Donnellson, Iowa
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1958 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Franklin Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52625. The Survey maps it on the Donnellson quadrangle. 885 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 705 feet above sea level.
On record in Donnellson
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 2 records
- Donnellson Depotlisted 2025
- John McGreer Barn and Criblisted 2001
Population over time
2 figuresDonnellson fell from 912 to 885 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 | 912 | |
| 2020 | 885 | -27 (-3%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 12 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.
- 1958 USGS Burlington quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1961 USGS Burlington quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS Burlington quadrangle1:250000
- 1968 USGS Donnellson quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Burlington quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1990 USGS Burlington quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
14 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 14 fires within 5 miles of Donnellson between 2006 and 2011, burning about 54 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 | 14 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 April 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 2446 150TH AVE, SW OF DONNELLSON, IOWA |
| 30 March 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 160TH AVE & HWY 2, W OF DONNELLSON, IOWA |
| 30 March 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 30 March 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 29 March 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 218 & 240TH ST., S OF DONNELLSON, IOWA |
| 26 March 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 22 March 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 March 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 2050 238TH ST., IA |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Donnellson: 2 producers, 1 past producer. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donnellson Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Franklin Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Hawkeye Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
39 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Donnellson in 39 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 22 thunderstorm wind, 13 hail, 3 flash flood, 1 lightning. The reports record 1 injury. 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 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | 1 hurt | An area newspaper reported that thunderstorms winds blew a semi-tractor trailer onto its side on U.S. Highway 218 south of Donnellson. One person was injured, and transported to a local hospital. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Donnellson | $2,000,000 | KHQA TV |
| May 2003 | Hail | Donnellson | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Donnellson | $100,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding in Donnellson, IA and Fort Madison, IA during the evening of June 21. Water was over several roads in Donnellson. In Fort Madison, the flood waters were 1 to 1.5 feet deep on some main streets in the downtown area. Some streets were impassible. Water flowed into some buildings in the downtown area. A trained spotted also contributed to this report. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | $100,000 | IDOT RWIS |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | $50,000 | Trees & power lines down |
| September 2008 | Flash Flood | Donnellson | $25,000 | Heavy rains caused flash flooding in Donnellson, IA and Fort Madison, IA during the morning of September 13. Street flooding was observed in both towns. The sewer plant in Donnellson was flooded. Sewers in Fort Madison backed up. |
| March 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | $15,000 | Reported by co-op |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | $5,000 | Tree limbs down |
| April 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | $5,000 | After the passage of the thunderstorms caused by the dry line, a secondary area of thunderstorms developed over northern Missouri and tracked across southeast Iowa. They were ahead of the actual cold front associated with the low pressure system mentioned above. The storms produced strong winds. Winds gusted to around 60 mph in a few areas. Several barn doors were ripped off a barn southeast of Bloomfield. Other damage was very minor. |
| May 1995 | Hail | Donnellson | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | $4,000 | no account filed |
| March 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | Partial lift of the roof on a shop. |
| March 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | An NWS Storm Survey found uprooted trees from thunderstorm straight line winds. |
| July 2025 | Flash Flood | Donnellson | - | Department of Highways reports that 240th Avenue is closed from Hwy 2 to 235th St until further notice due to high water and flash flooding. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | As storm and winds moved in, top of tree knocked over. Time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | The COOP Observer reported power lines down at the farm. |
| September 2022 | Hail | Donnellson | - | Time estimated using radar. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | A trained spotter reported numerous trees and powerlines down. Time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | A semi tractor trailer was blown over while traveling on highway 27 north of Donnellson, near the 1800 block. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | A semi trailer was blown over near intersection of Highway 2 and 27. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | A tree was blown down at fairgrounds. |
| April 2014 | Hail | Donnellson | - | A trained spotter reported pea to penny sized hail covering about 30 percent of the ground. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Donnellson | - | Quarter sized hail fell in Donnellson, IA at 418 pm CDT May 11. It partially covered the ground. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | A 2 foot diameter tree was down in town with several small tree limbs blown down as well. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Donnellson | - | Non-severe hail (<1.0) fell near Donnellson, IA around 305 pm April 30. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Donnellson | - | Non-severe hail (<1.0) fell in Donnellson, IA at 300 pm April 30. The hail covered the ground. |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew some branches down in Donnellson, IA around 305 pm April 30. |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph were observed in Donnellson, IA around 305 pm April 30. |
| July 2010 | Lightning | Donnellson | - | Lightning struck a television antenna topwer outside a home and followed the wires into the home. The roto box exploded ,and two TVs were damaged. Several people in the area later also reported computer and television problems. Witnesses mentioned that storms had ended in the area about 30 minutes before this lightning strike. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | The public reported a utility pole blown down. Winds were estimated at 60 mph. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Donnellson | - | dime size hail. Time estimated based on radar. |
| March 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | Barn destroyed. |
| May 1995 | Hail | Donnellson | - | The supercell storm that produced this hail developed over Clark County, Missouri and produced a funnel cloud over Fort Madison, Iowa before it moved into west-central Illinois and preceded to produce a large tornado. |
| March 2026 | Hail | Donnellson | - | no account filed |
| July 2021 | Hail | Donnellson | - | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Hail | Donnellson | - | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donnellson | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 3.3 miles | 12 | |
| Charleston | 4.0 miles | 12 | |
| Primrose | 4.5 miles | 12 | |
| La Crew | 6.3 miles | 12 | |
| New Boston | 6.5 miles | 12 | |
| Jeffersonville (historical) | 6.7 miles | 15 | |
| Keteban Switch (historical) | 7.1 miles | 12 | |
| Viele | 7.2 miles | 15 |
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 Donnellson | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1933655 | 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 455954. 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.





