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Chariton, Iowa

11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1918 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Chariton City. It lies in ZIP code area 50049. The Survey maps it on the Chariton quadrangle. 4,193 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,027 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Chariton within Lucas County

On record in Chariton

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 12 of 15 shown

Every listing in Lucas County

Population over time

2 figures

Chariton fell from 4,321 to 4,193 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.

YearPeople Change
20104,321
20204,193-128 (-3%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 11 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

43 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 43 fires within 5 miles of Chariton between 2006 and 2020, burning about 251 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/undetermined24
Debris and open burning15
Smoking2
Recreation and ceremony1
Railroad operations and maintenance1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
6 July 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural ResourcesCHARITON VOL FD
4 July 2019Smokingunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
29 June 2006Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
24 June 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural ResourcesCHARITON VOL FD
12 May 2013Debris and open burning10 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
5 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined4.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resources52621 245TH TRAIL, IA
3 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined5.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resources510TH LN, IA
24 April 2018Debris and open burning2.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Lucas County

Mines and quarries near this place

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Chariton: 2 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Flagstone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Little White Breast Creek QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownFlagstonePast Producer

Every working recorded in Lucas County

Storms near this place

60 of 103 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Chariton in 103 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 35 hail, 28 thunderstorm wind, 16 heavy rain, 11 flood. The reports record 2 injuries. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 1994HailChariton2 hurt, $50,000no account filed
July 2010Flash FloodChariton$1,000,000Vehicle was stalled on Court Ave in Chariton. Water flowing on the road and coming into the vehicle.
July 2013Flash FloodChariton$250,000The Lucas County dispatch reports flash flooding throughout much of Chariton. Multiple streets were closed and impassible due to running water of over a foot in depth.
July 2010Flash FloodChariton$250,000York Street washed out and was closed near the 400 block. Widespread basement flooding.
July 2010Flash FloodChariton$250,000Fourth Street was washed out and closed near the 400 block. Widespread basement flooding.
May 2013FloodChariton$200,000Water over 450th St due to the Chariton River.
June 2010FloodChariton$150,000Water ponding 3 feet deep in Chariton.
June 2015FloodChariton$100,000The Chariton River at Chariton crested at 20.79 feet at 09:30 AM CST on 25 June.
July 2010Flash FloodChariton$100,000Street manhole covers were blown off on Court Ave. Apartments were flooded on the 1700 block of Court Ave.
May 1998FloodChariton$75,000no account filed
October 2018FloodChariton$50,000The Chariton River at Chariton crested at 19.82 ft on 9 October 2018 at 01:15 UTC.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindChariton$50,000Trained spotter reported whole trees, 4 to 6 inch branches, and power poles down on the north side of Chariton by the medical center.
April 2012HailChariton$50,000Quarter size hail along with estimated 60 MPH wind gusts.
July 2010Flash FloodChariton$50,000Water knee deep in the streets.
September 2008FloodChariton$50,000no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindChariton$50,000no account filed
June 1998FloodChariton$50,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindChariton$50,000no account filed
September 2016Thunderstorm WindChariton$40,000Law enforcement reported two instances of a large tree downed onto a house in Chariton. Time and location estimated from radar.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindChariton$25,000High winds downed a 12 foot diameter oak tree that was about 200 years old and damaged buildings. Winds were estimated around 70 MPH.
July 2008Flash FloodChariton$25,000Lucas County Law Enforcement reports Court Ave is closed on the west side of Chariton due to 6 to 8 inches of water on the road. Cars attempting to drive through the water stalled.
April 2007FloodChariton$25,000no account filed
May 2007FloodChariton$25,000no account filed
March 2002Thunderstorm WindChariton$25,000no account filed
October 2001HailChariton$25,000no account filed
October 2001HailChariton$25,000no account filed
June 1999HailChariton$25,000no account filed
July 1997FloodChariton$25,000no account filed
July 2016Thunderstorm WindChariton$20,000Law Enforcement reported an apartment complex damaged and trees down in Chariton. Time estimated by radar.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindChariton$20,000Public reported numerous trees down in town.
May 2011LightningChariton$15,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindChariton$15,000no account filed
September 2016Thunderstorm WindChariton$10,000Law enforcement reported a roof off of a shed and an attached garage damaged on the southern edge of Chariton. Time and location estimated from radar.
August 2015Thunderstorm WindChariton$10,000Public reported multiple large tree branches down in town.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindChariton$10,000Electric pole partially blown over on Highway 14. Wires were sparking.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindChariton$10,000A tree 12 inches in diameter was blown over by strong winds.
April 2001Thunderstorm WindChariton$7,000no account filed
June 2011Thunderstorm WindChariton$5,000no account filed
June 2008Thunderstorm WindChariton$5,000no account filed
February 2007FloodChariton$5,000no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindChariton$5,000no account filed
August 2003Thunderstorm WindChariton$5,000no account filed
October 2001HailChariton$5,000no account filed
October 2001Thunderstorm WindChariton$5,000no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindChariton$5,000no account filed
August 2000HailChariton$5,000no account filed
June 1999HailChariton$5,000no account filed
June 1997Thunderstorm WindChariton$5,000no account filed
June 2008HailChariton$3,000A trained spotter on the west edge of Chariton reported pea to quarter size hail.
June 2008HailChariton$3,000no account filed
June 2008HailChariton$3,000no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindChariton$3,000no account filed
August 2000Thunderstorm WindChariton$3,000no account filed
September 1996LightningChariton$3,000no account filed
July 2011Thunderstorm WindChariton$2,000Small limbs were blown down. Three inches of rain fell in one hour.
June 2009HailChariton$2,000no account filed
May 2001Thunderstorm WindChariton$2,000no account filed
June 2008HailChariton$1,000A trained spotter on the west side of Chariton reported dime to nickel size hail.
April 2014HailChariton$1,000no account filed
June 2011HailChariton$1,000no account filed

Every storm recorded in Lucas County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Indianola Junction3.2 miles11
Whitebreast3.5 miles11
Williamson5.8 miles11
Russell6.1 miles11
Troy (historical)6.5 miles11
Oakley6.8 miles11
Lucas8.2 miles11
Olmitz8.6 miles10

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 CharitonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q988728The 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 455350. 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.