BlockBefore

Emmetsburg, Iowa

7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Emmetsburg Township. It lies in ZIP code area 50536. The Survey maps it on the Emmetsburg quadrangle. 3,706 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,237 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Emmetsburg within Palo Alto County

On record in Emmetsburg

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

Population over time

2 figures

Emmetsburg fell from 3,904 to 3,706 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
20103,904
20203,706-198 (-5%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

4 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

1 since 2011

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Emmetsburg in 2011, burning about 1 acre 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

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
7 May 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural ResourcesNE CORNER OF 12 MILE LAKE, IA

Every fire recorded in Palo Alto County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 12 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Emmetsburg: 8 past producers, 4 producers. 4 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
Boggess PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hoffert Sand and GravelSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Palo Alto County PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Ryan PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Palo Alto County

Storms near this place

60 of 67 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Emmetsburg in 67 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 27 hail, 18 thunderstorm wind, 10 heavy rain, 7 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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
July 1997Flash FloodEmmetsburg$150,000no account filed
June 1998Flash FloodEmmetsburg$60,000no account filed
June 2018FloodEmmetsburg$50,000Water was flooding portions of US Hwy 18 east of Emmetsburg and in Cylinder. Water was also over Hwy 18 at the 4900 block of 370th St. and the 5500 block of 390th Street.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$50,000Numerous trees uprooted in town. Some minor flooding was also noted.
March 2007FloodEmmetsburg$50,000no account filed
October 2002HailEmmetsburg$50,000no account filed
August 1995Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$45,000no account filed
June 1995Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$35,000no account filed
June 2014Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$25,000Trees were blown down.
April 2010HailEmmetsburg$25,000Largest hail was on the south side of town where golf ball size hail was reported. Quarter size hail fell on the north side of town.
September 2004Flash FloodEmmetsburg$25,000no account filed
June 2010Flash FloodEmmetsburg$20,000KICD reported that Highway 18 was under water in 2 places between Spencer and Emmetsburg.
August 2002HailEmmetsburg$20,000no account filed
July 1997LightningEmmetsburg$20,000no account filed
June 2010Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$15,000Several trees blown down.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$15,000Radio reported public sighting of trees down on the east side of Five Island Lake.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$10,000Law Enforcement reported trees down in town. Time radar estimated.
May 2013Flash FloodEmmetsburg$10,000Several inches of water flowing over the road in Emmetsburg at Lawler and Main.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$10,000Patio furniture was blown around and branches were down in the yard.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$10,000Numerous trees down, some uprooted.
June 2004HailEmmetsburg$10,000no account filed
August 2003HailEmmetsburg$10,000no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$10,000no account filed
September 2018Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$5,000Public reported power line down in town.
June 2014Flash FloodEmmetsburg$5,000Water was flowing over 460th Avenue.
April 2010HailEmmetsburg$5,000no account filed
April 2002HailEmmetsburg$5,000no account filed
May 2001HailEmmetsburg$5,000no account filed
April 2001HailEmmetsburg$5,000no account filed
April 2001HailEmmetsburg$5,000no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$5,000no account filed
August 1995Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$5,000no account filed
August 1995Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$5,000no account filed
May 2013HailEmmetsburg$3,000Public reported heavy rainfall along with nickel to quarter size hailstones.
April 2011HailEmmetsburg$3,000Nickel to quarter size hail reported.
April 2010HailEmmetsburg$3,000Hail beginning to accumulate at the time of observation.
June 2007HailEmmetsburg$2,000no account filed
May 2005HailEmmetsburg$2,000no account filed
April 2002Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg$2,000no account filed
May 2013HailEmmetsburg$1,000no account filed
June 2025Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg-Strong wind gusts with large branches down reported in Emmetsburg.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg-Gust reported by personal weather station.
June 2023HailEmmetsburg-Law enforcement reported golf ball sized hail falling in Emmetsburg.
June 2023HailEmmetsburg-Law enforcement relayed report of nearly baseball sized hail in Emmetsburg. This is a delayed report and time estimated from radar.
June 2023HailEmmetsburg-Emergency manager reported leaf damage to tress around down and some brachhes down as well from golf ball sized hail. This is a delayed report.
June 2018Heavy RainEmmetsburg-KICD relayed report heavy rainfall of about 3 inches since 2:30 pm.
July 2018Funnel CloudEmmetsburg-Broadcast media relayed reports of funnel clouds in the area.
September 2018Thunderstorm WindEmmetsburg-Storm chaser measured 60 mph wind gusts via their personal anemometer.
September 2018Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Mesonet station recorded heavy rainfall of 3.26 inches over the last 24 hours.
August 2017Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Coop observer recorded heavy rainfall of 1.35 inches over a 30 minute period from 11 am to 11:30 am CDT.
April 2016HailEmmetsburg-Trained spotter reported nickel to quarter sized hail.
May 2016HailEmmetsburg-Trained spotter reported dime to nickel sized hail.
July 2016Flash FloodEmmetsburg-Law Enforcement reported various roadways with water 3 to 5 inches deep. Time and location estimated.
September 2016Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 2.41 inches.
September 2016Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Iowa DOT reported heavy rainfall of 3.50 inches storm total through 8am.
May 2013Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Rainfall in the past hour of 1.25 inches.
May 2013Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Rainfall in the past hour of 5.00 inches. Relayed by KICD radio.
April 2013Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Rainfall 1.10 inches.
June 2011Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Observer reported 2.96 inches of rain in 90 minutes.
August 2010Heavy RainEmmetsburg-Public reports very heavy rain in Emmetsburg with water 3-4 inches deep on Highway 18.

Every storm recorded in Palo Alto 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
Osgood5.6 miles7
Cylinder7.1 miles7
Fallow (historical)8.6 miles7
Depew8.9 miles7
Graettinger9.4 miles7
Ayrshire9.4 miles7
Curlew9.7 miles8
Rodman9.9 miles7

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 EmmetsburgAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q989465The 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 456375. 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.