Ottumwa, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 Logo | |
| Nicknames: | |
 Location of Ottumwa in the State of Iowa | |
| Coordinates:41°01′10″N92°25′07″W / 41.01944°N 92.41861°W /41.01944; -92.41861 | |
| Country | USA |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Wapello |
| Established | 1843[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor/Council |
| • Mayor | Rick Johnson[3][4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 16.73 sq mi (43.32 km2) |
| • Land | 16.06 sq mi (41.60 km2) |
| • Water | 0.67 sq mi (1.73 km2) |
| Elevation | 650 ft (200 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 25,529 |
| • Rank | 18th in Iowa |
| • Density | 1,589.5/sq mi (613.71/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 52501 |
| Area code | 641 |
| FIPS code | 19-60465 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396110[6] |
| Website | ottumwa |
Ottumwa (/əˈtʌmwə/ə-TUM-wə) is acity in and thecounty seat ofWapello County, Iowa, United States.[7] The population was 25,529 at the time of the2020 U.S. census.[8] Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves by theDes Moines River.
The original town was founded on the former camps ofMeskwaki ChiefsWapello andAppanoose. Ottumwa first developed as an industrious city economically based in farm-equipment manufacturing and meatpacking, those beingJohn Deere andJohn Morrell & Co. (nowJBS) respectively.[9] The city is also home toIndian Hills Community College to provide for higher education. Ottumwa is the center of the Ottumwa Micropolitan Area which includes all ofWapello andDavis counties.[10]
.jpg)
The city's name derives from the Native AmericanMeskwaki language, translating to "tumbling waters" in reference to the Appanoose Rapids on the Des Moines River.[11][12]
In May 1843, several investors formed the Appanoose Rapids Company and staked claim to 467 acres of land in the present site of Ottumwa. Theircolonization involved claiming land supporting threeindigenous settlements. The first official cabin was built in May 1843 after the area was opened to settlement (an earlier cabin built in defiance of this date was destroyed by Army troops at that time). The original platt was titled Louis Ville.[13] In 1844 the city was named as the county seat.[1]
The town was severely damaged during theflood of 1851.[14]
In 1857, coal was being mined from the McCready bank, a site along Bear Creek four miles west of Ottumwa. In 1868, Brown and Godfrey opened adrift mine four miles northwest of town. By 1872, Brown and Godfrey employed 300 men and had an annual production of 77,000 tons. In 1880, the Phillips Coal and Mining Company opened amine two miles northwest of town. In subsequent years, they opened 5 moreshafts in the Phillips and Rutledge neighborhoods, just north of Ottumwa.[15] The Phillips number 5 shaft was 140 feet (43 meters) deep, with a 375-HP steamhoist.[16] By 1889, the state mine inspector's report listed 15 mine shafts in Ottumwa.[17] In 1914, the Phillips Fuel Company produced over 100,000 tons of coal, ranking among the top 24 coal producers in the state.[18] Coal mining was so important to the local economy that, from 1890 to 1892, theCoal Palace was erected in Ottumwa as anexhibition center.
John Morrell & Company and their meat packing comples played a significant role in the development of Ottumwa from 1877 to 1973.[19]
When the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad arrived in Ottumwa in September 1859, it ran parallel to the river channel. The availability of rail transportation encouraged both commercial and industrial expansion along the northwest to southeast axis. Access to the south bank of the river at first was by ferry from the foot of Green Street. By 1875 this ferry had been replaced by a bridge, and a number of additions had been made to the city during the first thirty years, all located on the north side of the Des Moines River. As development (almost exclusively residential) climbed the bluffs, the streets on top of the hills were laid out to compass points, rather than parallel to the river. Although there was some development on the south side of the river,South Ottumwa was not brought into the city limits until the 1880s.[20]
Visits by a sitting U.S. president include:
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.53 square miles (42.81 km2), of which 15.86 square miles (41.08 km2) is land and 0.67 square miles (1.74 km2) is water.[25]
Northeastern Wapello County contains large deposits of coal, and there are also large deposits of clay in the region, which played an important role in the industrial development of Ottumwa.[1]
Ottumwa is the center of the OttumwaMicropolitan Statistical Area which includes all ofWapello County.[26]
According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Ottumwa has ahot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.
| Climate data forOttumwa Regional Airport, Iowa (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) | 79 (26) | 88 (31) | 91 (33) | 97 (36) | 103 (39) | 106 (41) | 105 (41) | 100 (38) | 93 (34) | 79 (26) | 75 (24) | 106 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 54.8 (12.7) | 59.0 (15.0) | 73.2 (22.9) | 83.0 (28.3) | 87.9 (31.1) | 92.2 (33.4) | 94.9 (34.9) | 94.4 (34.7) | 90.6 (32.6) | 83.5 (28.6) | 70.4 (21.3) | 58.6 (14.8) | 96.8 (36.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 32.0 (0.0) | 36.8 (2.7) | 50.2 (10.1) | 62.8 (17.1) | 72.9 (22.7) | 82.2 (27.9) | 85.7 (29.8) | 84.0 (28.9) | 77.3 (25.2) | 64.2 (17.9) | 49.7 (9.8) | 37.2 (2.9) | 61.3 (16.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.9 (−5.1) | 27.4 (−2.6) | 39.6 (4.2) | 51.1 (10.6) | 62.0 (16.7) | 71.6 (22.0) | 75.1 (23.9) | 73.0 (22.8) | 65.3 (18.5) | 52.9 (11.6) | 39.6 (4.2) | 28.4 (−2.0) | 50.7 (10.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.8 (−10.1) | 18.0 (−7.8) | 28.9 (−1.7) | 39.4 (4.1) | 51.0 (10.6) | 61.0 (16.1) | 64.5 (18.1) | 62.0 (16.7) | 53.3 (11.8) | 41.6 (5.3) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 19.7 (−6.8) | 40.2 (4.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −7.9 (−22.2) | −2.3 (−19.1) | 8.0 (−13.3) | 23.5 (−4.7) | 36.4 (2.4) | 48.7 (9.3) | 55.0 (12.8) | 52.0 (11.1) | 38.1 (3.4) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 12.2 (−11.0) | −1.1 (−18.4) | −11.9 (−24.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −23 (−31) | −27 (−33) | −20 (−29) | 9 (−13) | 24 (−4) | 41 (5) | 48 (9) | 41 (5) | 27 (−3) | 17 (−8) | −9 (−23) | −21 (−29) | −27 (−33) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.01 (26) | 1.41 (36) | 2.24 (57) | 3.75 (95) | 5.03 (128) | 5.38 (137) | 3.87 (98) | 4.44 (113) | 3.50 (89) | 2.81 (71) | 2.09 (53) | 1.44 (37) | 36.97 (939) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.1 (18) | 5.8 (15) | 3.0 (7.6) | 1.4 (3.6) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.5 (1.3) | 1.6 (4.1) | 4.2 (11) | 23.6 (60) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 7.1 | 7.4 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 13.1 | 11.3 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 109.3 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 5.7 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 17.1 |
| Source:NOAA[27][28] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,632 | — | |
| 1870 | 5,214 | 219.5% | |
| 1880 | 9,004 | 72.7% | |
| 1890 | 14,001 | 55.5% | |
| 1900 | 18,197 | 30.0% | |
| 1910 | 22,012 | 21.0% | |
| 1920 | 23,003 | 4.5% | |
| 1930 | 28,075 | 22.0% | |
| 1940 | 31,570 | 12.4% | |
| 1950 | 33,631 | 6.5% | |
| 1960 | 33,871 | 0.7% | |
| 1970 | 29,610 | −12.6% | |
| 1980 | 27,381 | −7.5% | |
| 1990 | 24,488 | −10.6% | |
| 2000 | 24,998 | 2.1% | |
| 2010 | 25,023 | 0.1% | |
| 2020 | 25,529 | 2.0% | |
| US Decennial Census[29][8] | |||
As of thecensus of 2020,[30] there were 25,529 people, 10,098 households, and 6,048 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,589.5 inhabitants per square mile (613.7/km2). There were 11,254 housing units at an average density of 700.7 per square mile (270.5/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 74.3%White, 5.4%Black or African American, 0.8%Native American, 2.3%Asian, 2.0%Pacific Islander, 8.6% from other races and 6.7% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 15.7% of the population.
Of the 10,098 households, 30.8% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% weremarried couples living together, 8.5% were cohabitating couples, 30.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 21.4% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 40.1% of all households were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.
The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 27.9% of the residents were under the age of 20; 6.3% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 26.0% were from 25 and 44; 22.9% were from 45 and 64; and 17.0% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.
As of the2010 United States census[31] there were 25,023 people, 10,251 households, and 6,208 families in the city. The population density was 1,577.7 inhabitants per square mile (609.2/km2). There were 11,257 housing units at an average density of 709.8 per square mile (274.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.2%White, 4.06%Hispanic orLatino, 1.6%African American, 0.6%Native American, 0.9%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 4.5% fromother races, and 1.8% from two or more races.
There were 10,251 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% 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 2.97.
The median age in the city was 37.4 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 16% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
As of the2000 United States census, there were 24,998 people, 10,383 households, and 6,530 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,582.2 inhabitants per square mile (610.9/km2). There were 11,038 housing units at an average density of 698.6 per square mile (269.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.33%White, 1.27%African American, 0.33%Native American, 0.78%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 1.38% fromother races, and 0.89% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.76% of the population.
