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.
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
Surf BallroomNational Historic Landmark · listed 2011
Elks-Rogers Hotellisted 1982
John L. Etzel Houselisted 1983
Rogers-Knutson Houselisted 1982- Clear Lake Lake Walllisted 2023
Population over time
2 figuresClear 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 7,777 | |
| 2020 | 7,687 | -90 (-1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 7 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 Mason City quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1957 USGS Mason City quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Mason City quadrangle1:250000
- 1972 USGS Clear Lake West quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Mason City quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
2 since 2011Regional 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/undetermined | 1 |
| Debris and open burning | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 2020 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 16 March 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 1598 255TH ST., IA |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
9 within 5 milesRegional 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Andrews Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Clear Lake Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Duesenberg Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 74 shownRegional 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | 4 hurt, $40,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | 1 hurt, $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $125,000 | A boat was blown from the dock into a house at the 700 block of South Shore Drive. |
| May 2017 | Lightning | Clear Lake | $100,000 | A 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 2007 | Flash Flood | Clear Lake | $75,000 | Water was reported to be door high on North Shore Drive in the 2700 block. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $50,000 | Trained spotter reported several tree branches, power lines, and a few tree trunks down through the town of Clear Lake. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Clear Lake | $25,000 | Law Enforcement reported that 10th Ave North has been barricaded due to rapidly flowing water approximately 6 or deeper from the storm. |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $20,000 | Public reported 60 plus MPH wind gusts, large trees down, and power lines down. |
| August 2018 | Lightning | Clear Lake | $20,000 | Local 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 2017 | Lightning | Clear Lake | $15,000 | The 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 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $15,000 | Two power lines were down and tree branches down. Reported by KGLO AM Radio. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $10,000 | Dispatch reported numerous trees down and power lines down. This is a delayed report and time estimated from radar. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $10,000 | Windows were blown out of a house. Relayed by WHO TV. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $10,000 | Trees were blown down in the city. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Clear Lake | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Clear Lake | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | Clear Lake | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Hail | Clear Lake | $5,000 | Local media relayed a public social media picture of large hail, estimated around golf ball in size. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Clear Lake | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Clear Lake | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Clear Lake | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 1995 | Hail | Clear Lake | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $3,000 | Trained spotters reported 7 inch diameter branches down at 7th St and Main Ave in Clear Lake. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $3,000 | Ten inch diameter branches were downed. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Clear Lake | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | Clear Lake | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | Clear Lake | $3,000 | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Hail | Clear Lake | $2,000 | Trained spotter reported ongoing quarter to half dollar sized hail. |
| June 2018 | Hail | Clear Lake | $2,000 | Public reported ping pong ball sized hail. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Clear Lake | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Clear Lake | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Clear Lake | $2,000 | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Tornado (EF0) | Clear Lake | $1,000 | Report 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 2004 | Hail | Clear Lake | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Clear Lake | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Clear Lake | $1,000 | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Hail | Clear Lake | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2025 | Tornado (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 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | - | Delayed report of a boat dock, tree, and garage door damage around Clear Lake. Time of occurrence estimated by radar. |
| June 2024 | Heavy Rain | Clear Lake | - | Public report via social media of 5 inches of rain overnight. |
| October 2024 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Report via Clear Lake Police. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | - | Tree damage and power outages around the Clear Lake area. Time estimated via radar. |
| May 2020 | Funnel Cloud | Clear Lake | - | Multiple public reports of a funnel cloud near Clear Lake. |
| September 2020 | Heavy Rain | Clear Lake | - | A personal weather station reported 2.31 inches of rain. |
| June 2020 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Public report via mping of quarter sized hail. |
| June 2020 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Public report via mping of penny sized hail. |
| June 2020 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Public report of nickle sized hail. |
| August 2018 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Trained spotter reported lots of quarter sized hail. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Trained spotter reported up to quarter sized hail. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Public reported quarter sized hail via social media. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Trained spotter reported roads covered in up to ping pong ball sized hail in Clear Lake. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Trained spotter reported hail ranging from dime to quarters in size. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Clear Lake | - | Emergency manager relayed a report of nickel sized hail in Clear Lake. |
| April 2017 | Heavy Rain | Clear Lake | - | KAAL TV relayed public report of heavy rainfall of 1.50 inches. |
| July 2016 | Heavy Rain | Clear Lake | - | Trained spotter measured heavy rainfall of 1.64 inches. Beginning time radar estimated. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura Heights | 5.2 miles | 7 | |
| Emery | 5.3 miles | 7 | |
| Ventura | 5.3 miles | 7 | |
| Creamery | 6.3 miles | 7 | |
| Registry Park | 6.6 miles | 7 | |
| Central Heights | 7.3 miles | 9 | |
| Burchinal | 7.3 miles | 7 | |
| Mason City | 9.5 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 Clear Lake | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q957089 | 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 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.




