Scranton, Iowa
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Scranton Township. It lies in ZIP code area 51462. The Survey maps it on the Scranton quadrangle. 511 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,178 feet above sea level.
On record in Scranton
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
Population over time
2 figuresScranton fell from 557 to 511 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 | 557 | |
| 2020 | 511 | -46 (-8%) |
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 Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000
- 1980 USGS Scranton quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Carroll quadrangle1:100000
- 1993 USGS Carroll quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
3 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 3 fires within 5 miles of Scranton between 2008 and 2017, burning about 11 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 | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 29 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 25 October 2017 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Scranton: 4 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Ferguson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Hamilton Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Thorpe Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Scranton in 60 storm reports between 1994 and 2023: 26 hail, 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF2) | Scranton | $1,200,000 | This tornado occurred southwest of Jefferson and remained in rural Greene County during its entire path. The tornado damaged a confinement building and farther northeast destroyed an outbuilding. However, the most intense damage was a series of high voltage utility dual pole towers which were snapped by the tornado. At least 8 towers were snapped over J Avenue between 250th and 260th Streets. Additional utility poles were snapped along 250th Street as well. The tornado lifted in the vicinity of an apple orchard located southwest of Jefferson. |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF2) | Scranton | $500,000 | Another QLCS tornado which began west southwest of Jefferson and ended to the northwest of town. This tornado began in rural areas but toppled several large single pole utility poles along I Avenue south of 250th Street and moved northeast with tree and minor house damage on 240th Street near the intersection with K Avenue. The tornado ended up crossing US Highway 30 about 1.5 miles west of the intersection with State Highway 4 and severely leaned high voltage poles along the highway. The tornado dissipated not long afterwards near M Avenue north of Highway 30. |
| May 2008 | Flash Flood | Scranton | $100,000 | Numerous locations have water across the road throughout the county. Locations include Highway 25 south of Scranton, Old Highway 30 east and west of Jefferson, Highway 4 north of Jefferson. A car went into the ditch after losing control driving through the water. |
| September 2015 | Flash Flood | Scranton | $50,000 | Emergency Manager reported water E57 and E63 in southern portions of the county. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Flood | Scranton | $30,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $25,000 | Power poles were downed in town. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $20,000 | Numerous trees down due to very high winds. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $20,000 | no account filed |
| April 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $15,000 | Amateur radio operator reported wind driven hail caused broken windows. Hail size unknown at the time. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Scranton | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Scranton | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $10,000 | Law Enforcement reported a large tree down in Scranton. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $10,000 | Semi truck overturned on Highway 30 north of |Scranton. Numerous 2 inch diameter tree branches down. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Scranton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Scranton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $5,000 | Amateur radio operator estimates 60 MPH wind. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $5,000 | Estimated by spotter. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $5,000 | A trailer advertisement in a field was blown over hear Highway 25 and Highway 30 north of Scranton. |
| November 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Scranton | $5,000 | Tornado touched down in open areas south of Scranton, then lifted. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $5,000 | no account filed |
| November 2005 | Hail | Scranton | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Scranton | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Scranton | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Scranton | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Scranton | $3,000 | Casey's reported quarter sized hail. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Scranton | $3,000 | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Scranton | $3,000 | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Scranton | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Scranton | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Scranton | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $2,000 | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Hail | Scranton | $2,000 | no account filed |
| August 2012 | Hail | Scranton | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Scranton | $1,000 | no account filed |
| April 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Scranton | $200 | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Tornado (EFU) | Scranton | - | Brief tornado east of Scranton captured by storm chaser. Tornado remained in open fields with no impact to damage indicators, hence the EFU rating. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Scranton | - | Report from twitter, time estimated by radar. |
| June 2021 | Hail | Scranton | - | Report via social media of ping pong ball sized hail. Time estimated by radar. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | - | A personal weather station recorded a wind gust of 73 MPH. |
| June 2018 | Tornado (EF0) | Scranton | - | Tornado captured on video by Storm Chasers for duration of its life. Remained in open agricultural fields with the only damage to crops north of Scranton. |
| August 2018 | Hail | Scranton | - | Media reported quarter sized hail, via social media. |
| August 2018 | Heavy Rain | Scranton | - | Public reported 24 hour heavy rainfall total of 3.15 inches. |
| June 2018 | Hail | Scranton | - | Public reported quarter sized hail. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Scranton | - | Trained spotter reported estimated 60 mph winds along with pea size hail and water ponding in the streets. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Scranton | - | Trained spotter reported quarter size hail. |
| June 2015 | Flash Flood | Scranton | - | Law Enforcement reported extensive flooding along Highway 25 south of Scranton. |
| August 2015 | Heavy Rain | Scranton | - | Public reported heavy rainfall of 4.25 inches over the last 24 hours. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Scranton | - | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Scranton | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | Scranton | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Scranton | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farlin | 6.3 miles | 9 | |
| Jefferson | 8.9 miles | 9 | |
| Green Brier | 9.7 miles | 10 | |
| Churdan | 9.7 miles | 9 | |
| Winkelmans | 11.5 miles | 10 | |
| Adaza | 12.2 miles | 9 | |
| Cooper | 12.8 miles | 10 | |
| Gravel Pit | 13.9 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 Scranton | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1925678 | 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 461492. 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.





