Atkins, Iowa
15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Fremont Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52206. The Survey maps it on the Fairfax quadrangle. 2,056 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 853 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresAtkins grew from 1,670 to 2,056 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,670 | |
| 2020 | 2,056 | +386 (+23%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 15 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1888 USGS Amana quadrangle1:62500
- 1889 USGS Amana quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1899 USGS Amana quadrangle1:62500
- 1903 USGS Fairfax quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1968 USGS Fairfax quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1984 USGS Iowa City quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1993 USGS Fairfax quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
7 since 2007Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 7 fires within 5 miles of Atkins between 2007 and 2011, burning about 17 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 August 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 6671 LINN - BENTON RD., PALO, IA, IA |
| 9 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 14 April 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 17 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 October 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 6923 31ST. AVE. ATKINS IA., IOWA |
| 25 October 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Atkins: 2 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owens Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
45 since 1999Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Atkins in 45 storm reports between 1999 and 2024: 26 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 3 tornado, 2 heavy rain. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | $50,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew a steel roof off of a farm outbuilding, ripped the top of a silo off, and blew a barn down just north of Atkins, IA around 1012 pm April 5. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Atkins | $50,000 | Rated F1 with winds estimated at 110 mph. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | $50,000 | 2 to 3 inch limbs down |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | $15,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down some trees and damaged a gas station in Atkins, IA at 6:30 pm June 8. The debris from the gas station was found in a nearby park. A power outage was also observed. This report was relayed by the National Weather Service Office in Des Moines, IA. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Atkins | $8,000 | golfball size hail |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | $5,000 | Estimated 70 to 80 mph winds with big trees down. A flag pole was bent at the base at the Benton/Linn line; heavy rain also reported |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | $5,000 | Trees down on 33rd Ave south of town and on 74th street south of town |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | $5,000 | A narrow swath of tree damage, siding blown off houses, and a collapsed garage (due to vehicle door failure) occurred in Atkins consistent with straight line winds around 70 mph. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Atkins | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Atkins | $3,000 | 71st Street & 32nd Avenue |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Large 2 foot diameter tree blown down in Atkins. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A Davis weather station recorded a 100 mph wind gust. Barn nearby blown apart, some roof damage to several structures. Tree branches down, and some pine trees uprooted. Photos confirmed this damage. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A public report of a 59 MPH wind gust. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Report of 60 mph wind gust with the thunderstorm. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A member of the public estimated thunderstorm winds speeds of 60 MPH. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A member of the public reported a 54 knot wind gust. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Sustained 50-55 MPH, relayed by emergency management. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Broadcast Media reported shingles off of a house. Power lines were down and blocking Highway 30 between 218 and 21st Avenue causing traffic to be re-routed. The report was relayed by KWWL-TV. |
| June 2014 | Tornado (EF0) | Atkins | - | A brief tornado left a swath of crop damage in a corn field about 1 mile south-southwest of Atkins. The county emergency manager conducted a detailed ground survey and confirmed a convergent pattern in the damaged corn stalks, which were snapped off at their base. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A trained spotter reported tin everywhere, a grain bin in a field, power lines down and several trees 1 foot or greater in diameter uprooted. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Wind damage to farm outbuildings in a southwest to northeast path in the Atkins and Shellsburg area. Reported by a Cedar Rapids media employee residing in the area. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A trained spotter reported numerous trees down along with metal in fields from warehouse structures. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A trained spotter measured 65 mph winds with numerous trees down and metal in fields from warehouse structures. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph were observed in Atkins, IA at 527 pm CDT June 29. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Wind gusts estimated to be in excess of 60 mph were observed in Atkins, IA at 527 pm CDT June 29. This report was relayed by the Benton County EMA. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Atkins | - | Quarter sized hail fell 1 mile south southeast of Atkins, IA at 634 pm CDT April 3. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph were observed 1 mile south southeast of Atkins, IA at 840 pm CDT June 8. |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A 74 mph wind gust was measured at the Atkins, IA Fire Department at 1012 pm April 5. |
| September 2010 | Hail | Atkins | - | Quarter-sized hail fell in Atkins, IA at 103 pm CDT September 21. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | A 78 mph wind gust was measured by a KGAN-TV viewer in Atkins, IA at 6:46 pm June 8. This report was relayed by KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids. |
| July 2005 | Hail | Atkins | - | Mainly pea sized hail. However, a few stones did achive penny size. |
| April 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | Poles down |
| April 2003 | Heavy Rain | Atkins | - | Fields and ditches full |
| June 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Atkins | - | A brief tornado touched down just east of Atkins. No damage or injuries were reported. |
| April 2023 | Hail | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Hail | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Heavy Rain | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| December 2002 | Hail | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Hail | Atkins | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Atkins | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Aire Home Park | 0.5 miles | 15 | |
| Newhall | 5.6 miles | 13 | |
| Shellsburg | 6.7 miles | 16 | |
| Norway | 7.2 miles | 13 | |
| Walford | 8.3 miles | 15 | |
| Eden | 9.6 miles | 13 | |
| Watkins | 9.8 miles | 13 | |
| Benton City (historical) | 11.8 miles | 13 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Atkins | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q735981 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 454274. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.