There were 10,383 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
Age spread: 22.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,174, and the median income for a family was $37,302. Males had a median income of $31,222 versus $20,934 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,040. About 10.9% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
According to Ottumwa's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[32] the top employers in the city were:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JBS Live Pork, LLC (subsidiary ofJBS USA) | 2,550 |
| 2 | Ottumwa Community School District | 800 |
| 3 | Ottumwa Regional Health Center | 692 |
| 4 | John Deere Ottumwa Works | 550 |
| 5 | Winger Companies | 449 |
| 6 | Indian Hills Community College | 369 |
| 7 | Hy-Vee | 350 |
| 8 | Walmart Supercenter | 301 |
| 9 | City of Ottumwa | 224 |
| 10 | Keurig Dr Pepper | 200 |
TheQuincy Place Mall is a Shopping mall in Ottumwa.
Twin Galaxies, a social media platform, is located in Ottumwa. For this reason, Ottumwa's mayor proclaimed the city the "Video Game Capital of the World" in 1982.[2] The city's proclamation was recognized by U.S. SenatorCharles Grassley.[33] The city hosted the first North American Video Olympics in 1982.[34] In 2009, anInternational Video Game Hall of Fame was planned.[citation needed]
The city of Ottumwa and the surrounding rural areas ofWapello County are served by theOttumwa Community School District.
Ottumwa is served byOttumwa High School, Evans Junior High, and multiple neighborhood elementary schools including Douma and Liberty on the Southern side of the city, and James, Horace Mann, Wilson, Eisenhower, and Fahrney Elementary serving the Northern side.
Ottumwa is the home ofIndian Hills Community College, a two-year community college. Between 1928 and 1980, it was also home toOttumwa Heights College, a women's college that merged with Indian Hills in 1979 to create one institution. Indian Hills is located at the former Ottumwa Heights campus.Buena Vista University has a regional campus located here.
Paired withKirksville, Missouri, Ottumwa is amedia market region, ranked #201 byNielsen. Television stations includeFox/NBC/The CW+ affiliateKYOU-TV (channel 15) andK18GU-D (channel 12;translator ofKIINchannel 12 inIowa City). DualABC/CBS affiliateKTVO (channel 3) is licensed to and has its main offices near Kirksville, but has a second studio and news bureau in Ottumwa.
TheOttumwa Courier is the primary daily newspaper.
"Ottumwa Radio" is the primary regional radio provider with multiple stations.
Ottumwa Regional Airport is a general aviation airport owned by the City of Ottumwa and is operated by the Airport Advisory Board.
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to theOttumwa Amtrak station, operating itsCalifornia Zephyr daily in both directions betweenChicago,Illinois, andEmeryville, California, across theSan Francisco Bay from San Francisco.
Ottumwa Transit Authority operates bus services throughout the Ottumwa area.[35] The fixed-route system includes five routes and a shopping shuttle.[36] It also operates a para-transit service known as Ottumwa Transit Authority Lift[37] and Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC), a dial-a-ride service geared towards employees.[38]The five routes that operate Monday through Friday are: #1 North, #2 East West, #3 South Residential, #4 South Commercial, and #7 Airport. There are also two routes that operate on Saturday only; no routes operate on Sunday.[39]
10–15 Regional Transit Agency provides a regional dial-a-ride service throughout Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello and Wayne counties.[40][41]
Currently,U.S. Route 34 andIowa Highway 149 serve the town, replacing a former segment ofU.S. Highway 63. Route 63 now bypasses the town as part of theBurlington toDes Moines expressway. TheJefferson Street Viaduct over the Des Moines River is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
TheBNSF Railway has tracks through Ottumwa. This is a major corridor in the Chicago-Omaha line that is double track, and western coal makes up a large percentage of the freight carried on this line. The BNSF tracks travel under U.S. Highway 34, pass through the business district, under the U.S. Highway 63 bridge, cross theIowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad tracks at grade, exit Ottumwa, and later cross over theDes Moines River on their way toAlbia, Iowa, and laterOmaha, Nebraska.
TheIowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad was acquired by the Canadian Pacific in 2008. Ottumwa is located on the Davenport, Iowa, to Kansas City, Mo. line and is a crew change point.
TheNorfolk Southern Railway has trackage rights over the BNSF through Ottumwa.
Originally called Appanoose Rapids, the name was changed to Louisville and Ottumwanoc before being shortened to Ottumwa. Ottumwa is said to be derived from an Algonquian (Fox) word meaning "rippling waters," although it may simply mean "town."
Potts, Mary Florence (c. 1853–?). American inventor of the most popular irons ever used.
Municipalities and communities ofWapello County, Iowa,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
