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Urbana, Iowa

14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Polk Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52345. The Survey maps it on the Center Point quadrangle. 1,554 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 938 feet above sea level.

Urbana within Benton County

Population over time

2 figures

Urbana grew from 1,458 to 1,554 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.

YearPeople Change
20101,458
20201,554+96 (+7%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 14 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

26 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 26 fires within 5 miles of Urbana between 2006 and 2018, burning about 146 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/undetermined17
Debris and open burning8
Equipment and vehicle use1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
16 May 2013Equipment and vehicle use2.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
9 April 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined8.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
9 April 2007Missing data/not specified/undetermined3.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
9 April 2007Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
6 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resources2915 55TH ST. URBANA, IA 52345, IA
5 April 2015Debris and open burning20 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
5 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined3.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resources2815 BING MILLER LANE URBANA, IA 52345, IA
30 April 2015Debris and open burningunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Benton County

Mines and quarries near this place

4 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Urbana: 2 producers, 2 past producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Sweeting QuarrySand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Pork Chop Hill QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every working recorded in Benton County

Storms near this place

45 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Urbana in 45 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 21 hail, 19 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 1 funnel cloud. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 2003HailUrbana$1,000,000no account filed
July 2011Thunderstorm WindUrbana$500,000Wind gusts estimated to be 80 mph ripped the roof off of the Urbana Elementary School in Urbana, IA around 510 am CDT July 11. Several other businesses were also damaged in the Becca Industrial Park, including Buresh Arch Millwork, Borlaug Systems, and PalTech Enterprises.
April 2003HailUrbana$400,000no account filed
June 2009Thunderstorm WindUrbana$250,000Wind gusts estimated to be 75 mph blew down several large trees and highway signs in Urbana, IA around 750 am June 19. Shingles were also peeled off of houses and the signs at a gas station and a bank were blown out.
April 2003HailUrbana$100,000no account filed
June 2009Thunderstorm WindUrbana$50,000Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew a camping trailer into a house in Urbana, IA around 730 am June 19. A semi trailer was also blown over in town.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindUrbana$50,000Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph damaged several Iowa DOT buildings near the intersection of Interstate 380 and Highway 150 just northwest of Urbana, IA at 2:02 am June 6. The roof was blown off of a salt shed, a pole building was partially destroyed, a wood shed was destroyed, a steel building was seriously damaged, and a brick garage was damaged.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindUrbana$50,000no account filed
July 2007Thunderstorm WindUrbana$20,000Winds estimated to be 70 mph blew down some trees on top of a few houses and vehicles. One house had a hole in its roof from a fallen tree. In addition, a six foot wooden fence was blown down.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindUrbana$5,000Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down some interstate signs near the Sunset Street exit on Interstate 380 near Urbana, IA around 514 am CDT July 11. In addition, several 4 inch diameter trees were snapped off.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindUrbana$5,000Winds estimated to be 60 mph blew down numerous trees, blew shingles off roofs, and blew newer fences down. Visibility was reduced to zero miles due to very heavy rain. |
April 1994HailUrbana$5,000no account filed
July 2025HailUrbana-A trained spotter reported dime to nickel size hail occurring right now.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindUrbana-The Emergency Manager reported half of a maple tree down in the city.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindUrbana-A couple tree branches blown down in Urbana. The time was based on radar data.
April 2023HailUrbana-Benton County EMA relayed a report of one inch hail from the Urbana Fire Department.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindUrbana-The Emergency Manager for Benton County relayed a report of trees down at Wildcat Bluff State Park. This was likely caused by thunderstorm outflow winds.
June 2021HailUrbana-Extensive crop damage reported with wind driven large hail. This destroyed young June corn, flattening and pulverizing the crops near Urbana, Iowa.
June 2017HailUrbana-The report was relayed from law enforcement.
June 2014Flash FloodUrbana-A trained spotter reported water flowing over Richland Avenue and nearby driveways.
May 2014HailUrbana-Quarter sized hail fell in Urbana, IA around 436 pm CDT May 20.
May 2013Thunderstorm WindUrbana-The emergency manager reported 2 trees down in Benton City Park in Urbana.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindUrbana-The Emergency Manager reported winds of 60 to 65 mph winds with damage to small trees and limbs were down.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindUrbana-A trained spotter estimated wind speeds of 50 to 60 mph.
May 2012Thunderstorm WindUrbana-The Emergency Manager reported a large tree blown over near the intersection of 51st Street and 32nd Avenue, roof blow off of a barn, and 1 grain bin was blown out. Time of the event was estimated from radar.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindUrbana-Wind gusts were estimated to be 65 mph in Urbana, IA around 458 pm June 23.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindUrbana-Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph uprooted some trees and blew down some branches in Urbana, IA around 738 am June 19.
June 2008HailUrbana-Quarter-sized hail fell in Urbana, IA at 6:46 pm June 12.
June 2008HailUrbana-Quarter-sized hail fell in Urbana, IA at 6:45 pm June 12. This report was from an off-duty meteorologist.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindUrbana-Winds estimated to be 65 mph blew down some trees and damaged some signs.
July 2005Heavy RainUrbana-2.95 inches of rain in just over 30 minutes with street flooding.
May 2004Tornado (F0)Urbana-Also observed by spotters in Buchanan County south of Independence.
May 2003HailUrbana-Duration 3-4 minutes
November 2000Thunderstorm WindUrbana-Several large tree limbs were blown down.
April 2026HailUrbana-no account filed
April 2023HailUrbana-no account filed
August 2022HailUrbana-no account filed
June 2017HailUrbana-no account filed
June 2015HailUrbana-no account filed
June 2015HailUrbana-no account filed
May 2014HailUrbana-no account filed
June 2011HailUrbana-no account filed
August 2011Heavy RainUrbana-no account filed
May 2004Funnel CloudUrbana-no account filed
June 1999HailUrbana-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Benton County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Manatheka (historical)0.3 miles14
Cheney3.5 miles10
Spencers Grove4.2 miles11
Benton City (historical)5.5 miles13
Vinton8.8 miles9
Shellsburg9.0 miles16
Eden9.4 miles13
Mount Auburn11.8 miles10

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 UrbanaAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q774504The 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 462503. 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.