North Liberty, Iowa
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1891 and the latest in 1994. It stands in Penn Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52317. The Survey maps it on the Iowa City West quadrangle. 20,479 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 781 feet above sea level.
On record in North Liberty
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 3 records
Samuel and Emma A. Ranshaw Houselisted 2012
H. A. White General Store and Houselisted 1984- State Quarry, Oldlisted 1998
Population over time
2 figuresNorth Liberty grew from 13,374 to 20,479 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 | 13,374 | |
| 2020 | 20,479 | +7,105 (+53%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 19 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 Iowa City quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1903 USGS Fairfax quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1938 USGS Iowa City quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Iowa City West quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1984 USGS Iowa City quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1994 USGS Iowa City West quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
13 since 2009Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 13 fires within 5 miles of North Liberty between 2009 and 2020, burning about 32 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 | 8 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 July 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 June 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 29 May 2012 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 April 2013 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 30 April 2013 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 April 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 April 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 16 April 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
7 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of North Liberty: 5 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Limestone, Dimension. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old State Quarry | Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Wagner Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Conklin Quarry and Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Klein Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Vogel Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Wray Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
49 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names North Liberty in 49 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 22 hail, 22 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning, 1 flood. The reports record 1 injury. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | 1 hurt | The emergency manager reported a tree fell on a person in North Liberty, and was transported to the hospital. |
| September 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | $140,000 | Three properties were damaged on the northwest side of New Liberty. Two homes had their garage doors blown in and walls subsequently blown out of the houses. There were also house windows broken and a flagpole was ripped out of the ground and thrown over a house. A weather station operated by the City of North Liberty measured a peak gust of 73 mph. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | $100,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down some trees onto houses in North Liberty, IA around 1240 pm June 18. |
| June 1994 | Hail | North Liberty | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Lightning | North Liberty | $25,000 | Lightning struck a house in North Liberty, IA around 1040 pm CDT June 8 causing a fire. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | $25,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew out the windows of several cars near Coralville Mall around 1225 pm June 18. In addition, trees and signs were blow down. |
| August 2010 | Lightning | North Liberty | $10,000 | Lightning struck a civil defense siren in North Liberty, IA during the afternoon of August 13. The strike caused the siren to malfunction and activate. |
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | North Liberty | $10,000 | A brief tornado spun up where two intersecting boundaries enhanced a strengthening updraft. A house incurred minor damage to the gutters and siding, and lost some shingles off the roof. The garage door was also blown in. Several trees were uprooted and a few were snapped off. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | $5,000 | Sheriff department reported trees down along Scales Bend Road NE. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | $5,000 | Severe thunderstorm winds, or possibly a gustnado, uprooted a tree and damaged several others at a residence. The house sustained minor damage. |
| April 2006 | Hail | North Liberty | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | $2,000 | Occurred with the gust front; 18 inch diameter trees down |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | $2,000 | Large dog kennel blown over and pieces of home siding blown off. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | A large downed tree approx. 2-2.5 ft diameter across. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | A public report of a tree blown down. The time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | A public report of a tree blown down in North Liberty. The time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | Estimated 60 mph wind gust from thunderstorm. |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | Several large tree branches down in town, with multiple smaller limbs. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2020 | Hail | North Liberty | - | Quarter to golf ball sized hail lasted 5 minutes. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | Estimated winds of 60 to 70 mph were reported. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | A trained spotter reported a 24 inch diameter tree was down in their front yard. Time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| February 2017 | Hail | North Liberty | - | Dime size hail was reported by a spotter. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | A public report was received of a tree blown over. |
| June 2016 | Hail | North Liberty | - | Trained spotters reported 5 to 6 minutes of dime size hail. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | A trained spotter reported 5 inch diameter trees snapped. |
| April 2013 | Hail | North Liberty | - | Quarter sized hail fell 1 mile south southwest of North Liberty, IA at 1022 am CDT April 17. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts snapped an aluminum flag pole and damaged several trees. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated between 60 and 65 mph. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph were observed 1 mile north of North Liberty, IA at 645 pm CDT April 3. |
| May 2011 | Hail | North Liberty | - | Quarter sized hail fell 2 miles north northwest of North Liberty, IA at 342 pm CDT May 22. |
| April 2010 | Hail | North Liberty | - | Quarter sized hail fell in North Liberty, IA at 542 pm April 5. |
| April 2010 | Hail | North Liberty | - | Non-severe hail (<1.0) fell in North Liberty, IA at 550 pm April 5. |
| April 2010 | Hail | North Liberty | - | Non-severe hail (<1.0) fell at Exit 4 on Interstate 380 near North Liberty, IA at 545 pm April 5. |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | A few trees were blown down near North Liberty. |
| May 2006 | Funnel Cloud | North Liberty | - | Also seen and reported by law, media, and spotters.This funnel cloud and the second one near Solon caused great concern in Johnson County. Only three and a half weeks earlier Iowa City had been hit by a major tornado. The sighting of funnel clouds so soon and close to Iowa City had officials and the public erring on the side of caution. Numerous pictures and video were taken by eyewitnesses as the funnel crossed over I-380 and moved toward North Liberty. Although picture and video evidence shows the funnel within a few hundred feet of the ground, no debris cloud was observed and no evidence of a touchdown could be found in the empty fields it traveled over. |
| June 1999 | Flood | North Liberty | - | Thunderstorms dumped over 2 inches of rain resulting in localized flooding of city streets. |
| June 2024 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| March 2023 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | North Liberty | - | no account filed |
| October 2002 | Hail | North Liberty | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakdale | 3.0 miles | 19 | |
| Western Hills Mobine Estates | 3.5 miles | 17 | |
| Green Castle (historical) | 4.0 miles | 14 | |
| Vernon | 4.4 miles | 19 | |
| Twin View Heights | 4.4 miles | 16 | |
| Tiffin | 4.6 miles | 17 | |
| Curtis (historical) | 4.7 miles | 14 | |
| Coralville | 5.1 miles | 19 |
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 North Liberty | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1913915 | 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 465945. 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.








