Waterloo, Iowa
11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Waterloo City. It lies in ZIP code area 50701. It stands on Virden Creek. The Survey maps it on the Waterloo South quadrangle. 67,314 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 883 feet above sea level.
On record in Waterloo
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 12 of 30 shown
Bennington No. 4listed 2001
Black Hawk County Soldiers Memorial Halllisted 1988
Campbell Baking Companylisted 2016
Chicago, Great Western Railroad-Waterloo Frieght Depotlisted 1997
Dunsmore Houselisted 1977
Emerson Schoollisted 2004
Fire Station No. 2listed 1988
Fowler Company Building, Thelisted 2009
Grace Methodist Episcopal Churchlisted 2011
Highland Historic Districtlisted 1984
Hotel Presidentlisted 2017
Hotel Russell-Lamsonlisted 1988
Population over time
2 figuresWaterloo fell from 68,406 to 67,314 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 | 68,406 | |
| 2020 | 67,314 | -1,092 (-2%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 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.
- 1954 USGS Waterloo quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1955 USGS Waterloo quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Waterloo South quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1984 USGS Marshalltown quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
5 since 2002Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 5 fires within 5 miles of Waterloo between 2002 and 2011, burning about 9 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 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 | 4 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 6 July 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 25 May 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 April 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 1690 HWY 218 AND 27, IA |
| 26 February 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 11 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 11 workings within 5 miles of Waterloo: 8 past producers, 2 producers, 1 unknown. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton Avenue Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Stead Bros. and Guenther Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | 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 | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Waterloo Pit and Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 168 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Waterloo in 168 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 66 hail, 50 thunderstorm wind, 23 heavy rain, 14 flash flood. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2008 | Lightning | Waterloo | 1 hurt | Lighting struck and injured one outside of the Waterloo Post Office. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Waterloo | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Lightning | Waterloo | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| July 2001 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $150,000 | Two to 3 feet of water standing in Waterloo near the Sycamore area. Water was also over portions of Black Hawk Road. |
| May 1999 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $150,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Heavy Rain | Waterloo | $100,000 | Rainfall of 3.8 to 4 inches since 0430 CST. Several houses have water in the basement. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $75,000 | A car stalled in flash flood waters near the Grout Museum. |
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $75,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Flood | Waterloo | $75,000 | no account filed |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $50,000 | Several reports across Waterloo of trees on utility lines and transformers. Power is out in various locations around Waterloo. Time estimated by radar and ASOS recorded gust. |
| March 2024 | Lightning | Waterloo | $50,000 | Delayed report of house fire in vicinity due to lightning. Time of lightning strike estimated from radar. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $50,000 | Large trees down, power lines down, some damage to home on Gloria Drive. |
| July 2010 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $50,000 | Law enforcement reported the road impassible at the intersection of Franklin and Elm Street due to water. |
| April 2009 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $50,000 | Reports of 18 to 24 inches of flowing water through the intersection. |
| March 2007 | Flood | Waterloo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Waterloo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Flood | Waterloo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $40,000 | Damage to homes due to downed tree limbs. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $30,000 | Trees and power lines were down across the Waterloo and Cedar Falls area including the University of Northern Iowa. One tree fell on a house. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Waterloo | $25,000 | Quarter size hall covering the ground two the three inches deep at the intersection of Conger St and Highway 63. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $25,000 | Tree fell on a house. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $25,000 | Numerous trees blown down. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $25,000 | Large trees were down in the southern end of Waterloo. Power lines taken down as well. Another tree was downed in Evansdale. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Waterloo | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Waterloo | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Waterloo | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Waterloo | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Waterloo | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $20,000 | KWWL reported flash flooding along 4th St in downtown Waterloo. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $20,000 | Sixth Street and Lafayette in Waterloo under water one half block in either direction. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $20,000 | Several large trees and numerous large branches were down along Highway 63 in the southern section of Waterloo. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $20,000 | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Waterloo | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Lightning | Waterloo | $15,000 | KWWL reported that lightning struck a home in Waterloo around 1500 CST. Fire crews were called to the scene. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Waterloo | $15,000 | no account filed |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $10,000 | Media reported a large tree down on some power lines. Delayed report. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $10,000 | Trees were reported down from high wind. |
| April 2009 | Flash Flood | Waterloo | $10,000 | Flooding has popped up manhole covers on Upton Ave near Ansborough Ave. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| March 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Flood | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Lightning | Waterloo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 1998 | Flood | Waterloo | $10,000 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastgate Estate Park | 2.0 miles | 11 | |
| Castle Hill | 3.2 miles | 12 | |
| Evansdale | 3.7 miles | 11 | |
| Hilltop | 4.0 miles | 11 | |
| Orange | 4.7 miles | 11 | |
| Big Rock (historical) | 4.7 miles | 10 | |
| Cedar Knoll Park | 4.7 miles | 11 | |
| Armour | 4.9 miles | 10 |
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 Waterloo | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q496381 | 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 462727. 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.



