

. Retrieved on May 18, 2022.

Higher Education

Ely is within 20 miles of five college campuses: * Kirkwood Community College: 4.6 miles * Coe College: 11.8 miles * Mt. Mercy University: 12.7 miles * Cornell College: 13.1 miles * The University of Iowa: 19.5 miles

Community

Annual events

Ely hosts the Fall Fest, held annually during Late September or Early October. The Ely Fall Fest is a family-oriented and affordable celebration that offers a wide range of events for all ages run by The Ely Parks & Recreation Commission. The town also hosts a city-wide garage sale day on the first Saturday of May.

Religion

There are two churches in Ely: St. John's Lutheran Church founded in 1854 and the First Presbyterian Church founded in 1858.

Food

Ely has numerous restaurants in Ely including Odie's Bar and Grill, My Mom's Bakery, House Divided Brewery, and Dan and Debbie's Creamery. Ely is a popular stopping point along the Cedar Valley trail.

Parks and Recreation

The City of Ely provides four different parks throughout the community: * Ely City Park: the newest and largest of the four city parks. It features two softball fields, soccer fields, a small pond, and playground. * Schulte Park: locals often refer to this as the "Fishy" Park due to its large fish shaped bridge that is a part of the playground. This park features a large playground, pavilion, large grassy area, and gaga ball pit. * Community Center Park: the oldest park in Ely, this park offers half-court basketball, a tennis court, open grass field and a playground. The playground was renovated in the fall of 2020. * Vavra Park: this park offers a quiet and shaded green space, nestled along a creek. Renovations were made in 2023 with new features including a covered shelter, frisbee golf holes, horse shoe pits, permanent bag toss, a butterfly garden and minimal playground equipment. Ely is located near two Iowa State parks: Lake MacBride State Park and Palisades-Kepler State Park. The Cedar Valley Nature bike trail travels through Ely and provides access to both Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.

National Register of Historic Places

Three properties in Ely are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

: *

Dows Street Historic District Dows is a city in Franklin County, Iowa, Franklin and Wright County, Iowa, Wright counties of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 521 at the time of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. The town was incorporated on May 3, 1892. His ...

* Woitishek-King-Krob Grain Elevator

Notes

References

External links

* Historic Ely, Iowa (History of Ely & area) https://www.elyhistory.com/
City of Ely
''Official Website''
Economic Development Group of Ely, nonprofit

Statistical Data and more about Ely
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Linn County, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area 1872 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1872