Iowa, Louisiana
Town
Town of Iowa
Location of Iowa in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Iowa in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 30°14′15″N 93°00′51″W / 30.23750°N 93.01417°W / 30.23750; -93.01417
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishCalcasieu
Government
 • MayorNeal Watkins
Area
[1]
 • Total3.43 sq mi (8.89 km2)
 • Land3.40 sq mi (8.80 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total3,436
 • Density1,011.78/sq mi (390.64/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
70647[2]
Area code337
FIPS code22-37445
Websiteiowala.org

Iowa (/ˈaɪəweɪ/) is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,436 in 2020. It is part of the Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area.

History

The history of this region is filled with stories of the early Midwestern settlers from Kansas, Illinois and Iowa, of the Acadians (Cajuns), and of Jean Lafitte's pirates. The community of Iowa was developed in the mid-19th century.

The railroad that cut through this country brought settlers who were lured to the prairie land for rice farming, cattle raising and later oil fields. Much of southwest Louisiana was developed by the North American Land and Timber Co. Seaman A. Knapp, president of the Iowa State College of Agriculture, was engaged in 1885 to demonstrate the suitability of the region for rice production. Knapp attracted a number of Iowans to settle the area.[3] The settlers were lured to this area by advertisements published in newspapers in the midwestern states.

Iowa experienced a growth boom when oil was struck in 1930 and oil companies came to try their luck in the Iowa oil and gas fields. Even though this was the Great Depression era, Iowa thrived as more men came to work in the oil fields.

Today, oil continues to be a vital part of the town's economy, as are farming and cattle.[4][5]

The town of "Iowa" is actually pronounced with the long A sound at the end ("EYE-uh-way"), opposed to the pronunciation of the state of Iowa.

Geography

Iowa is located along the eastern edge of Calcasieu Parish at 30°14′15″N 93°0′51″W / 30.23750°N 93.01417°W / 30.23750; -93.01417 (30.237433, -93.014191).[6] The eastern border of the town is the Jefferson Davis Parish line.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Iowa has a total area of 3.17 square miles (8.22 km2), of which 3.15 square miles (8.15 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.07 km2), or 0.80%, is water.[7]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19601,857—
19701,9444.7%
19802,43725.4%
19902,5886.2%
20002,6632.9%
20102,99612.5%
20203,43614.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
Iowa racial composition as of 2020[9]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 2,082 60.59%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,059 30.82%
Native American 11 0.32%
Asian 19 0.55%
Pacific Islander 5 0.15%
Other/Mixed 172 5.01%
Hispanic or Latino 88 2.56%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,436 people, 1,211 households, and 812 families residing in the town.

Transportation

U.S. Route 90 passes through the center of town as 4th Street, and Interstate 10 passes along the northern edge, with access from exits 43 and 44. The southern terminus of U.S. Route 165 is at US 90 on the eastern town border. Lake Charles is 13 miles (21 km) to the west via Highways 90 or 10, and Lafayette is 63 miles (101 km) to the east. US 165 leads 85 miles (137 km) northeast to Alexandria.

Notable person

References

  1. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Iowa LA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ Letter of Nancy B. Vezinet, archivist for the State of Louisiana, Mar. 24, 1982. She excerpted the relevant passages from Cities and Towns of Louisiana by Clare D'Artois Leeper. Cf. also "The Vinton-Lake Charles Colony" by A. A. Wentz in the Vinton (Ia.) Eagle, Apr. 14, 1896.
  4. ↑ "iowala.org". Archived from the original on August 4, 2007. Retrieved July 22, 2007.
  5. ↑ "nationalmathtrail.org". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 22, 2007.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Iowa town, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Tierre Brown". Basketball-Reference.Com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.


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