Garrison, Iowa
9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Jackson Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52229. The Survey maps it on the Garrison quadrangle. 344 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 879 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresGarrison fell from 371 to 344 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 | 371 | |
| 2020 | 344 | -27 (-7%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 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 Waterloo quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1955 USGS Waterloo quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1971 USGS Garrison quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS Marshalltown quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
6 since 2015Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 6 fires within 5 miles of Garrison between 2015 and 2018, burning about 206 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 April 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 April 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 31 March 2015 | Debris and open burning | 160 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 24 March 2017 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 12 March 2017 | Debris and open burning | 11 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 10 November 2015 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
4 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Garrison: 3 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrison Brick and Tile Works | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Garrison Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Jabens Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| White Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
57 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Garrison in 57 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 30 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 6 tornado, 3 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | $1,000,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 120 mph caused significant damage in Garrison, IA around 455 am CDT July 11. The fire station was destroyed. The roof of the library blew off. About 80 percent of the structures in town were damaged with significant damage to about 20 percent of them. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Garrison | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Garrison | $250,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding of several streets in Vinton, IA and Garrison, IA during the evening of June 18. Flood waters covered Highway 218 about 3 miles south of Vinton. In addition, Hinkle Creek near Garrison was rising rapidly. |
| August 2009 | Flash Flood | Garrison | $250,000 | Heavy rains of 3 to 8 inches resulted in some flash flooding across parts of Benton County on August 27. Some areas particularly hard hit were Keystone, Van Horne, Garrison, and Shellsburg. Prairie Creek experienced unprecedented flooding. It flooded an entire pasture and filled some ditches along Highway 30. Mud Creek also flooded out of its banks. Much of the area experienced standing water and some residences reported flooded basements. Several roads around Shellsburg were closed due to the flood waters flowing over roadways. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | $25,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph ripped off the roof of a machine shed just southeast of Garrison, IA at 1:48 am June 6. The roof was blown into some power lines causing a power outage in the area. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Garrison | $7,000 | 63rd Street & 20th Avenue |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | $7,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew a roof off a garage, destroyed two small sheds, and downed many trees and power lines. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Garrison | $4,000 | 63rd Street & 18th Avenue; covering the ground |
| April 2006 | Hail | Garrison | $3,000 | Relayed by EM; quarter size hail at 63rd St & highway 21 on the Tama/Benton Line. |
| November 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | $2,000 | A shelter for bus kids was knocked over onto a car. No injuries were reported. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | $2,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Garrison | $1,000 | Relayed by EM; dime to quarter size hail |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Report of 60 mph winds. |
| September 2023 | Tornado (EFU) | Garrison | - | Emergency Management confirmed a brief EF-U tornado several miles west of Vinton. Spotters reported a ground circulation lofting corn leaves, beneath the funnel. No damage was noted. |
| March 2022 | Tornado (EF1) | Garrison | - | A tornado developed about 2.5 miles southwest of Vinton Saturday evening, and tracked northeast through the northwest portion of Vinton, before lifting northeast of town. The tornado was on the ground for about 16 minutes, along a 14 mile path. The maximum tornado width was about 400 yards. The tornado was rated a strong EF-1, with maximum estimated winds around 110 mph. Southwest of Vinton, the tornado snapped numerous power poles and damaged trees and outbuildings. In northwest Vinton, the tornado damaged numerous structures, including mobile homes, houses, and wood frame metal buildings in an industrial park. Numerous residents of the mobile home park that was impacted went to the designated storm shelter built by the city of Vinton. Outdoor warning sirens were activated 3 times before the tornado moved into far northwest Vinton. There were no reported injuries or fatalities. The tornado continued northeast through rural areas, causing tree and outbuilding damage. |
| July 2021 | Tornado (EFU) | Garrison | - | Brief touchdown in a field with no visible damage. |
| July 2021 | Tornado (EF1) | Garrison | - | A tornado began in Tama County and crossed into Benton County, just south of Dysart, around 6:08 pm CST. As the tornado entered Benton County, the max width was around 560 yards. This includes the main tornado and satellite vortices, which are supported by video evidence. The tornado caused damage to trees and farm outbuildings at a farmstead just over the county line. This damage was rated EF-1, with maximum winds around 100 mph. The tornado then followed an intermittent path to the east-northeast for about 4.5 miles through rural areas, before dissipating. |
| July 2021 | Tornado (EFU) | Garrison | - | Brief touchdown in a field with no visible damage. |
| August 2020 | Hail | Garrison | - | Reports of dime to quarter size hail were received. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | A public report of very strong estimated winds was received. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | A machine shed door was blown off. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | The emergency manager reported widespread damage in Garrison. Winds were estimated at 70 mph. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | The emergency manager reported widespread wind damage across western Benton county. |
| July 2014 | Tornado (EF0) | Garrison | - | The Keystone Fire Department observed a brief tornado touch down. No damage was reported. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Garrison | - | Non-severe hail (<1.0) fell 7 miles west of Vinton, IA at 626 pm April 6. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph were observed about 5 miles southwest of Vinton, IA at 125 pm CDT August 13. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Wind gusts were estimated to be 55 to 60 mph 7 miles southwest of Vinton, IA at 545 pm June 18. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Wind gusts were estimated to be 70 to 75 mph about 3 miles west of Garrison, IA around 452 pm June 23. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Wind gusts measured at 87 mph blew down several tree branches in Garrison, IA around 720 am June 19. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Sustained winds of 50 mph with higher gusts (over 58 mph) were estimated 7 miles southwest of Vinton, IA at 728 am June 19. Trees were blown down in Garrison, IA. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Garrison | - | Quarter-sized hail fell just east of Dysart, IA around 10:11 pm. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 80 mph were observed about 4 miles northwest of Garrison, IA at 5:04 pm June 8. Very heavy rain was also noted. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Garrison | - | Heavy rains have resulted in some flash flooding of farm fields and area creeks about 3 miles southeast of Garrison, IA around 10:00 am June 8.|Moderate rainfall was also observed. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some tree branches measuring to be eight inches in diameter just southeast of Garrison, IA at 7:50 pm June 27. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew a tree down onto some power lines in Garrison, IA at 2:04 am July 12. |
| March 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Barn blown down. |
| March 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Wind gusts to 50 to 60 mph. |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Winds were estimated to be 65 mph about 7 miles southwest of Vinton, IA. Relayed by EM. Reported by a trained spotter. |
| August 2007 | Hail | Garrison | - | Hail the size of a penny fell in Garrison, IA. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Garrison | - | 63rd Street & 20th Ave |
| June 2005 | Hail | Garrison | - | !5th Avenue and 61st Street |
| April 2001 | Hail | Garrison | - | Nickel sized hail reported by trained storm spotter. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Large tree uprooted with numerous limbs down. |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 60 mph. Reported by Emergency Management. |
| April 2000 | Hail | Garrison | - | 1.5 inch hail reported by law enforcement. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | Large trees downed. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| March 2023 | Hail | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| March 2023 | Hail | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Hail | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| February 2009 | Hail | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | no account filed |
| November 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Garrison | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Station (historical) | 0.1 miles | 9 | |
| Geneva | 2.1 miles | 9 | |
| Rogersville | 5.3 miles | 9 | |
| Vinton | 6.6 miles | 9 | |
| Mount Auburn | 8.1 miles | 10 | |
| Eden | 9.5 miles | 13 | |
| Van Horne | 9.8 miles | 9 | |
| Keystone | 10.5 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 Garrison | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1933213 | 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 456854. 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.



