Country United States County Cherokee FIPS code 19-13080 Elevation 364 m Population 5,186 (2013) Area code 712 | State Iowa Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6) GNIS feature ID 0455370 Zip code 51012 Local time Saturday 2:08 AM | |
Weather -2°C, Wind SE at 8 km/h, 75% Humidity Area 16.71 km² (16.65 km² Land / 5 ha Water) | ||
Cherokee is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,253 at the 2010 Census, down from 5,369 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cherokee County.
Contents
- Map of Cherokee IA 51012 USA
- History
- Geography
- 2010 census
- 2000 census
- Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
- Annual events
- Museums
- Health care
- Notable people
- References
Map of Cherokee, IA 51012, USA
History
Cherokee was laid out as a town in 1870, and was named for the Indian tribe. Cherokee was incorporated on April 5, 1873.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.45 square miles (16.71 km2), of which, 6.43 square miles (16.65 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,253 people, 2,316 households, and 1,339 families residing in the city. The population density was 817.0 inhabitants per square mile (315.4/km2). There were 2,569 housing units at an average density of 399.5 per square mile (154.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.5% White, 1.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.
There were 2,316 households of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.2% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.77.
The median age in the city was 46.3 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,369 people, 2,362 households, and 1,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 837.8 people per square mile (323.4/km²). There were 2,556 housing units at an average density of 398.9 per square mile (154.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.5% White, 0.54% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
There were 2,362 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.82.
Age spread: 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,240, and the median income for a family was $42,333. Males had a median income of $28,350 versus $21,333 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,846. About 5.0% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
The nearby Cherokee Sewer Site is a well-preserved prehistoric Indian bison-processing site, which helped to redefine the Archaic period in the Midwest, and the Phipps Site is a National Historic Landmark 1000-year-old Plains farming village that may have been fortified.
Annual events
The annual Jazz Festival is held in January, often headlined by Mark Pender a member of the Basic Cable band.
The Cherokee County Fair, and the Cherokee Rodeo are held in the summer.
Creek Fest is an annual summer music festival held along the banks of Mill Creek. Past performers include The Band Perry, Big & Rich, and Florida Georgia Line.
Museums
Cherokee is the home of the Sanford Museum and Planetarium that opened in 1951. The intent of the founders, Mr & Mrs W.A. Sanford, was to create a museum that was free and open to the public. The facility is currently (January 2011) still operated free to the public and has exhibits and activities on a variety of subjects including: archaeology, art, astronomy, geology, history, natural history, and paleontology.
Cherokee may be the smallest town in the world to have its own symphony orchestra, the Cherokee Symphony. This 60-member orchestra has been referred to as "the best kept secret in Northwest Iowa".
Health care
Cherokee is also the home of the Cherokee Mental Health Institute, under the Iowa Department of Human Services.