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Lowden, Iowa

15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1892 and the latest in 1991. It stands in Springfield Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52255. The Survey maps it on the Lowden quadrangle. 807 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 728 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Lowden within Cedar County

On record in Lowden

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

Lowden grew from 789 to 807 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
2010789
2020807+18 (+2%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 15 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

2 since 2012

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 2 fires within 5 miles of Lowden between 2012 and 2015, burning about 6 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
Smoking1
Debris and open burning1

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
20 March 2015Smoking1.5 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
11 March 2012Debris and open burning5.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Cedar County

Mines and quarries near this place

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Lowden: 2 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Lowden QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Toronto QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every working recorded in Cedar County

Storms near this place

60 since 1995

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Lowden in 60 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 29 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 5 lightning, 3 heavy rain. 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 2003Thunderstorm WindLowden$100,000Corn flattened with trees down and an out building damaged
July 2003LightningLowden$100,000no account filed
May 2011Thunderstorm WindLowden$50,000Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down some trees onto some buildings and vehicles on the east side of Lowden, IA around 442 pm CDT May 22. Power lines were also downed and some streets were blocked.
September 2010LightningLowden$10,000A thunderstorm moved across Lowden, IA during the early morning hours of September 20. During the passage of the storm, four homes in town were struck by lightning damaging a chimney, some appliances, a surge protector, a television, some wall outlets, and telephones. A fire started in the home that sustained damage to the wall outlets, as indicated by some smoke.
May 1999Thunderstorm WindLowden$10,000An empty coal train was derailed on Highway 30 between Lowden and Clarence, blocking the eastbound tracks for nearly one day.
October 2007Thunderstorm WindLowden$7,000The fire station in Lowden measured a peak gust of 62 mph during a thunderstorm, while a coop observer measured a 58 mph wind gust. Several trees were blown down in the Lowden area, and several cornfields were flattened. A machine shed was also damaged south of Lowden.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindLowden$5,000From co-op observer; power poles snapped off with damage noted to evergreen trees. Shingles were noted missing from a barn. Time estimated based on radar.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindLowden$5,000no account filed
August 2006Thunderstorm WindLowden$4,000Co-operative observer reported trees down and corn flattened on two farms southwest of town.
June 2007LightningLowden$2,000A thunderstorm producing frequent lightning moved across Cedar County during the early evening of June 16th. The intense lightning stuck a transformer and damaged a television, telephones, a refrigerator, and a welder. A tree was also stuck by lightning splitting it in half.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindLowden$2,000Co-op observer reports three farms had tree and crop damage. Corn was flattened with trees downed or topped off.
July 2003Heavy RainLowden$2,000in 30 minutes
September 2007LightningLowden$200Lightning struck a tree next to a house located about 3.5 miles west southwest of Lowden, IA around 10:45 am September 25th. The tree caught on fire and phone service was interrupted for a while.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindLowden$1002 to 3 inch diameter branches down
July 2011LightningLowden$50Lightning split a tree in half in Lowden, IA around 550 am CDT July 11. A COOP observer contributed to this report.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindLowden-Reported by the Lowden COOP observer.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindLowden-Measured by wind equipement.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindLowden-Personal weather station.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindLowden-Large branches were downed from the evening storms. Time estimated using radar.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindLowden-The COOP Observer report that gusts up to 56 knots persisted for the past 5 to 10 minutes.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindLowden-A COOP Observer reported a estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 52 knots.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindLowden-A trained spotter reported three 10-inch diameter trees down in town.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindLowden-Measured 86 mph winds, with numerous large trees blocking roads in Lowden, Iowa, and roof off country club nearby. Lots of farm out-buildings damaged in surrounding area.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindLowden-Still blowing at 50 mph at 711 PM.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindLowden-Wind gusts up to 60 mph.
February 2024HailLowden-Small hail covered the ground, with a few flat disks of hail around the size of dimes.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindLowden-Union Pacific Railroad mesonet recorded gust.
March 2023HailLowden-The COOP Observer also reported gusty winds.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindLowden-A COOP Observer reported several trees down at a county club on the east side of town. The time of the event was estimated using radar.
April 2020HailLowden-A farmer reported hen egg sized hail.
April 2020HailLowden-Hail ranged in size from dime to 1.5 inches.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindLowden-An observer estimated high winds.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindLowden-Five minutes of 50 to 60 MPH winds.
September 2019Thunderstorm WindLowden-A few large tree limbs around 5 inch diameter were blown down in town.
March 2017HailLowden-Hail falling was observed for about 5 Minutes.
June 2015Flash FloodLowden-NWS COOP observer reported Main street in Lowden flooded, with local creeks out of their banks. By 520 pm, the creeks had receded. The observer recorded 1.87 inches of rain between 230 pm, and 430 pm. From midnight that day to 430 pm, 2.45 inches were recorded.
April 2015HailLowden-A trained spotter reported hail falling that was a little larger than a dime.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindLowden-A COOP observer reported tree limbs down in town.
June 2014Flash FloodLowden-The COOP observer reported street washouts in Lowden along with basements flooded.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindLowden-A hog confinement building roof was blown off.
March 2012HailLowden-Quarter sized hail fell in Lowden at 955 pm CDT March 31.
March 2012HailLowden-Half dollar sized hail fell 1 mile southeast of Lowden at 1003 pm CDT March 31.
April 2011HailLowden-Ping pong ball sized hail fell in Lowden, IA at 750 pm CDT April 3.
August 2011Flash FloodLowden-A thunderstorm moving through Cedar County produced heavy rain of between 3.5 to 4 inches in less than an hour causing severe flooding in Cedar County. Several streets were flooded with cars stalls . A number of residents reported flooding in their basements.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindLowden-Around 7 pm CDT in Lowden, severe thunderstorm winds downed trees and power poles.
April 2008Heavy RainLowden-An observer in Lowden reported basements of several homes flooded and small streams and creeks out of their banks.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindLowden-Thunderstorm winds estimated to be 75 mph blew down a 100 year old Cottonwood tree along with some other trees and also damaged some corn fields. Report relayed by co-op observer. Time estimated.
March 2006HailLowden-from co-op observer; dime size hail
August 2005Heavy RainLowden-1.10 inches of rain in 20 minutes from Co-op.
September 1995HailLowden-Thunderstorms produced a brief period of dime-size hail during this event. No property or crop damage was reported.
April 2026HailLowden-no account filed
May 2024HailLowden-no account filed
March 2023HailLowden-no account filed
December 2021Thunderstorm WindLowden-no account filed
April 2020HailLowden-no account filed
March 2016HailLowden-no account filed
June 2015HailLowden-no account filed
April 2013HailLowden-no account filed
August 1996Tornado (F0)Lowden-no account filed
July 1995Tornado (F0)Lowden-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Cedar 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
Massillon4.0 miles13
Clarence7.1 miles12
Bennett8.4 miles15
Wald10.9 miles12
Stanwood12.0 miles12
Tipton12.2 miles12
Ayresville12.8 miles14
Sunbury12.9 miles15

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 LowdenAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1841563The 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 458651. 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.