Waukon is a city in Makee Township, Allamakee 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, 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 Allamakee County. The population was 3,827 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Waukon is often said to be named for

Waukon Decorah Waukon Decorah (–1868), also known as Wakąhaga (Wau-kon-haw-kaw) or "Snake-Skin", was a prominent Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) warrior and orator during the Winnebago War of 1827 and the Black Hawk War of 1832. Although not a hereditary chief, he eme ...

, a Ho Chunk (Winnebago) leader who was a U.S. ally during the 1832

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...

, although the city is also said to be named for his son Chief John Waukon. Winnebagos lived in this area of Iowa in the 1840s, before being forced to relocate to Minnesota. The first white settler arrived in 1849, and the city was founded and the Waukon Post Office opened in 1853. A courthouse was completed in 1861, and the county seat was moved to Waukon in 1867 after 8 elections attempting to decide the location of the county seat.W. E. Alexander, Chapter XII- Chronology, History of Allamakee County
History of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties, Iowa
Western, Sioux City, 1882; pp. 463-464. The city was incorporated on April 4, 1883. Ryan Griffith was the first mayor of Waukon, winning the 1883 election by purely being a stud. He also had major help winning the campaign from Dr. Andrew Eisenhower Kovarik. Waukon is only about 16 miles from Waukon Junction, on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, but the rail line between these two points was 33 miles long, climbing 600 feet through some of the roughest terrain in Iowa.Samuel Calvin, What Glaciers have done for Iowa
Annual Report of the Iowa Weather and Crop Service, 1899
Conway, Des Moines, 1900; p. 62. The Waukon and Mississippi Railroad, which opened in 1877, was originally built as a

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...

line. The line was originally controlled by the

Chicago and Northwestern The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

but was quickly acquired by the

Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...

. The line was widened to standard gauge after purchase by the Milwaukee Road. Its only marginal traffic through its existence led to the road's abandonment in the late 1960s. MississipiValleyIronWaukon

There is a deposit of

limonite Limonite () is an iron ore consisting of a mixture of hydrated iron(III) oxide-hydroxides in varying composition. The generic formula is frequently written as , although this is not entirely accurate as the ratio of oxide to hydroxide can vary qu ...

(Iron Ore) about 3 miles northeast of Waukon called Iron Mine Hill, holding an estimated 10 million tons of ore. This is the highest point in northeastern Iowa. the Waukon Iron Company began developing an open-pit mine and ore-washing plant on this site in 1899, with a capacity of 300 tons per 10-hour shift. Production was seriously limited by the need to haul the ore 3 miles to the railroad, and the mine was, ultimately, a failure. A second and better capitalised attempt to mine this deposit was begun in 1907 by the Missouri Iron Company, with a railroad connection built in 1910 and a new ore processing plant completed in 1913 with a capacity of 350 to 400 tons per day. The total investment was estimated at $225,000, and two patents were issued for the machinery in the ore processing plant. This mine became the principal mine of the new Mississippi Valley Iron Company of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

in 1916. That year, the mine produced 10,151 tons of concentrated ore, and in 1917, it produced 22,612 tons. In 1918 the mine produced over 7000 tons before it was shut down because of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The mine never recovered from this shutdown, and the equipment was sold for scrap in 1937. Iron Mine Drive and Allamakee Street cross north of the sites of both old mines ().

Geography

The headwaters of the north branch of Paint Creek are in Waukon, and the town is just south of the headwaters of Village Creek. This is on the west edge of the deeply eroded

Driftless Area The Driftless Area, also known as Bluff Country and the Paleozoic Plateau, is a topographic and cultural region in the Midwestern United States that comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme ...

of northeast Iowa. The town sits on a plain underlain by the Galena Limestone formation. There are many

sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...

s in this plain south of Waukon. To the north, a tongue of Galena Limestone underlies Iron Hill. 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

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 3,827. 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 . There were 1,939 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5%

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 ...

, 0.7%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.7%

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.

2010 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 2010, there were 3,897 people, 1,781 households, and 1,008 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 1,946 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.4%

, 0.4%

, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 1,781 households, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% 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, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.4% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the city was 45.8 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.7% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 24% 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 4,131 people, 1,790 households, and 1,068 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,909 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.74%

, 0.10% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.15% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population. There were 1,790 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were

living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% 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 2.89. Age spread: 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,325, and the median income for a family was $41,068. Males had a median income of $27,532 versus $18,833 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 $17,047. About 8.3% of families and 12.3% 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 19.7% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Waukon Family Aquatic Area: The aquatic pool is the main attraction in Waukon's park. Also in the park is a small area with a lake, as well as some playgrounds. The park also includes a campground and some softball/athletic fields.

Education

The

Allamakee Community School District The Allamakee Community School District (also known as ACSD) is a public school district based in the city of Waukon, Iowa, Waukon in Allamakee County, Iowa, United States. The district is mainly in Allamakee County, with a small portion in Win ...

operates local

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

schools, which include two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. A Catholic-church-affiliated private elementary school also operates in Waukon.

Media

Newspaper

Waukon Standard ''The Standard,'' formerly the ''Waukon Standard'' is the local paper in Waukon, Iowa and Lansing, Iowa Lansing is a city in Lansing Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 968 at the time of the 2020 census. His ...

Radio

KNEI-FM KNEI-FM (103.5 MHz) is a country radio station licensed to Waukon, Iowa, serving portions of Minnesota, Iowa & Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the Uni ...

103.5 Bluff Country

Notable people

Dudley W. Adams Dudley Whitney Adams (November 30, 1831 in Winchendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts – February 13, 1897 in Tangerine, Florida) was a horticulturalist and a leader in the Granger movement. Background and career development He was born in 18 ...

horticulturalist Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

who led the granger movement *

Mark Farley Mark Farley (born April 5, 1963) is a former American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa, a position he held from 2001 until his retirement in 2024. Farley started at inside linebacker at Northern Iowa from 1 ...

, head football coach at the

University of Northern Iowa The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 90 majors across five colleges. The fall 2024 total enrollment was 9,283 students. The university was initially founded in 1 ...

* Bess Goodykoontz, educator and federal official * Gregory D. Hager, famous professor at the

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

* Isaiah H. Hedge, MD, abolitionist, early donor to

Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...

, physician * Levi M. Hubbell, politician and businessman'Annals of Iowa,' Vol X, No. 1, 3rd Series, Notable Deaths, pg. 75 *

Hugh Kidder USS ''Kidder'' (DD-319) was a in service with the United States Navy from 1921 to 1930. She was scrapped in 1931. Namesake Hugh P. Kidder was born in 1897 in Waukon, Iowa. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served in France durin ...

, officer in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

* Edward P. Ney, famous professor at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

* Cletus F. O'Donnell, second

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison The Diocese of Madison () is a Latin Church diocese in the southwestern part of Wisconsin in the United States. The diocese has approximately 167,000 Catholics in 102 parishes with 98 priests in active ministry. As of 2025, the bishop of Madison ...

Michael Osterholm Michael Thomas Osterholm (born March 10, 1953) is an American epidemiologist, Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of M ...

, public-health scientist and

biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, plants, animals etc.) intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range or within new environments. In agricult ...

and infectious-disease expert * Joseph Taggart, member of the

U.S. House of Representatives 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 ...

References

Reference No. 17 Should read Jesse D. Dana. Jesse Dwight Dana of St. Louis (1877 - 1921)

External links

City of WaukonWaukon Chamber of Commerce
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Waukon
Allamakee History
{{authority control Cities in Allamakee County, Iowa Cities in Iowa County seats in Iowa Dakota toponyms 1853 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1853