Peterson, Iowa
9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Peterson Township. It lies in ZIP code area 51047. The Survey maps it on the Peterson quadrangle. 322 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,250 feet above sea level.
On record in Peterson
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
- Philip and Anna Parrish Kirchner Log Houselisted 1993
- Wanata State Park Picnic Shelterlisted 1990
Population over time
2 figuresPeterson fell from 334 to 322 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 | 334 | |
| 2020 | 322 | -12 (-4%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 9 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.
- 1954 USGS Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Peterson quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Storm Lake quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
10 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 10 fires within 5 miles of Peterson between 2006 and 2018, burning about 137 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 | 4 |
| Smoking | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 April 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 April 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 25 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 80 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 April 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 15 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 March 2018 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 March 2018 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 March 2018 | Smoking | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 12 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Peterson: 10 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista County Pits | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Francis Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| G W Schierholtz | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Kracht Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Mccormick | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Molgaard Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Norgaard Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
28 since 2001Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Peterson in 28 storm reports between 2001 and 2026: 13 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind, 4 flood, 1 lightning. The reports record 1 death. 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 2024 | Flood | Peterson | 1 killed, $25,590,000 | Rainfall amounts across Clay County from June 20-22 ranged from 3 to 7 inches. Farther north and upstream, up to 10 inches of rain fell across portions of northwest Iowa. This rainfall resulted in extensive overland flooding and record flooding along the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers. ||The city of Spencer experienced catastrophic flooding when waters from the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers overtopped the city's berm system. At peak flooding, approximately 383 people were rescued, leaving hundreds of residents displaced. Eighty homes had collapsed or caved-in foundations and roughly 2,100 structures of the 5,100 throughout the city were damaged by flood waters. Numerous others had sewage backup into their basements. ||Many other residences outside of Spencer were also impacted by flood water. County-wide, over 2,400 households were approved for federal disaster assistance, at a cost of over 22 million dollars. Widespread overland flooding also resulted in numerous township, county, and state roads inundated with water and closed. Preliminary damage assessments estimate loss to public infrastructure to be 3.59 million dollars.||One direct fatality occurred on June 22 when a man drowned after attempting to drive across a flooded road with rapidly flowing water. The vehicle was swept off the roadway and moved downstream before coming to rest along a tree line. ||The majority of overland flooding subsided by June 25, but river flooding continued through the end of the month. For additional information on river flooding, please see other entries for Clay County. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Peterson | $550,000 | Flooding resulted in extensive damage to public infrastructure including numerous county and township roads, culverts, and some bridges. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Peterson | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds severely damaged a small house and caused widespread tree damage. |
| September 2001 | Lightning | Peterson | $10,000 | Lightning struck a radio antenna on a house. A radio and converter box were destroyed. Several other pieces of electrical equipment on or in the house were damaged including a television satellite dish and converter boxes, computer, garage door opener, water softener, central vac system, and sky lights. Lightning also struck a tree next to another house, splitting open the tree from top to bottom. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Peterson | - | Various hail sizes up to a maximum of quarter size fell for a few minutes. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Peterson | - | A few trees and large branches were downed by thunderstorm winds in Peterson. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Peterson | - | Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Peterson | - | Thunderstorm winds snapped a large pine tree. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Peterson | - | Large tree limbs were downed by thunderstorm winds. |
| June 2019 | Flood | Peterson | - | During crop planting season, prolonged flooding led to the loss of or inability to plant crops across the area. Crop loss estimates provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. |
| April 2018 | Flood | Peterson | - | Flooding returned to the Little Sioux River in mid-April, and was generally minor with impacts limited to near river agricultural areas. Periodic rain and snow brought 1 to 3 inches of liquid equivalent in the week prior to a return to flood stage near Milford (gage site MIFI4) on April 14. The river crested in minor flood stage (0.8 feet above flood stage) on April 16, before briefly dropping below flood stage on April 19. The river returned quickly above flood stage on April 20 and crested in moderate flood stage 2.8 feet above flood stage on April 26, inundating a large amount of pasture and crop land along the flood plain. The river remained in minor flood stage at the end of the month. |
| May 2016 | Heavy Rain | Peterson | - | Rainfall of 2.05 inches was measured. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Peterson | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including up to 6 inch diameter limbs blown down. |
| August 2010 | Flash Flood | Peterson | - | Heavy rainfall of up to 3 inches in a short time caused flash flooding of streets and a few creeks in and near Peterson. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Peterson | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including large limbs blown down. |
| August 2002 | Hail | Peterson | - | Large hail covered the ground, and caused damage to corn and soybean crops. The amount of crop damage was not known, but some crops were totally destroyed. |
| June 2018 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| October 2017 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Peterson | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | Peterson | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rossie | 10.5 miles | 7 | |
| Royal | 10.7 miles | 7 | |
| Cornell | 11.0 miles | 9 | |
| Greenville | 12.5 miles | 7 | |
| Maclay (historical) | 14.8 miles | 9 | |
| Everly | 16.7 miles | 7 | |
| Gillett Grove | 17.6 miles | 7 | |
| Webb | 17.7 miles | 9 |
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 Peterson | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1917877 | 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 460102. 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.




