Prairie City, Iowa
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Des Moines Township. It lies in ZIP code area 50228. The Survey maps it on the Prairie City quadrangle. 1,700 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 928 feet above sea level.
On record in Prairie City
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 1 record
- J. G. and Regina Long Houselisted 1997
Population over time
2 figuresPrairie City grew from 1,680 to 1,700 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 | 1,680 | |
| 2020 | 1,700 | +20 (+1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 8 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 Des Moines quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1956 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Prairie City quadrangle1:24000
- 1969 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Des Moines quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
15 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 15 fires within 5 miles of Prairie City between 1992 and 2017, burning about 107 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 4 were 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 | 6 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 4 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2017 | Natural | under an acre | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | BALE FIRE |
| 4 April 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | 102/119 |
| 27 March 1992 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | CONSERV1 |
| 26 March 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | DOGLEGBRIDGE |
| 26 March 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | BISONROADEAST |
| 26 March 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | BISONROADWEST |
| 26 March 1992 | Arson/incendiarism | 70 acres | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | SWITCH1 |
| 23 March 1992 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 acres | Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge | REEDCAN1 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 65 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Prairie City in 65 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 30 thunderstorm wind, 23 hail, 7 heavy rain, 5 tornado. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1999 | Tornado (F2) | Prairie City | 1 hurt, $1,000,000 | broken track |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $125,000 | Trained spotter reported widespread power lines and trees down and property damage in Prairie City. Estimated wind gusts of 65 to 70 mph and hail up to 1 inch in diameter. Time estimated from radar. |
| June 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Prairie City | $75,000 | Twelve outbuildings sustained damage with significant damage to trees. |
| November 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $60,000 | Law Enforcement reported two roofs off of buildings near Casey's General Store. |
| April 1995 | Hail | Prairie City | $40,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $35,000 | Report of wind damage to a farm with several trees and power poles down, and an out building damaged. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $30,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Prairie City | $25,000 | Numerous posts on social media regarding damage on the east side of Prairie City. A very brief tornado occurred here with damage mostly to trees although a few garages sustained minor damage. The tornado lifted shortly after leaving town. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $20,000 | A two foot diameter tree was down on a house and a car. |
| May 2000 | Hail | Prairie City | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Prairie City | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $15,000 | Several tree limbs 1 foot in diameter down on South Street between South Monroe and South Main Street. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $10,000 | Numerous trees and tree limbs down with power out. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Prairie City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Prairie City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Prairie City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Prairie City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $7,000 | Barn missing roof. Delayed report, time estimated by radar. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $5,000 | Several tree branches 6 inches in diameter down. Two food diameter tree downed. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Prairie City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Prairie City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $3,000 | High winds and small hail reported. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $3,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Prairie City | $3,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Prairie City | $3,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Prairie City | $3,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | $2,000 | no account filed |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | - | From Neal Smith RAWS station. Time estimated from radar. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Prairie City | - | Report via social media. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | - | Inch and a quarter sized hail, along with 1-2 foot diameter trees toppled on garages and homes. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Prairie City | - | Ping pong hail briefly fell, followed by winds. Time of occurrence was estimated from radar. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | - | Public reported estimated 60 mph wind gusts and tree branches down. |
| July 2024 | Hail | Prairie City | - | Time estimated via radar. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | - | Powerlines and trees down, along with flipped campers. Time of occurrence estimated with radar. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | - | Mesonet station reported a 74 knot wind gust. |
| August 2019 | Heavy Rain | Prairie City | - | Mesonet station recorded heavy rainfall of 2.49 inches. Beginning time estimated from radar. |
| May 2018 | Tornado (EF0) | Prairie City | - | Tornado had short path through an agricultural field and nearby wooded area producing damage to trees. |
| June 2018 | Heavy Rain | Prairie City | - | Prairies City AWOS recorded heavy rainfall of 2.74 inches over the last 24 hours. |
| July 2018 | Tornado (EF0) | Prairie City | - | Tornado developed southeast of Prairie City and tracked to the southeast. Remained in rural areas producing crop and tree damage before dissipating. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Prairie City | - | Trained spotter reported pea to quarter sized hail ongoing at the time of report. |
| July 2016 | Heavy Rain | Prairie City | - | Mesonet station recorded heavy rainfall of 2.01 inches. |
| July 2015 | Heavy Rain | Prairie City | - | Trained spotter reported heavy rainfall of 4.00 inches. |
| August 2015 | Heavy Rain | Prairie City | - | Public reported heavy rainfall of 4.00 inches. |
| November 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | - | Mesonet site measured 52 knot gusts near Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge. |
| April 2012 | Heavy Rain | Prairie City | - | Rainfall of 2.21 inches in 24 hours. |
| October 2012 | Heavy Rain | Prairie City | - | Twenty four hour rainfall from Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge. Total was 3.13 inches. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Prairie City | - | Winds gusted to 45 MPH also. |
| March 2025 | Hail | Prairie City | - | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Hail | Prairie City | - | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prairie City | - | 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.
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 Prairie City | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1927592 | 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 460389. 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.
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.





