Kalona, Iowa

Kalona, Iowa
City
Location of Kalona, Iowa
Coordinates: 41°29′13″N 91°42′19″W / 41.48694°N 91.70528°W / 41.48694; -91.70528Coordinates: 41°29′13″N 91°42′19″W / 41.48694°N 91.70528°W / 41.48694; -91.70528
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Washington
Area[1]
• Total	2.04 sq mi (5.28 km2)
• Land	2.04 sq mi (5.28 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	659 ft (201 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	2,363
• Estimate (2012[3])	2,421
• Density	1,158.3/sq mi (447.2/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	52247
Area code(s)	319
FIPS code	19-40170
GNIS feature ID	0458018

Kalona is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. Kalona is the second largest city in Washington County.^[4]

History

Amish settlement in what is now the Kalona area began in the 1840s, placing the Amish among the very first European settlers in the area. Other Amish groups came later. The Beachy Amish, for example, first arrived in the 1920s.^[5]

The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway built a 66-mile branch from Iowa City to What Cheer via Kalona in 1879.^[6][7] Kalona was established by the railroad on August 6, 1879.^[8] The name was suggested to the railroad by a Mr. Myers, who owned a bull of that name. The town remained unincorporated until 1890.^[9]

Kalona is home to a burgeoning craft, antiques and local products industry. Its proximity to both Iowa City, Iowa and a large Amish settlement have allowed growth in population and industry in recent years. The town is home to a variety of locally owned shops and restaurants. This quaint city centers around the historic old town business section of Kalona, which features many local businesses that are popular with tourists.

Amish and Mennonites

Not far from Kalona is located one of the largest Amish settlements west of the Mississippi with 9 church districts and a population of roughly 1,200 people. It is the oldest in Iowa, founded in 1846.^[10] Kalona is the home of the Iowa Mennonite Archives, located at the Kalona Historical Village.^[11] The Iowa Mennonite School is located a few miles northwest of Kalona.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.04 square miles (5.28 km²), all of it land.^[1]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 2,363 people, 1,053 households, and 657 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,158.3 inhabitants per square mile (447.2/km²). There were 1,141 housing units at an average density of 559.3 per square mile (215.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

There were 1,053 households of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% 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 2.82.

The median age in the city was 45.7 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.5% male and 54.5% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[13] of 2000, there were 2,293 people, 947 households, and 597 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,119.9 people per square mile (431.9/km²). There were 986 housing units at an average density of 481.6 per square mile (185.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.08% White, 0.22% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population.

There were 947 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $45,897. Males had a median income of $30,776 versus $24,974 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,474. About 5.0% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Bontrager Family Singers, 12-member family of musicians who originated in and reside in Kalona^[14]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kalona, Iowa.

• Kalona Chamber of Commerce
• City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Kalona

Municipalities and communities of Washington County, Iowa, United States
County seat: Washington
Cities	Ainsworth Brighton Coppock‡ Crawfordsville Kalona Riverside Washington Wellman West Chester
Townships	Brighton Cedar Clay Crawford Dutch Creek English River Franklin Highland Iowa Jackson Lime Creek Marion Oregon Seventy-Six Washington
Unincorporated communities	Noble Rubio
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties