Toledo is a city in, and the

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, Tama 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 2,369 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Toledo was founded in 1853 as the county seat of Tama County. It was named after

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

. Toledo was incorporated as a city in 1866.

Geography

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 , all land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Toledo 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 cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 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 2020, there were 2,369 people, 935 households, and 605 families residing in the city. 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 1,032.4 inhabitants per square mile (398.6/km²). There were 1,029 housing units at an average density of 448.4 per square mile (173.1/km²). The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the city was 72.9%

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 ...

, 1.9% Black or African American, 6.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0%

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 ...

, 8.6% from other races and 9.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

persons of any race comprised 18.6% of the population. Of the 935 households, 30.3% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% 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, 7.0% were cohabitating couples, 29.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 18.2% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 35.3% of all households were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 27.1% of the residents were under the age of 20; 5.9% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 and 44; 23.8% were from 45 and 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 2,341 people, 901 households, and 598 families living in the city. The

was . There were 993 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.5%

, 1.1%

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 ...

, 5.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 4.3% from other races, and 4.8% 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 11.4% of the population. There were 901 households, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were

living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 40.3 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.3% male and 53.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,539 people, 982 households, and 632 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,050 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.51%

, 0.51%

, 5.83% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.04%

, 2.91% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 5.87% of the population. There were 982 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were

living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.93. Age spread: 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $30,273 versus $22,349 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 $16,293. About 8.5% of families and 11.0% 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 17.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The

Iowa Department of Human Services The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is a state agency of Iowa that provides services relating to the health and well-being of Iowans. History The Iowa Board of Social Welfare was founded in 1937 by the Iowa General Assembly. In 1 ...

operated the Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo until its closing in 2014. The buildings sat empty until 2023 when the cottages were demolished to make way for the new South Tama Middle School. The new Middle School is set to be completed in 2025.

Notable people

* Leander Clark, Iowa politician *

King Cole Coel (Old Welsh: ''Coil''), also called ''Coel Hen'' (Coel the Old) and King Cole, is a figure prominent in Welsh literature and legend since the Middle Ages. Early Welsh tradition knew of a Coel Hen, a 4th-century leader in Roman or Sub-Rom ...

, baseball pitcher, gave up

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

's first hit * W. K. Davidson (1904-1974), Illinois businessman and state legislator *

Michael Emerson Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor who is best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on '' Lost'' (2006–2010) and as Harold Finch in the CBS series ''Person of Interest'' (2011–2016). Other prominent roles include ...

, actor * Norma 'Duffy' Lyon (1929–2011) sculptor nicknamed the "Butter Cow Lady" * George R. Struble, Iowa judge and politician; speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, 1881–1883 * John T. Struble, pioneering businessman *

Isaac S. Struble Isaac Sterling Struble (November 3, 1843 – February 17, 1913) was an American politician who was a four-term Republican Party (United States), Republican U.S. House of Representatives, Representative of Iowa's 11th congressional district. ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

* John L. Waller, Politician and Consul to Madagascar (1891)

Education

Toledo is within the

South Tama County Community School District South Tama County Community School District (STC) is a rural public school district headquartered in Tama, Iowa. Service area The district has a total of of area. Almost all of the district is in Tama County while a small portion is in Pow ...

. The district includes a class 3A high school that enrolls over 430 students, a middle school, and an elementary school that has over 700 students. Toledo is home to the South Tama County Middle School.

Parks and recreation

Toledo Heights sits on the west side of town. The park has two fields which are used for little-league baseball and softball. The park has a playground and a large picnic shelter. Surrounding the park is an 18-hole disc golf course. The South Tama Recreation Trail is accessible near Toledo Heights. The gravel trail covers just under 3 miles and continues into Tama. Each summer, the annual Stoplight Festival takes place on the town square. The celebration surrounds the historic stoplight located at the intersection of High Street and Broadway.

Culture

The Wieting Theatre is located in downtown Toledo, one block east of the stoplight and the Tama County Courthouse square, at 101 South Church Street. Since 1960 the theatre has been maintained and operated by the Wieting Theatre Guild, a nonprofit organization of members and volunteers dedicated to keeping the doors of this grand old theatre open for many years to come. Movies play on most Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings throughout the year. Actors, musicians, singers and dancers of all ages take the stage on numerous other occasions.

Healthcare

Toledo area residents have access to healthcare services at MercyCare or Unity Point Toledo. When hospitalization is required the closest and most convenient hospital for residents is Grinnell Regional Medical Center or Unity Point Hospital in Marshalltown.

References

External links

City websiteChamber of CommerceSouth Tama County Community School District
{{authority control Cities in Tama County, Iowa Cities in Iowa County seats in Iowa Populated places established in 1853 1853 establishments in Iowa