Martelle, Iowa
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Greenfield Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52305. The Survey maps it on the Anamosa quadrangle. 249 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 909 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresMartelle fell from 255 to 249 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 | 255 | |
| 2020 | 249 | -6 (-2%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 14 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.
- 1890 USGS Anamosa quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1900 USGS Anamosa quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1900 USGS Farley quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Dubuque quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS Dubuque quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Dubuque quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1973 USGS Anamosa quadrangle1:24000
- 1976 USGS Dubuque quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Anamosa quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
23 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 23 fires within 5 miles of Martelle between 2006 and 2019, burning about 199 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 |
| Debris and open burning | 9 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 6 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 25 May 2014 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 8 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 8 April 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 20 April 2019 | 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 Martelle: 4 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equitable Life Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Kula Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Pearson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
31 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Martelle in 31 storm reports between 1995 and 2023: 17 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 4 tornado. 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 | Martelle | $250,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 to 70 blew down numerous trees across all of Jones County Iowa between 520 am and 610 am CDT July 11. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | $50,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 90 to 125 mph associated with a downburst damaged a farmstead on 70th Street about 1.5 miles east of Highway 1 or about 2.75 miles east northeast of Martelle, IA around 523 pm August 19. An old barn and a corn crib were destroyed and some large limbs of an old tree were broken off. Portions of the corn crib roof were scattered to the east. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Martelle | $40,000 | Rated F1 with winds estimated at 90 to 100 mph. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | $30,000 | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | $15,000 | Winds estimated to be 65 mph destroyed a grain bin blowing it 150 to 250 yards into a farm field near Martel, IA around 11:30 pm. |
| July 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Martelle | $10,000 | Affected rural areas |
| May 2014 | Hail | Martelle | $5,000 | Half dollar sized hail fell in Martelle, IA around 820 pm CDT May 20 damaging some vehicles. |
| August 2009 | Tornado (EF0) | Martelle | $5,000 | An EF0 tornado touched down on the north end of Martelle, IA around 520 pm August 19. Wind speeds were estimated to be around 80 mph. The tornado snapped and uprooted some trees in the area. In addition, the west side of a storage building was damaged and portions of a corn field were flattened. It was also noted that some glass and dirt was splattered on the east side of a building. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Martelle | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | $2,000 | A public report was received via KCRG Facebook page of a shed damaged and leaning over. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | Wind gust measured at 95 mph on personal weather station. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | Widespread straight-line winds that produced extensive damage were reported throughout Jones County, associated with a derecho. These winds lasted around an hour in total at any one location, even though the initial line of storms moved out quickly. Damaging straight-line winds continued and were associated with the rear inflow jet. Maximum wind speeds were estimated to be 80 to 100 MPH for much of the county, with an area of 100 MPH or higher in the south central part of the county. These estimates were determined based off damage reports and photos submitted through social media. The duration of strong winds caused extensive damage to most trees, powerlines, crops, and structures in their path. The widespread damage also resulted in long duration power outages. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | Emergency management reported a tree blown down onto a home. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | A wooden barn nearly flattened by strong winds. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | Emergency management reported part of a machine shed wall and roof damaged. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | The emergency manager reported that a fire truck was moved by a thunderstorm wind gust. |
| November 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | County emergency manager reported a tree was blown down on a road with minor damage to a structure. |
| November 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | The county emergency manager reported a tree blown down. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | A roof was blown off a building and landed 200 to 300 feet away. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Martelle | - | The emergency manager reported ping pong ball size hail along with power lines down. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | A trained spotter reported a path of damage from 1 mile west of Martelle to 2 miles east of Martelle. Trees of 6 to 12 inches in diameter were blown down and one tree had a diameter of 3 feet. An old barn and silo were also blown down. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Martelle | - | Quarter sized hail fell about 1 mile north of Martelle, IA around 820 pm CDT May 20. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 to 65 mph were observed 5 miles south of Martelle, IA at 546 pm CDT June 29. This report was relayed by the Jones County EMA. |
| April 2008 | Hail | Martelle | - | A deputy sheriff reported nickel size hail between Morley and Martell. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martelle | - | Spotter reports estimated 60 mph winds. The emergency manager in Anamosa reported a measured 49 knot (56 mph) wind gust. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Martelle | - | Accumulated 1-2 inches deep on roads |
| May 2004 | Hail | Martelle | - | Accumulated 2 inches deep |
| May 2004 | Hail | Martelle | - | Also reported by spotters |
| June 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Martelle | - | A tornado touched down briefly causing no damage or injuries. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Martelle | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Martelle | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview | 4.2 miles | 14 | |
| Morley | 6.1 miles | 15 | |
| Stone City | 6.4 miles | 14 | |
| Anamosa | 7.2 miles | 14 | |
| Newport | 8.6 miles | 15 | |
| Jackson | 9.2 miles | 14 | |
| Olin | 11.7 miles | 12 | |
| Cass (historical) | 12.0 miles | 14 |
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 Martelle | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1929927 | 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 458825. 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.








