Editing Rock Rapids, Iowa

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Rock Rapids, Iowa
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_blank_emblem = RockRapidsIAlogo.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| motto              = "Our River Flowing, Our Community Growing"
| image_skyline      = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_map          = Lyon_County_Iowa_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Rock_Rapids_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location within [[Lyon County, Iowa|Lyon County]] and [[Iowa]]
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Iowa]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Iowa|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Lyon County, Iowa|Lyon]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_19.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 11.03
| area_land_km2      = 10.90
| area_water_km2     = 0.13
| area_total_sq_mi   = 4.26
| area_land_sq_mi    = 4.21
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.05
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 2611
| population_density_sq_mi = 620.34
| population_density_km2 = 239.52
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 1342
| coordinates        = {{coord|43|25|38|N|96|09|58|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 51246
| area_code          = [[Area code 712|712]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 19-68160
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2396402<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2396402}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://www.rockrapids.com/index.php|rockrapids.com}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Rock Rapids''' is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Lyon County, Iowa|Lyon County]], [[Iowa]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>  The population was 2,611 in the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], an increase from 2,573 in the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]].<ref name=cen2020>{{cite web |title=2020 Census State Redistricting Data |url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/01-Redistricting_File--PL_94-171/Iowa/ |website=census.gov |publisher=United states Census Bureau |access-date=12 August 2021}}</ref>

==History==
A post office called Rock Rapids has been in operation since 1871.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=IA&county=Lyon | title=Lyon County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | access-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> The city was named from the falls on the Rock River.<ref>{{cite book|author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company|title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA162|year=1908|page=162}}</ref>

==Geography==
Rock Rapids is located along the [[Rock River (Big Sioux River)|Rock River]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|3.96|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-05-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=2012-01-25}}</ref>

===Climate===
Rock Rapids has a humid continental climate (Koppen Dfa), with cold winters and hot summers.
{{Weather box 
|location = Rock Rapids, Iowa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1893−present)
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
|width = auto
|Jan record high F = 68
|Feb record high F = 70
|Mar record high F = 90
|Apr record high F = 95
|May record high F = 106
|Jun record high F = 107
|Jul record high F = 111
|Aug record high F = 109
|Sep record high F = 104
|Oct record high F = 94
|Nov record high F = 80
|Dec record high F = 70
|year record high F = 111

|Jan avg record high F = 46.8
|Feb avg record high F = 51.8
|Mar avg record high F = 69.8
|Apr avg record high F = 82.1
|May avg record high F = 89.6
|Jun avg record high F = 94.4
|Jul avg record high F = 94.5
|Aug avg record high F = 93.6
|Sep avg record high F = 90.0
|Oct avg record high F = 83.6
|Nov avg record high F = 66.3
|Dec avg record high F = 49.4
|year avg record high F = 97.1

|Jan high F = 25.2
|Feb high F = 30.3
|Mar high F = 43.2
|Apr high F = 57.9
|May high F = 70.3
|Jun high F = 80.7
|Jul high F = 84.7
|Aug high F = 82.3
|Sep high F = 75.3
|Oct high F = 61.1
|Nov high F = 44.2
|Dec high F = 30.3
|year high F = 57.1
|Jan mean F = 15.6
|Feb mean F = 20.4
|Mar mean F = 32.7
|Apr mean F = 45.8
|May mean F = 58.5
|Jun mean F = 69.5
|Jul mean F = 73.3
|Aug mean F = 70.6
|Sep mean F = 62.4
|Oct mean F = 48.6
|Nov mean F = 33.6
|Dec mean F = 21.2
|year mean F = 46.0
|Jan low F = 6.1
|Feb low F = 10.4
|Mar low F = 22.3
|Apr low F = 33.8
|May low F = 46.8
|Jun low F = 58.3
|Jul low F = 61.8
|Aug low F = 59.0
|Sep low F = 49.6
|Oct low F = 36.2
|Nov low F = 23.0
|Dec low F = 12.1
|year low F = 35.0

|Jan avg record low F = -16.6
|Feb avg record low F = -9.8
|Mar avg record low F = 0.0
|Apr avg record low F = 18.8
|May avg record low F = 32.3
|Jun avg record low F = 45.3
|Jul avg record low F = 50.6
|Aug avg record low F = 47.8
|Sep avg record low F = 34.0
|Oct avg record low F = 20.0
|Nov avg record low F = 5.0
|Dec avg record low F = -9.3
|year avg record low F = -19.5

