Ocheyedan is a city in Osceola County,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the 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: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, United States. The population was 439 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Ocheyedan had its start in the year 1884 by the building of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad through that territory. ''Ocheyedan'' was declared the "most difficult to pronounce" place name in the state of Iowa by ''

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''. There is no standard pronunciation of the name, but the most widely known and generally accepted pronunciation is "oh-CHEED-en."

Geography

Ocheyedan is located at (43.414497, -95.535274). 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 the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. There is a common misconception that the highest point in Iowa is the Ocheyedan Mound, located near Ocheyedan. The Ocheyedan Mound rises to 1,655 feet above sea level, just fifteen feet short of the actual highest point in Iowa,

Hawkeye Point Hawkeye Point is the highest natural point in Iowa at . It is approximately north of Sibley on the eastern side of SR 60 and approximately south of the Iowa-Minnesota state border. The high ground lies due south of an old silo. The land tha ...

, which has an elevation of 1,670 feet. The

Ocheyedan River The Ocheyedan River is a tributary of the Little Sioux River, 58 mi (93 km) long, in southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa in the United States. Via the Little Sioux and Missouri Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Missi ...

flows southwest of the city.

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 490 people, 223 households, and 137 families residing 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 RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 252 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.7%

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 on ...

, 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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 2.0% 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 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 3.7% of the population. There were 223 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% 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, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.6% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 46.3 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 28.1% were from 45 to 64; and 22.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 536 people, 223 households, and 146 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 254 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.63%

, 0.19% from

, and 0.19% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.56% of the population. There were 223 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were

living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.04. Population spread: 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,513, and the median income for a family was $36,607. Males had a median income of $29,464 versus $16,944 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 $14,554. About 5.3% of families and 4.8% 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 t ...

, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District serves the community. The district formed on July 1, 1985, as a merger of the Sibley and Ocheyedan school districts. The district previously operated Ocheyedan Elementary School. The district closed it in 2009. A reduction in the number of students was the reason for the closure. By 2014 the district was trying to find another use for the building. - See image caption

Notable people

* Don Frerichs, Businessman and Minnesota State Representative * Emma Clara Schweer, Illinois politician
Dr. Craig Van Gelder
Missiologist and Theologian

References

{{authority control Cities in Osceola County, Iowa Cities in Iowa