Guthrie Center is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States, along the South Raccoon River. The population was 1,593 at the time of 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 ...

Guthrie County Guthrie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,623. The county seat is Guthrie Center. The county was formed on January 15, 1851, and named after Captain Edwin B. Guthrie, who died ...

. Guthrie Center is part of the

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

– West Des Moines

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 ...

History

Guthrie Center 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 bea ...

ted in 1856. It was named for Capt. Edwin B. Guthrie. The railroad was built through the settlement in 1879. Guthrie Center was incorporated in 1880.

Geography

Guthrie Center is located at (41.679618, -94.500812). 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 of it land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Guthrie Center has a

hot-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

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 1,569 people, 677 households, and 387 families residing 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 796 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.0%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% 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 Ocea ...

, 2.2% from other races, and 0.9% 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 3.6% of the population. There were 677 households, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.8% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the city was 44.9 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.9% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 25.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,668 people, 726 households, and 453 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 830 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.32%

, 0.06%

, 0.06% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population. There were 726 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were

living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.80. Age spread: 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,714, and the median income for a family was $42,308. Males had a median income of $30,446 versus $21,940 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 $16,662. About 6.3% of families and 7.7% 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 ...

, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Guthrie Center Community School District operates public schools: * Guthrie Center Elementary School * AC/GC High School Under a grade-sharing arrangement with the

Adair–Casey Community School District Adair–Casey Community School District is a public school district headquartered in Guthrie Center, Iowa. The district serves both Adair and Casey, and the surrounding rural areas. Most of the district is in Adair and Guthrie counties, w ...

, students attend AC/GC Junior High School in Adair.

Notable people

* James Ellison, actor *

Jim Flanery James William Flanery II (born February 8, 1965) is the head women's basketball coach at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the ...

, Creighton University women's basketball coach * Bridget Flanery, actress *

Coleman Griffith Coleman Roberts Griffith (May 22, 1893 – February 7, 1966) was an American sport psychologist. Born in Iowa, he is considered the founder of American sport psychology. Griffith studied at Greenville College until 1915, and then studied psychol ...

, pioneer of

sports psychology Sport psychology was defined by the European Federation of Sport in 1996, as the study of the psychological basis, processes, and effects of sport. Otherwise, sport is considered as any physical activity where the individuals engage for competi ...

* Jack Laughery (1935–2006), CEO of Hardee's from 1975 to 1990 *

John Taggart John Taggart (born 1942) is an American poet and critic. Biography He was born in Guthrie Center, Iowa. He graduated with honors in 1965 from Earlham College in Indiana, earning a B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy. In 1966 he received a ...

, poet

References

External links

Guthrie Center, Iowa
Portal style website, Government, Businesses, Recreation and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Guthrie Center
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Guthrie County, Iowa County seats in Iowa Des Moines metropolitan area 1856 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1856