Creston, Iowa
9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Creston City. It lies in ZIP code area 50801. The Survey maps it on the Creston East quadrangle. 7,536 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,312 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Creston
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 4 records
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad-Creston Stationlisted 1973
Iowana Hotellisted 2009
Jefferson Elementary Schoollisted 2002
U. S. Post Officelisted 1978
Population over time
4 figuresCreston grew from 411 to 7,536 between 1870 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 411 | |
| 2000 | 7,597 | |
| 2010 | 7,834 | +237 (+3%) |
| 2020 | 7,536 | -298 (-4%) |
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 Omaha quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Omaha quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Omaha quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1980 USGS Creston East quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Creston quadrangle1:100000
- 1993 USGS Creston quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
37 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 37 fires within 5 miles of Creston between 2006 and 2020, burning about 538 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 18 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 |
| Smoking | 4 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 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 August 2012 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 1 August 2013 | Smoking | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 July 2012 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 7 April 2013 | Debris and open burning | 80 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 7 April 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 April 2013 | Debris and open burning | 75 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 133 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Creston in 133 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 58 thunderstorm wind, 41 hail, 15 heavy rain, 8 flash 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1999 | Tornado (F4) | Creston | 1 hurt, $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | 1 hurt, $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $250,000 | Twenty inch tree down with other large trees uprooted. |
| September 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Creston | $250,000 | Tornado cut a continous path from south of Creston through the town of Creston. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Creston | $100,000 | Manhole cover was lifted due to rushing water at the intersection of Highway 34 and Elm St. Some underpasses submerged on Osage St. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Creston | $100,000 | Cherry Street north of Creston was closed due to high water. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Creston | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Creston | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $75,000 | no account filed |
| April 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Creston | $50,000 | Emergency management found damage along this path in north central Union County. The tornado formed about 5 miles northeast of Creston and remained in rural areas of the county. It impacted 3 different farmsteads producing up to EF1 damage to outbuildings at one of the sites. The tornado dissipated a few miles northwest of the northern end of Three Mile Lake. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $50,000 | Emergency manager reported a tree down on a powerline and house. Time estimated from radar. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $50,000 | Trained spotter reports a measured wind gust of 71 MPH. Trees were uprooted on the west side of Creston with some roof damage. |
| May 2001 | Lightning | Creston | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Flood | Creston | $50,000 | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Creston | $40,000 | Tornado touched down briefly west of Creston. Damage was done to an attached two-car breezeway and tore it away from the house. There was little apparent damage to the car inside. |
| May 2011 | Lightning | Creston | $40,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $40,000 | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $30,000 | Amateur radio operator reported power lines down along Highway 34 in Creston. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Creston | $25,000 | Golf ball size hail was reported on the northeast side of Creston. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Creston | $25,000 | Golf ball size hail covering the ground. Lasted 12 minutes. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Creston | $25,000 | Several road intersections impassable within the Creston city limits due to fast moving water. |
| June 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Creston | $25,000 | The roof was taken off of an outbuilding and power lines were blown down north of Creston. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Creston | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 2022 | Hail | Creston | $20,000 | Hail damage to vehicles with one possibly totaled. Delayed report, time estimated by radar. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $20,000 | Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Creston. Time estimated from radar. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $20,000 | no account filed |
| March 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $15,000 | The Creston High School in the Union County Schoolnet reported winds of 60 MPH. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Creston | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Creston | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $15,000 | no account filed |
| April 2012 | Hail | Creston | $10,000 | Nickel to quarter size hail. |
| May 2011 | Flash Flood | Creston | $10,000 | Union County Law Enforcement reported the Osage Railroad bridge was impassible due to water over the road. One car was stranded. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $10,000 | A tree fell onto a house. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Creston | $10,000 | Closure of 160th Street due to water over road. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Creston | $10,000 | Water flowing over the road at several locations near the intersection of 140th Street and Highway 25. |
| April 2014 | Hail | Creston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2015 | Hail | Creston | $5,000 | Amateur radio report of quarter sized hail in Creston. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Creston | $5,000 | Quarter size hail and 40-50 MPH winds at 160th and Highway 25. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | Numerous branches broken off by high winds. |
| July 2009 | Heavy Rain | Creston | $5,000 | Reports of ponding of water in the underpasses in Creston, specifically on Osage Street. Rainfall so far 1.84 inches. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Creston | $5,000 | Quarter size hail was reported in Creston. |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | A KCCI TV schoolnet site at Creston high school recorded a 61 knot wind. Small branches were reported down across town. |
| April 2014 | Hail | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Hail | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Lightning | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Creston | $5,000 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Creston | 1.4 miles | 9 | |
| Cromwell | 5.5 miles | 9 | |
| Spaulding | 7.2 miles | 9 | |
| Kent | 8.8 miles | 8 | |
| Afton | 8.9 miles | 11 | |
| Arispe | 10.7 miles | 8 | |
| Shepard (historical) | 12.0 miles | 8 | |
| Shannon City | 12.0 miles | 8 |
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 Creston | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q745062 | 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 455716. 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.





