Creston, Iowa
Creston, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 Location of Creston, Iowa | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Union |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.1 sq mi (13.3 km2) |
| • Land | 5.1 sq mi (13.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,312 ft (400 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 7,597 |
| • Density | 1,496.2/sq mi (577.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 50801 |
| Area code | 641 |
| FIPS code | 19-17265 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0455716 |
Creston is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Iowa, United States.Template:GR The population was 7,597 at the 2000 census. Within a few miles of Creston are Green Valley State Park, Summit Lake, Twelve Mile Lake and Three Mile Recreation Area. McKinley Lake lies within a large, multi-purpose municipal park within the city limits.
Creston has a long railroad history. Today, Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Creston, operating its California Zephyr daily in both directions between Chicago, Illinois, and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco. Creston is also a stop on the BNSF Railway. Rail crews based in Creston work from Creston to Galesburg, Illinois and Lincoln, Nebraska. The former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad railroad depot, a 2-story, yellow-brick, red tile-roofed French Provincial structure, now serves as Creston's city hall.
Geography
Creston is located at 41°03′33″N 94°21′52″W / 41.059039°N 94.364378°W (41.059039, -94.364378).Template:GR
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.3 km2), of which, 5.1 square miles (13.2 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.97%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 7,597 people, 3,346 households, and 1,974 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,496.2 people per square mile (577.4/km2). There were 3,598 housing units at an average density of 708.6/sq mi (273.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.13% White, 0.34% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.
There were 3,346 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% 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 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,831, and the median income for a family was $41,003. Males had a median income of $27,580 versus $20,172 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,411. About 7.0% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
Creston originally settled in 1868 as a survey camp for the workers with the Burlington and Missouri Railroad. The campsite was on the crest on the railroad line between the Missouri and Mississippi, hence the name "Creston."
Creston was chosen as the division point for the railroad (now the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe, which built machine shops, roundhouse and a construction camp to the new town. The town was incorporated in 1871.
A new railroad station was constructed in 1899 and the three-story structure served passengers for 69 years. The depot was renovated in 1978 to serve as a City Municipal Building. The old machine shop building was destroyed by a tornado in 1946. The remainder of the roundhouse burned down in 1981.
Education
Creston is served by the Creson Community School District.
High School- Creston Highs School.
Middle School- Creston Middle School
Elementary School- Creston Elementary School
Private Schools in Creston include:
- St. Malachy School (K-8)
- Mayflower Heritage Christian Academy (K-8)
Higher Education
Notable residents
- Walter Cunningham, astronaut
- Julee Cruise, actress and singer
- Sherry Edmundson Fry, sculptor (of the statue of Mahaska in Oskaloosa, Iowa) and co-founder (during World War I) of the American Army Camouflage Corps
- Jerome C. Hunsaker (1886-1984), designer of flying boats and airships
- Frank Phillips, founder of the Phillips Petroleum Company
- Marcia Wallace, actress
References
External links
Municipalities and communities of Union County, Iowa, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |