Belle Plaine, Iowa
9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Belle Plaine City. It lies in ZIP code area 52208. The Survey maps it on the Belle Plaine quadrangle. 2,330 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 827 feet above sea level.
On record in Belle Plaine
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 5 records
Belle Plaine Main Street Historic Districtlisted 2013
Herring Hotellisted 2008
Preston's Station Historic Districtlisted 2020
Sankot Motor Companylisted 1995
Zalesky, Frank E. and Katie (Cherveny), Houselisted 2012
Population over time
2 figuresBelle Plaine fell from 2,534 to 2,330 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 | 2,534 | |
| 2020 | 2,330 | -204 (-8%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 9 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.
- 1954 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1956 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1968 USGS Belle Plaine quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1969 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Grinnell quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
11 since 2004Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 11 fires within 5 miles of Belle Plaine between 2004 and 2018, burning about 729 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 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 |
| Debris and open burning | 3 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 April 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 April 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | MAPLE FIRE |
| 24 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 402 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | CORNLAND WILDFIRE |
| 21 April 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4.3 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | FOLEY 108 |
| 2 April 2011 | Debris and open burning | 250 acres | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | MORMON GROUND |
| 1 April 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 240TH ST. AND 310TH AVE, IOWA |
| 31 March 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | WAGNER ROADSIDE |
| 19 March 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 3345 X AVE ELBERON, IA, IA |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 64 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Belle Plaine in 64 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 31 thunderstorm wind, 26 hail, 3 flash flood, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $25,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down numerous tree limbs and power lines across the southern third of Benton County around 506 pm CDT June 29. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $25,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph destroyed the bell tower and canopy over a walkway at First Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine, IA around 450 pm CDT May 24. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $25,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph downed numerous trees and power lines in Belle Plaine, IA around 430 am CDT July 11. The north side of town was hardest hit. Some properties was damaged by the fallen trees. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $25,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph ripped the roof off a house just north of Belle Plaine, IA at 1:50 am June 6. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $15,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down 3 light poles near 1304 15th Street in Belle Plaine, IA at 520 pm CDT June 29. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $6,000 | part of roof partially off a mobile home. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $5,000 | also reported by media; tree and branches down; tree down on a car |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $3,000 | Power out |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $2,000 | Small limbs down |
| September 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $1,000 | A trained spotter reported that a large tree was down and blocking a road in Belle Plaine. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $1,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew a power pole down in Belle Plaine, IA at 517 pm CDT June 29. A power outage was observed. Sustained wind speeds in excess of 40 mph were observed for over 10 minutes. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $1,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew a trampoline away in Belle Plaine, IA around 716 pm August 9. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A 2 foot wide tree was blown down. |
| July 2020 | Funnel Cloud | Belle Plaine | - | A funnel cloud was reported. It was close to the ground, but observers very close to it confirmed it did not touch down. |
| April 2014 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | A trained spotter reported dime sized hail. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A trained spotter reported 2 large trees down, one fell on a house and one on a garage. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A trained spotter estimated winds of 60 to 65 mph. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Half dollar sized hail fell 1 mile south southwest of Belle Plaine, IA at 241 am CDT April 9. |
| April 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A tree fell on a house on 11th Street and 2nd avenue in Belle Plaine. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph were observed 1 mile south southwest of Belle Plaine, IA at 514 pm CDT June 29. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph snapped a large tree in Belle Plaine, IA at 539 pm CDT June 29. The tree covered the entire street near the intersection of 13th Street and 4th Avenue. |
| March 2011 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | A trained spotter just south of Belle Plaine measured pea to penny size hail. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Quarter sized hail fell 1 mile south southwest of Belle Plaine, IA at 231 pm CDT May 22. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph were observed in Belle Plaine, IA at 450 am CDT July 11. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Non-severe hail (<1.0) fell in Belle Plaine, IA. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Quarter-sized hail fell 1 mile south southwest of Belle Plaine, IA at 1139 am June 18. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Wind gusts estimated to be between 60 and 70 mph were observed in Belle Plaine, IA at 5:45 pm June 8. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Pea to dime-size hail fell in Belle Plaine, IA at 1:29 am June 10. The hail nearly covered the ground. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 to 65 mph in Belle Plaine, IA at 1:36 am June 6. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | A spotter measured nickel size hail near Belle Plaine. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Belle Plaine | - | Portions of Highway 21 were covered with water up to 2 feet deep. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Belle Plaine | - | Water covered Highway 1. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Belle Plaine | - | More than 7 inches of rain in Belle Plaine in less than 24 hours caused flash flooding on many streets and caused sewers to back-up into some homes. |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A wind gust was measured at 60 mph. Reported by the EMA office. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Also estimated 40 to 50 mph winds |
| July 2006 | Funnel Cloud | Belle Plaine | - | Just east of the Benton/Poweshiek line |
| June 2005 | Heavy Rain | Belle Plaine | - | Water ponding on Highway 21 |
| May 2004 | Heavy Rain | Belle Plaine | - | 1 inch in 15 minutes |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | 60 mile an hour thunderstorm gust reported by emergency management. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | 65 mph wind gust. Reported by emergency management. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines. |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 mph downed trees and power poles. Reported by Emergency Management. |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Thunderstorm wind gust of 70 mph estimated by Emergency Management. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| October 2023 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| April 2017 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| April 2017 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irving | 3.7 miles | 9 | |
| Luzerne | 5.2 miles | 8 | |
| Keystone | 8.2 miles | 8 | |
| Blairstown | 10.3 miles | 8 | |
| Van Horne | 12.6 miles | 9 | |
| Rogersville | 14.8 miles | 9 | |
| Watkins | 15.5 miles | 13 | |
| Geneva | 17.2 miles | 9 |
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 Belle Plaine | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1914614 | 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 454495. 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.
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.





