Mechanicsville, Iowa
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1891 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Pioneer Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52306. The Survey maps it on the Mechanicsville quadrangle. 1,020 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 922 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresMechanicsville fell from 1,146 to 1,020 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 | 1,146 | |
| 2020 | 1,020 | -126 (-11%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 12 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.
- 1891 USGS Mechanicsville quadrangle1:62500
- 1894 USGS Mechanicsville quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1901 USGS Stanwood quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Mechanicsville quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS Iowa City quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
6 since 2009Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 6 fires within 5 miles of Mechanicsville between 2009 and 2018, burning about 214 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 | 5 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 150 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 30 March 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | ECHO AVE & 170TH ST., MECHANICSVILLE, IA |
| 21 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 40 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 November 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Mechanicsville: 1 past producer. None of them 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
35 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Mechanicsville in 35 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 13 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2013 | Flash Flood | Mechanicsville | $250,000 | Several rounds of heavy rains resulted in flash flooding across much of Cedar County from mid morning April 17 through the early morning April 18. |
| April 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F0) | Mechanicsville | $60,000 | A small tornado moved through a grove of trees just missing a home before striking two outbuildings. One of the buildings was newly constructed. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Mechanicsville | $25,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding of parts of Mechanicsville and Lowden during the afternoon of June 15. Flood waters covered the intersection of E Cedar Street and S Cherry Street in Mechanicsville. A basement was flooded in Lowden. In addition, a gravel road was washed out about 2 miles east of Sutiff, IA. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Hail | Mechanicsville | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 2018 | Tornado (EF0) | Mechanicsville | $3,000 | A NWS storm survey team determined a brief tornado touched down and lofted two empty grain bins and damaged some corn. Max winds are estimated near 80 mph. The maximum width was 20 yards and the path length was .05 miles. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | $3,000 | Shingles off house; 2-2.5 foot diameter trees down. |
| March 2004 | Hail | Mechanicsville | $3,000 | Public report relayed by KCRG TV |
| May 2004 | Hail | Mechanicsville | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Mechanicsville | $1,000 | Spotter's windshield was broken. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | $1,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew the end off an enclosed shed at the intersection of Highway 30 and X40 in Mechanicsville, IA around 1238 pm June 18. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Mechanicsville | $1,000 | On the Linn/Cedar county line. |
| May 2024 | Tornado (EFU) | Mechanicsville | - | A trained spotter reported a tornado north of Sutliff in far southeast Linn County. Public video also showed a tornado south and east of Mechanicsville, IA. There was no known damage to assign a rating, so the tornado is classified as an EF-Unknown. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | - | A utility pole was down, as reported by DOT, and the power lines were blocking both lanes of traffic. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | - | A photo of large tree branches down was received. They also reported power lines blown down. |
| May 2020 | Tornado (EF1) | Mechanicsville | - | A tornado developed southwest of Mechanicsville shortly before 1 pm, and tracked northeast through northern Cedar County. The tornado destroyed the porch of a home just west of Mechanicsville, and caused outbuilding damage at a farmstead just south of Cedar/Jones County line. The tornado crossed into Jones County about 3.5 miles NNE of Mechanicsville before dissipating. The tornado was rated EF1 in Cedar County with maximum winds estimated around 95 mph. The tornado is designated as EF-U in Jones County as there was no observable damage. The tornado was on the ground for about 16 minutes along an intermittent 7 mile path. Assistance with the survey was provided by Cedar County Emergency Management and the Mechanicsville Fire Department. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | - | This report from local law enforcement is the measured high gust from a local wind sensor. |
| June 2014 | Flood | Mechanicsville | - | Heavy rains during the second half of June resulted in the Cedar River at Cedar Rapids going above the major flood stage level of 16 feet on June 24 around 1245 am CDT. It crested around 17.34 feet around 1215 am June 25. It fell below the major flood stage level around 9 pm CDT June 25. |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Mechanicsville | - | Widespread heavy rain fell across Cedar County from the early morning hours into the mid morning. The cooperative observer in Lowden reported 6.25 inches, while broadcast media reported 6.75 inches of rain in Clarence. There was also a public report from 1 mile east of Lowden with 6.25 inches of rain. Other reports included: 2 feet of water flowing over the road near Mechanicsville; a road and bridge were washed out near Lowden; water was over Highway 30 between Mechanicsville and Stanwood; water was up to the first floor windows at several homes in Lowden; and finally, the Cedar County Engineer reported 2 dozen roads closed across the county due to flash flooding. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Mechanicsville | - | Golf ball sized hail fell in Mechanicsville, IA at 417 pm CDT May 22. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | - | Wind gusts were estimated to be 70 to 80 mph in Mechanicsville, IA around 1 pm June 18. This report was relayed by KGAN. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph were observed in Mechanicsville, IA at 511 pm July 7. |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mechanicsville | - | Winds estimated to be 60 mph blew down several branches in Mechanicsville, IA. Time estimated. |
| July 1999 | Hail | Mechanicsville | - | Emergency management reported 3/4 inch hail in Mechanicsville. |
| May 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Mechanicsville | - | Tornado passed across open country along highway 30. |
| May 2016 | Hail | Mechanicsville | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Mechanicsville | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Mechanicsville | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Mechanicsville | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Mechanicsville | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Mechanicsville | - | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Hail | Mechanicsville | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanwood | 5.6 miles | 12 | |
| Wald | 7.9 miles | 12 | |
| Cedar Bluff | 8.7 miles | 12 | |
| Buchanan | 9.6 miles | 12 | |
| Clarence | 10.6 miles | 12 | |
| Tipton | 11.5 miles | 12 | |
| Plato | 11.8 miles | 12 | |
| Cedar Valley | 12.3 miles | 12 |
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 Mechanicsville | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1928311 | 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 458943. 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.







