Iowa Colony is an incorporated Home Rule City in Brazoria County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States, in the Houston metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 8,154.

History

Iowa Colony was founded in 1908 by the Emigration Land Company of

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, and received its name from

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 ...

ns G. I. Huffmann and Robert Beard. The community received a post office in 1919, and rice farming was introduced there in 1920. Although not directly on a railroad line, Iowa Colony was served by the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe line through nearby Manvel. The population grew slowly to twenty-seven and remained at that level until the mid-1960s. The discovery of oil in 1948 brought regional employment to the area. By 1961 the Iowa Colony post office had closed, yet during the 1960s the settlement began to grow vigorously as part of the

greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the Office of Management and Budget, United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, is the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical ...

area. By 1973 Iowa Colony had been incorporated (in 1972), and by 1989 the town listed a population of 661. The city hall, community center, and municipal court are all housed in the same building, next to the fire department. In 1990 the population was 675. The population was 1,170 in 2010. Iowa Colony showed unprecedented growth, with an estimated 2019 population of 3,233. In 2020, they surpassed the 5,000 population requirement to seek home rule status, and subsequently voted to pass the city's Home Rule Charter on November 3, 2020. The city website further states in 2021 that the population has exceeded 8000, growing at a rate of 400%. Iowa Colony gained notoriety in the early 1990s as a major

speed trap Speed limit, Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside "s ...

and was an inspiration for a Texas statute limiting municipal profits from speed traps.

Geography

Iowa Colony is located in northern Brazoria County at (29.442963, –95.415607). It is on

Texas State Highway 288 State Highway 288 (SH 288) is a north–south highway in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Texas, between Interstate 45, I-45 in downtown Houston, Texas, Houston and Freeport, Texas, Freeport, where it terminates on Farm t ...

south of Pearland city limits. Downtown

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

is to the north. 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 , or 0.21%, is water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,154 people, 1,750 households, and 1,508 families residing in the city. 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 2000, there were 804 people, 279 households, and 219 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 302 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.01%

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 ...

, 6.72%

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 ...

, 0.12% Native American, 7.34% Asian, 11.19% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races.

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 were 25.12% of the population. There were 279 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.29. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $47,019, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $40,313 versus $28,500 for females. 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 $18,935. About 6.6% of families and 6.1% 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 3.7% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Students in residential-zoned portions of Iowa Colony attend schools in the Alvin Independent School District. Elementary schools include: * Meridiana Elementary School in Iowa Colony * Sanchez Elementary School * Savannah Lakes Elementary School (small portion far north) Secondary zoning includes: * Jackie Doucet Caffey Junior High in Manvel (for most of Iowa Colony) or Manvel Junior High School (small portion far north) * Iowa Colony High School In Iowa Colony (for almost all of Iowa Colony) or Manvel High School (sections north of SH 6) Meridiana Elementary School was built to serve the

Meridiana Meridiana Fly S.p.A., operating as Meridiana (formerly named ''Meridiana S.p.A.''), was a privately owned Italy, Italian airline headquartered in Olbia with its main base at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport. It operated scheduled and charter flight ...

master-planned community. Rise Communities, the developer of Meridiana, partnered with the school district to facilitate the school's development. In 1911 and 1912, an elementary school and a previous version of Iowa Colony High School, respectively, were established. Iowa Colony's school district later became a part of Alvin ISD. Alvin High School served all Iowa Colony residents, until fall 2006, when Manvel High opened to immediately accept 9th and 10th grades and phase in 11th and 12th grades in two years. After 2006 and prior to Iowa Colony High's opening, Manvel High's boundary included all of Iowa Colony. Prior to the opening of Meridiana Elementary, zoned elementary schools were E. C. Mason, Don Jeter, and Savannah Lakes in Manvel. Residents were divided between Manvel Junior High and Fairview Junior High in Alvin. In 2015 Manvel Junior High became the junior high for almost all of Iowa Colony, except a small portion zoned to Rodeo Palms Junior High. In 2022 Iowa Colony High will open, relieving Manvel High. Additionally,

Alvin Community College Alvin Community College (ACC) is a public community college in Alvin, Texas. Alvin Community College provides educational opportunities in workforce training, academics, technical fields, adult basic education, and personal development. As defi ...

provides basic undergraduate courses and adult education. Iowa Colony is in the ACC taxation zone.

Notes

References

External links

*
''Handbook of Texas'' Online article on Iowa Colony

Meridiana Elementary School
{{authority control Cities in Brazoria County, Texas Cities in Texas Greater Houston