|Jan record low F = −40
|Feb record low F = −40
|Mar record low F = −23
|Apr record low F = 3
|May record low F = 20
|Jun record low F = 32
|Jul record low F = 32
|Aug record low F = 34
|Sep record low F = 18
|Oct record low F = -10
|Nov record low F = −20
|Dec record low F = −30
|year record low F = -40
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.61
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.70
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.52
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.03
|May precipitation inch = 3.96
|Jun precipitation inch = 5.03
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.59
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.12
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.24
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.23
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.42
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.82
|year precipitation inch = 29.27
|Jan snow inch = 6.0
|Feb snow inch = 7.3
|Mar snow inch = 5.6
|Apr snow inch = 3.5
|May snow inch = 0.1
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.4
|Nov snow inch = 3.6
|Dec snow inch = 8.4
|year snow inch = 34.9
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 4.6
|Feb precipitation days = 4.7
|Mar precipitation days = 5.8
|Apr precipitation days = 8.5
|May precipitation days = 12.0
|Jun precipitation days = 10.5
|Jul precipitation days = 7.7
|Aug precipitation days = 8.5
|Sep precipitation days = 7.4
|Oct precipitation days = 6.6
|Nov precipitation days = 4.5
|Dec precipitation days = 5.1
|year precipitation days = 85.9
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 3.6
|Feb snow days = 3.8
|Mar snow days = 2.5
|Apr snow days = 1.2
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.4
|Nov snow days = 1.7
|Dec snow days = 3.7
|year snow days = 16.9
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= NOAA>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=fsd
| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 18, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00137147&format=pdf
| title = Station: Rock Rapids, IA
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 18, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 1394
|1900= 1766
|1910= 2005
|1920= 2172
|1930= 2221
|1940= 2556
|1950= 2640
|1960= 2780
|1970= 2632
|1980= 2693
|1990= 2601
|2000= 2573
|2010= 2549
|2020= 2611
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name=cen2020/>
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[United States census|census]] of 2020,<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade/2020/2020-census-main.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> there were 2,611 people, 1,049 households, and 667 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 620.4 inhabitants per square mile (239.5/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 1,145 housing units at an average density of 272.0 per square mile (105.0/km<sup>2</sup>). The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|racial]] makeup of the city was 94.1% [[White Americans|White]], 0.5% [[African Americans|Black or African American]], 0.4% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 0.3% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0.0% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 1.6% from other races and 3.1% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] persons of any race comprised 3.5% of the population.

Of the 1,049 households, 28.7% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.1% were cohabitating couples, 25.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 17.6% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 36.4% of all households were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

The median age in the city was 39.3 years. 28.7% of the residents were under the age of 20; 4.4% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 23.7% were from 25 and 44; 21.3% were from 45 and 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-05-11}}</ref> of 2010, there were 2,549 people, 1,083 households, and 689 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|643.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 1,207 housing units at an average density of {{convert|304.8|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.2% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.1% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.8% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.6% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 1,083 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.92.

The median age in the city was 42.1 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 21.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 2,573 people, 1,085 households, and 720 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|650.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,160 housing units at an average density of {{convert|293.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 99.14% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.16% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.04% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.35% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.27% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.23% of the population.

There were 1,085 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.86.

23.5% are under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 26.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,135, and the median income for a family was $47,688. Males had a median income of $30,691 versus $19,425 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,035. About 3.4% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Rock Rapids is served by the [[Central Lyon Community School District]]. The town of [[Doon, Iowa|Doon]] is also included in this school district.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/documents/FY20_CENTRAL%20LYON_0.pdf|title=CENTRAL LYON|publisher=[[Iowa Department of Education]]|access-date=2020-08-10}}</ref>

==Parks and recreation==
One of the highlights of Rock Rapids is Island Park, so named because part of the park is completely surrounded by the Rock River. Island Park features a Rock Island railroad trestle that has been resurfaced as part of a new recreation trail and a museum in the nearby retired depot. There are two small dams in the park.

Another notable park is Emma Sater Park, which is home to the [[Melan Bridge]].

== Mural Society ==
The Rock Rapids Mural Society was formed in 2002 to restore its historic past in artistic form.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rockrapids.com/to-do-see/mural-society/|title=Mural Society|date=2018-08-21|website=Rock Rapids|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-11}}</ref>

==Residents==
* [[Bruce B. Brugmann]], editor and publisher of the ''San Francisco Bay Guardian''
* [[Constance Congdon]], American playwright and librettist.
* [[Donald J. Grout]], Professor and author of A History of Western Music
* [[Jerry Mathers]], ''[[Leave It to Beaver]]'' star

==See also==
{{Portal|Iowa}}
* [[Rock River (Iowa)|Rock River]]
* [[Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern Railroad-Rock Rapids Station, Railroad Track and Bridge|Rock Rapids BCR&N station]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}<!-- for current and future use if material is uploaded -->
* [http://www.rockrapids.com City of Rock Rapids]
* [http://www.city-data.com/city/Rock-Rapids-Iowa.html City-Data] Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Rock Rapids

{{Lyon County, Iowa}}
{{Iowa county seats}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Dutch-American culture in Iowa]]
[[Category:Cities in Lyon County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Cities in Iowa]]
[[Category:County seats in Iowa]]