Iowa Park, Texas

Geography

Iowa Park is located at 33°57′13″N 98°40′16″W (33.953731, -98.671158).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.4 km²), of which, 3.6 square miles (9.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (9.68%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,431 people, 2,460 households, and 1,867 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,766.6 people per square mile (682.1/km²). There were 2,609 housing units at an average density of 716.1 per square mile (276.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.96% White, 0.26% African American, 1.09% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.58% of the population.

There were 2,460 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city, the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,725, and the median income for a family was $45,199. Males had a median income of $31,372 versus $21,237 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,882. About 7.1% of families and 1.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. The population of Iowa Park has increased to around 6,400 as of 2012. New businesses and new construction can be seen in and around Iowa Park over the last 5 years.

Education

The City of Iowa Park is served by the Iowa Park Consolidated Independent School District.

History

Iowa Park was founded in 1888 alongside the tracks of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway by D. C. and A. J. Kolp. It soon became a shipping point for cotton and wheat. Hard times came in the early 1890s when a drought hit, but by the time 1900 arrived the town had a respectable population.

The population fell during the early part of the century, but an oil discovery in 1918 reversed the dip. By 1926 the population was staying higher. A concrete highway connecting Iowa Park with Wichita Falls was built in 1927. In the mid-1930s Iowa Park managed to keep its population higher while most other towns declined.

Sheppard Air Force Base provided a minor drawback in the 1950s but by the end of the decade the population was still holding up. By the late 1960s the population had swelled by over 20 percent and increased further in the 70s.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Iowa Park Post Office.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice James V. Allred Unit in Wichita Falls, in proximity to Iowa Park.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Iowa Park has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.