Johnston, Iowa
17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1905 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Webster Township. It lies in ZIP code area 50131. The Survey maps it on the Des Moines NW quadrangle. 24,064 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 830 feet above sea level.
On record in Johnston
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
Camp Dodge Pool Districtlisted 1995
Paul J. and Ida Trier Houselisted 1988
Population over time
2 figuresJohnston grew from 17,278 to 24,064 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 | 17,278 | |
| 2020 | 24,064 | +6,786 (+39%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 17 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.
- 1905 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:62500
- 1907 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1954 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1956 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:62500
- 1956 USGS Des Moines NW quadrangle1:24000, 5 printings
- 1957 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
17 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 17 fires within 5 miles of Johnston between 2006 and 2019, burning about 50 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 | 10 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 7 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 July 2015 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 July 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | U.S 20 @ N-57, IA |
| 3 June 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 June 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 May 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | CAMP DODGE |
| 17 May 2014 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 14 May 2016 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | CAMP DODGE |
| 5 April 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
7 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Johnston: 4 past producers, 3 producers. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay, Zinc. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drill Hole | Zinc | Past Producer | Sphalerite | |
| Can-Tex Industries West Pit | Clay | Producer | ||
| Iowa Clay Pipe Co. Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Des Moines North Pit & Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Johnston Pit & Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Morning Star Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 67 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Johnston in 67 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 26 hail, 17 thunderstorm wind, 9 lightning, 9 heavy rain. The reports record 3 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 2001 | Lightning | Johnston | 2 hurt, $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Lightning | Johnston | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $10,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Flood | Johnston | $6,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Flood | Johnston | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Flood | Johnston | $500,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Hail | Johnston | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Flood | Johnston | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Lightning | Johnston | $150,000 | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Johnston | $100,000 | The hail measured 2.25 inches by 3 inches. |
| July 2010 | Flood | Johnston | $75,000 | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $75,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Johnston | $50,000 | The path of this tornado started within Terra Parkin Johnston and moved northeast into a housing area before crossing over the Village Square Shopping Center. Most of the damage was done to trees with some minor damage to houses, mainly to shingles. The path continued northeast through Johnston with more tree damage before crossing the Des Moines River north of NW 66th Avenue. The tornado dissipated shortly thereafter near NW Fisher Lane. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $50,000 | Estimaged 65 MPH winds broke 6 inch diameter branches. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Johnston | $50,000 | Windows were broken out due to large hail at an apartment complex. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Johnston | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Johnston | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Hail | Johnston | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Hail | Johnston | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Johnston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Johnston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Johnston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Lightning | Johnston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Johnston | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Johnston | $6,000 | no account filed |
| April 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $5,000 | Small branches broken off with minor street flooding. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $5,000 | One foot diameter tree branch was blocking the road. |
| March 2007 | Hail | Johnston | $5,000 | Reported by Johnston City Official. |
| March 2007 | Hail | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Hail | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Hail | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Lightning | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Hail | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Lightning | Johnston | $4,000 | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $3,000 | Some tree branch damage. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Johnston | $3,000 | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Lightning | Johnston | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Johnston | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Johnston | $2,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Johnston | $500 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Johnston | $500 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | - | Public mping report of trees uprooted or snapped, roof damage. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnston | - | Trained spotter reported a pine tree down, estimated 6 to 8 inches diameter, along with other tree damage. |
| June 2024 | Heavy Rain | Johnston | - | Report from social media of 4 inches of rainfall that occurred on June 4th. |
| June 2021 | Hail | Johnston | - | Report via mping of ping pong ball sized hail. |
| July 2020 | Heavy Rain | Johnston | - | Amateur radio report of 2.20 inches of rain in an hour. |
| July 2018 | Heavy Rain | Johnston | - | Public reported storm total heavy rainfall of 8.28 inches in East Johnston. Due to database entry limitation, beginning time coded as midnight CST. Actual estimated start time of 530pm CDT on June 30th. |
| June 2018 | Heavy Rain | Johnston | - | Amateur radio operator reported heavy rainfall of 7.1 inches in Johnston as of 10:43 pm. |
| June 2018 | Heavy Rain | Johnston | - | Public reported heavy rainfall of 5.6 inches so far. |
| July 2016 | Heavy Rain | Johnston | - | Mesonet station recorded heavy rainfall of 3.19 inches. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Dodge | 1.9 miles | 17 | |
| Lovington | 2.0 miles | 17 | |
| Urbandale | 3.3 miles | 17 | |
| Saylorville | 3.6 miles | 17 | |
| Herrold | 3.9 miles | 17 | |
| Rider (historical) | 4.3 miles | 11 | |
| Crestwood | 4.7 miles | 16 | |
| Clive | 5.0 miles | 16 |
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 Johnston | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1911175 | 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 457978. 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.








