Wapello, Iowa
11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1946 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Wapello Township. It lies in ZIP code area 52653. The Survey maps it on the Wapello quadrangle. 2,084 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 568 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Wapello
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
Commercial Hotellisted 2001
Louisa County Courthouselisted 1981- Fairview Church and Cemeterylisted 2023
Population over time
2 figuresWapello grew from 2,067 to 2,084 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 | 2,067 | |
| 2020 | 2,084 | +17 (+1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 11 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.
- 1946 USGS Wapello quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1949 USGS Wapello quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Davenport quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Wapello quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS Muscatine quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
36 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 36 fires within 5 miles of Wapello between 2006 and 2017, burning about 534 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 | 19 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 May 2007 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | CAMPFIRE 1 |
| 20 May 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 20 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 1 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 18 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 6 April 2013 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 April 2013 | Debris and open burning | 32 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Wapello: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Limestone, Dimension, Flagstone. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalzell Quarry | Limestone, Dimension, Flagstone | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
55 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wapello in 55 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 21 hail, 18 thunderstorm wind, 8 flash flood, 4 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2003 | Hail | Wapello | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Wapello | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | $800,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Flash Flood | Wapello | $500,000 | US 61 covered with water |
| June 2009 | Flash Flood | Wapello | $100,000 | Heavy rains have resulted in flash flooding in and near Wapello, IA during the early morning hours of June 22. Highway 99 in Wapello was covered by flood waters around 1254 am June 22. Other county roads in the vicinity of Wapello, IA were also covered by flood waters. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Wapello | $100,000 | Flood waters from the Iowa River caused a levee to fail near the intersection of I Avenue and County Road G62 just east northeast of Wapello, IA around 12:46 pm June 13. This levee failure resulted in flash flooding of approximately 500 acres which included four homes located behind the levee. |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | $50,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew a tree onto a house at 336 Jefferson Street in Wapello, IA around 330 am CDT June 20. |
| April 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | $50,000 | Power lines down |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | $15,000 | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Wapello | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | $1,000 | Large tree blown down across a county road. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | A power company repair main confirmed that thunderstorm snapped off two power poles. No other damage was found. Time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| November 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | Law Enforcement reported a large tree down near the intersection of 77th Street and Highway 99. The time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| October 2018 | Flood | Wapello | - | The Iowa River at Wapello rose above the major flood stage of 25.0 feet around midnight on October 8th and fell back below major flood stage around 4 PM on the 14th. The river crested at 26.8 feet around 8 PM on the 11th. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Wapello | - | The hail size was estimated from a picture on social media. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Wapello | - | A public report was received with a picture of hail using social media. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | The county emergency manager reported several large trees were split in half. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | A public report was received of large partially rotten tree branches down accompanied by pictures received by social media. |
| August 2015 | Funnel Cloud | Wapello | - | Local media forwarded a viewer report and photo of a funnel cloud near Wapello. The funnel did not show any sign of approaching the ground. |
| July 2014 | Flood | Wapello | - | Heavy rains across the Upper Midwest and eastern Iowa during the last 2 weeks of June caused the Iowa River to rise to its major flood stage of 25 feet around 6PM on July 1 and fall below major flood stage around 115AM on July 9. The river crested at 30.2 feet from 5AM to 6PM on July 3. |
| April 2014 | Hail | Wapello | - | Local media relayed a public report of golf ball to baseball sized hail covering the ground. |
| April 2014 | Hail | Wapello | - | Mercer County Law Enforcement relayed a public report of golf ball size hail in Wapello. |
| June 2014 | Flash Flood | Wapello | - | Law enforcement reported several streets closed due to water over the roads. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Wapello | - | Quarter sized hail fell 2 miles north of Wapello, IA around 555 pm CDT May 12. |
| May 2013 | Flash Flood | Wapello | - | Law enforcement reported several roads closed due to flash flooding over the southern portions of Louisa county. |
| June 2013 | Flood | Wapello | - | The Iowa River at Wapello rose above the major flood stage of 25 feet in the early afternoon of the first. The river remained above major flood stage until the the late evening of the 7th. |
| November 2010 | Hail | Wapello | - | A trained spotter estimated hail to nickel size along with wind gusts in excess of 50 mph in Wapello. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Wapello | - | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding in Louisa County and several road closures. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Wapello | - | Water covered U.S. Highway 61. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Wapello | - | After 4-6 inches of rainfall, Long Creek overflowed and flooded farmland. Time is estimated. |
| March 2006 | Heavy Rain | Wapello | - | moderate street flooding |
| April 2003 | Funnel Cloud | Wapello | - | Possible funnel |
| July 2001 | Hail | Wapello | - | Penny sized hail. Reported by law enforcement. |
| September 2001 | Hail | Wapello | - | Nickel sized hail reported by trained spotter. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | Numerous tree limbs downed. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | Numerous large trees downed. |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| March 2016 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| March 2016 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Funnel Cloud | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Funnel Cloud | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wapello | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Louisa | 4.9 miles | 11 | |
| Newport | 6.4 miles | 11 | |
| Grandview | 6.5 miles | 9 | |
| Elrick Junction | 6.7 miles | 11 | |
| Bard (historical) | 6.8 miles | 7 | |
| Morning Sun | 7.0 miles | 7 | |
| Toolesboro | 7.1 miles | 13 | |
| Cairo | 7.5 miles | 7 |
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 Wapello | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1899149 | 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 462662. 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.






