BlockBefore

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.

Waterloo within Black Hawk County

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

Every listing in Black Hawk County

Population over time

2 figures

Waterloo 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.

YearPeople Change
201068,406
202067,314-1,092 (-2%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

4 surveys from 11 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

5 since 2002

Regional 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/undetermined4
Arson/incendiarism1

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
9 September 2002Arson/incendiarismunder an acreIowa State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
6 July 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
25 May 2009Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
2 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined6.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resources1690 HWY 218 AND 27, IA
26 February 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Black Hawk County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 11 shown

Regional 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Burton Avenue QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Stead Bros. and Guenther Clay PitClayPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Waterloo Pit and PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Black Hawk County

Storms near this place

60 of 168 shown

Regional 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 2008LightningWaterloo1 hurtLighting struck and injured one outside of the Waterloo Post Office.
July 2006HailWaterloo$1,000,000no account filed
June 2002LightningWaterloo$1,000,000no account filed
July 1999Flash FloodWaterloo$1,000,000no account filed
July 2001Flash FloodWaterloo$250,000no account filed
June 2008Flash FloodWaterloo$150,000Two to 3 feet of water standing in Waterloo near the Sycamore area. Water was also over portions of Black Hawk Road.
May 1999Flash FloodWaterloo$150,000no account filed
July 2010Heavy RainWaterloo$100,000Rainfall of 3.8 to 4 inches since 0430 CST. Several houses have water in the basement.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$100,000no account filed
May 2013Flash FloodWaterloo$75,000A car stalled in flash flood waters near the Grout Museum.
May 2004Flash FloodWaterloo$75,000no account filed
June 1998FloodWaterloo$75,000no account filed
July 2025Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$50,000Several 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 2024LightningWaterloo$50,000Delayed report of house fire in vicinity due to lightning. Time of lightning strike estimated from radar.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$50,000Large trees down, power lines down, some damage to home on Gloria Drive.
July 2010Flash FloodWaterloo$50,000Law enforcement reported the road impassible at the intersection of Franklin and Elm Street due to water.
April 2009Flash FloodWaterloo$50,000Reports of 18 to 24 inches of flowing water through the intersection.
March 2007FloodWaterloo$50,000no account filed
July 2006HailWaterloo$50,000no account filed
July 2001Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$50,000no account filed
September 2001Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$50,000no account filed
May 2000Flash FloodWaterloo$50,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$50,000no account filed
June 1998FloodWaterloo$50,000no account filed
April 1997Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$50,000no account filed
June 2025Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$40,000Damage to homes due to downed tree limbs.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$30,000Trees 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 2013HailWaterloo$25,000Quarter size hall covering the ground two the three inches deep at the intersection of Conger St and Highway 63.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$25,000Tree fell on a house.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$25,000Numerous trees blown down.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$25,000Large trees were down in the southern end of Waterloo. Power lines taken down as well. Another tree was downed in Evansdale.
April 2013HailWaterloo$25,000no account filed
April 2010HailWaterloo$25,000no account filed
July 2006HailWaterloo$25,000no account filed
May 2003HailWaterloo$25,000no account filed
May 2002HailWaterloo$25,000no account filed
June 2018Flash FloodWaterloo$20,000KWWL reported flash flooding along 4th St in downtown Waterloo.
June 2008Flash FloodWaterloo$20,000Sixth Street and Lafayette in Waterloo under water one half block in either direction.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$20,000Several large trees and numerous large branches were down along Highway 63 in the southern section of Waterloo.
August 2002Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$20,000no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$20,000no account filed
May 2000HailWaterloo$20,000no account filed
July 2008LightningWaterloo$15,000KWWL reported that lightning struck a home in Waterloo around 1500 CST. Fire crews were called to the scene.
April 2010HailWaterloo$15,000no account filed
August 2016Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000Media reported a large tree down on some power lines. Delayed report.
May 2013Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000Trees were reported down from high wind.
April 2009Flash FloodWaterloo$10,000Flooding has popped up manhole covers on Upton Ave near Ansborough Ave.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000no account filed
June 2007Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000no account filed
July 2007Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000no account filed
March 2006HailWaterloo$10,000no account filed
April 2006HailWaterloo$10,000no account filed
March 2005Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000no account filed
May 2004HailWaterloo$10,000no account filed
August 2004Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000no account filed
May 2003HailWaterloo$10,000no account filed
September 2001Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000no account filed
May 2000FloodWaterloo$10,000no account filed
June 2000LightningWaterloo$10,000no account filed
August 1998FloodWaterloo$10,000no account filed

Every storm recorded in Black Hawk 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
Eastgate Estate Park2.0 miles11
Castle Hill3.2 miles12
Evansdale3.7 miles11
Hilltop4.0 miles11
Orange4.7 miles11
Big Rock (historical)4.7 miles10
Cedar Knoll Park4.7 miles11
Armour4.9 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 WaterlooAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q496381The 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.