BlockBefore

Clear Lake, Iowa

7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Clear Lake City. It lies in ZIP code area 50428. The Survey maps it on the Clear Lake West quadrangle. 7,687 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,237 feet above sea level.

Clear Lake within Cerro Gordo County

On record in Clear Lake

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

Population over time

2 figures

Clear Lake fell from 7,777 to 7,687 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
20107,777
20207,687-90 (-1%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 7 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

2 since 2011

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 2 fires within 5 miles of Clear Lake between 2011 and 2020, burning about 2 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/undetermined1
Debris and open burning1

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
3 May 2020Debris and open burning1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
16 March 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resources1598 255TH ST., IA

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Cerro Gordo County

Mines and quarries near this place

9 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 9 workings within 5 miles of Clear Lake: 5 producers, 3 past producers, 1 unknown. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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
Airport PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Andrews PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Clear Lake Sand & Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Duesenberg PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Cerro Gordo County

Storms near this place

60 of 74 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Clear Lake in 74 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 34 hail, 19 thunderstorm wind, 13 heavy rain, 3 lightning. The reports record 5 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 1997Thunderstorm WindClear Lake4 hurt, $40,000no account filed
July 2003Thunderstorm WindClear Lake1 hurt, $5,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$250,000no account filed
July 2011Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$125,000A boat was blown from the dock into a house at the 700 block of South Shore Drive.
May 2017LightningClear Lake$100,000A family reported seeing a red and orange fireball before realizing their neighbor's home was on fire. A tall tree behind the home appeared to have been struck on fire as well.
August 2007Flash FloodClear Lake$75,000Water was reported to be door high on North Shore Drive in the 2700 block.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$50,000Trained spotter reported several tree branches, power lines, and a few tree trunks down through the town of Clear Lake.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$50,000no account filed
July 2015Flash FloodClear Lake$25,000Law Enforcement reported that 10th Ave North has been barricaded due to rapidly flowing water approximately 6 or deeper from the storm.
May 1996Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$25,000no account filed
May 2018Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$20,000Public reported 60 plus MPH wind gusts, large trees down, and power lines down.
August 2018LightningClear Lake$20,000Local 911 call center reported a boat struck by lightning on the shore of Clear Lake. Fire also reported, but magnitude unknown. Other reports of a house struck by lightning in the area as well. Time estimated.
May 2017LightningClear Lake$15,000The fire is was caused by a lightning strike to the home that energized a telephone line and spread to roofing materials and insulation. Smoke was initially reported in the attic and flames on the roof line.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$15,000Two power lines were down and tree branches down. Reported by KGLO AM Radio.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$10,000Dispatch reported numerous trees down and power lines down. This is a delayed report and time estimated from radar.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$10,000Windows were blown out of a house. Relayed by WHO TV.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$10,000Trees were blown down in the city.
July 2006HailClear Lake$10,000no account filed
June 2004Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$10,000no account filed
May 2003HailClear Lake$10,000no account filed
June 2001HailClear Lake$10,000no account filed
August 2018HailClear Lake$5,000Local media relayed a public social media picture of large hail, estimated around golf ball in size. Time estimated from radar.
July 2006HailClear Lake$5,000no account filed
July 2005Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$5,000no account filed
July 2003HailClear Lake$5,000no account filed
May 2000HailClear Lake$5,000no account filed
September 1995HailClear Lake$5,000no account filed
July 2009Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$3,000Trained spotters reported 7 inch diameter branches down at 7th St and Main Ave in Clear Lake.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindClear Lake$3,000Ten inch diameter branches were downed.
May 2004HailClear Lake$3,000no account filed
June 2002HailClear Lake$3,000no account filed
June 2002HailClear Lake$3,000no account filed
August 2018HailClear Lake$2,000Trained spotter reported ongoing quarter to half dollar sized hail.
June 2018HailClear Lake$2,000Public reported ping pong ball sized hail.
May 2004HailClear Lake$2,000no account filed
May 2003HailClear Lake$2,000no account filed
May 2003HailClear Lake$2,000no account filed
August 2021Tornado (EF0)Clear Lake$1,000Report of a tornado west of Burchinal with a supercell in Cerro Gordo county. Tornado path confirmed using high resolution satellite imagery. Damage was mostly to crops although some minor tree damage occurred at a couple of farmsteads.
June 2004HailClear Lake$1,000no account filed
May 2000HailClear Lake$1,000no account filed
July 2000HailClear Lake$1,000no account filed
September 2000HailClear Lake$1,000no account filed
July 2025Tornado (EF0)Clear Lake-Broadcast media shared drone imagery of a track developing just east of the I-35 and Highway 18 interchange. The tornado primarily tracked through cropland, but did result in tree damage early in the track for an EF0 rating.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindClear Lake-Delayed report of a boat dock, tree, and garage door damage around Clear Lake. Time of occurrence estimated by radar.
June 2024Heavy RainClear Lake-Public report via social media of 5 inches of rain overnight.
October 2024HailClear Lake-Report via Clear Lake Police.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindClear Lake-Tree damage and power outages around the Clear Lake area. Time estimated via radar.
May 2020Funnel CloudClear Lake-Multiple public reports of a funnel cloud near Clear Lake.
September 2020Heavy RainClear Lake-A personal weather station reported 2.31 inches of rain.
June 2020HailClear Lake-Public report via mping of quarter sized hail.
June 2020HailClear Lake-Public report via mping of penny sized hail.
June 2020HailClear Lake-Public report of nickle sized hail.
August 2018HailClear Lake-Trained spotter reported lots of quarter sized hail.
May 2017HailClear Lake-Trained spotter reported up to quarter sized hail.
May 2017HailClear Lake-Public reported quarter sized hail via social media.
May 2017HailClear Lake-Trained spotter reported roads covered in up to ping pong ball sized hail in Clear Lake.
April 2017HailClear Lake-Trained spotter reported hail ranging from dime to quarters in size.
April 2017HailClear Lake-Emergency manager relayed a report of nickel sized hail in Clear Lake.
April 2017Heavy RainClear Lake-KAAL TV relayed public report of heavy rainfall of 1.50 inches.
July 2016Heavy RainClear Lake-Trained spotter measured heavy rainfall of 1.64 inches. Beginning time radar estimated.

Every storm recorded in Cerro Gordo 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
Ventura Heights5.2 miles7
Emery5.3 miles7
Ventura5.3 miles7
Creamery6.3 miles7
Registry Park6.6 miles7
Central Heights7.3 miles9
Burchinal7.3 miles7
Mason City9.5 miles9

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 Clear LakeAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q957089The 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 455465. 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.