Clear Lake, Iowa

File:FI0005243.jpg

The region around the lake that would later be called Clear Lake was a summer home to the Dakota and Winnebago American Indians. During a land survey of northern Iowa done in 1832 by Nathan Boone, the son of the famous explorer Daniel Boone, a map was made showing the lake and other bodies of water in the area.{{cite web |url=http://clearlakehistoricalsociety.com/ |title=Clear Lake Historical Society |publisher=Historical events |access-date=December 1, 2010}}

In 1851, Joseph Hewitt and James Dickirson brought their families to camp on the east side of Clear Lake, soon building a cabin, and began a friendship with the Winnebago natives. By 1853, many more white settlers had also came to settle in the area. By the year 1855, the first Clear Lake school was built as well as the first steam saw mill. In that year a hotel was built by James Crow.

By 1870, the town had 775 residents and by 1871 the streets were graded and sidewalks were made of raised boards, sure signs of a thriving new city. The city of Clear Lake was incorporated on May 26, 1871. The first bandstand in Clear Lake was built in 1877 at the City Park. The town continued to grow and built its first library in 1889. In 1909, Bayside Amusement park opened for the first time. The first North Iowa Band Festival was organized by John Kopecky, among others, in 1932.

In 1933, the Surf Ballroom opened up on the site of the old Tom Tom ballroom that had been destroyed by fire. The opening dance night saw approximately 700 couples attend. In 1947, the Surf Ballroom burned down; a new Surf Ballroom was built across the street the following year. The Bayside Amusement park closed down in 1958.

Image:HollyMonument.jpg

{{Main|The Day the Music Died}}

In the early hours of February 3, 1959, a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper, who had been performing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, took off from the local runway in nearby Mason City, on its way to the next show in Moorhead, Minnesota.

The plane crashed soon after take off, killing everyone aboard including the 21-year old pilot Roger Peterson. The event was later eulogized by folk singer Don McLean in his 1971 song "American Pie", which led to the crash being nicknamed "The Day the Music Died".

In June 1988, around 600 people gathered to witness the dedication of the monument to the three musicians. Clear Lake also renamed Second Place North to "Buddy Holly Place".

{{Clear}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|13.44|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|10.80|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|2.64|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{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=May 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601072332/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=June 1, 2012}}

Clear Lake, Iowa has a hot/warm summer humid continental climate (Dfa).

{{Weather box

| single line = Y

| collapsed = Y

| location = Mason City Municipal Airport

| Jan record high F = 62

| Feb record high F = 66

| Mar record high F = 84

| Apr record high F = 93

| May record high F = 99

| Jun record high F = 103

| Jul record high F = 104

| Aug record high F = 101

| Sep record high F = 99

| Oct record high F = 95

| Nov record high F = 79

| Dec record high F = 67

| Jan high F = 25

| Feb high F = 29

| Mar high F = 42

| Apr high F = 58

| May high F = 70

| Jun high F = 80

| Jul high F = 83

| Aug high F = 81

| Sep high F = 73

| Oct high F = 60

| Nov high F = 43

| Dec high F = 28

| year high F = 56

| Jan mean F = 16

| Feb mean F = 21

| Mar mean F = 33

| Apr mean F = 47

| May mean F = 58

| Jun mean F = 68

| Jul mean F = 72

| Aug mean F = 69

| Sep mean F = 61

| Oct mean F = 48

| Nov mean F = 34

| Dec mean F = 20

| year mean F = 46

| Jan low F = 7

| Feb low F = 12

| Mar low F = 24

| Apr low F = 35

| May low F = 47

| Jun low F = 57

| Jul low F = 61

| Aug low F = 58

| Sep low F = 49

| Oct low F = 37

| Nov low F = 24

| Dec low F = 11

| year low F = 35

| Jan record low F = -31

| Feb record low F = -32

| Mar record low F = -28

| Apr record low F = 6

| May record low F = 22

| Jun record low F = 36

| Jul record low F = 42

| Aug record low F = 35

| Sep record low F = 24

| Oct record low F = 12

| Nov record low F = -16

| Dec record low F = -26

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 0.82

| Feb precipitation inch = 1.00

| Mar precipitation inch = 2.23

| Apr precipitation inch = 3.75

| May precipitation inch = 4.68

| Jun precipitation inch = 5.14

| Jul precipitation inch = 4.70

| Aug precipitation inch = 4.04

| Sep precipitation inch = 3.27

| Oct precipitation inch = 2.45

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.88

| Dec precipitation inch = 1.24

| year precipitation inch = 35.20

| Jan snow inch = 10.8

| Feb snow inch = 7.7

| Mar snow inch = 6.0

| Apr snow inch = 2.7

| May snow inch = 0.0

| 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 = 4.3

| Dec snow inch = 9.3

| year snow inch = 41.2

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in.

| Jan precipitation days = 7.5

| Feb precipitation days = 7.2

| Mar precipitation days = 9.2

| Apr precipitation days = 11.1

| May precipitation days = 12.1

| Jun precipitation days = 11.2

| Jul precipitation days = 9.7

| Aug precipitation days = 9.5

| Sep precipitation days = 8.7

| Oct precipitation days = 8.8

| Nov precipitation days = 8.0

| Dec precipitation days = 8.5

| year precipitation days = 111.5

| unit snow days = 0.1 in.

| Jan snow days = 6.8

| Feb snow days = 5.1

| Mar snow days = 3.5

| Apr snow days = 1.7

| May snow days = 0

| Jun snow days = 0

| Jul snow days = 0

| Aug snow days = 0

| Sep snow days = 0

| Oct snow days = 0.5

| Nov snow days = 3.4

| Dec snow days = 7.2

| year snow days = 28.2

| source = National Centers for Environmental Information{{Cite FTP |url=ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00014940.normals.txt |server=National Centers for Environmental Information |url-status=dead |title=Mason City Municipal Airport climate normals |access-date=September 30, 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/global-historical-climatology-network-daily/access/USW00014940.csv |title=Mason City Municipal Airport daily GHCN data |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |access-date=September 30, 2019}}

}}

{{US Census population

|align=

|1870= 775

|1880= 1095

|1890= 1130

|1900= 1706

|1910= 2014

|1920= 2804

|1930= 3066

|1940= 3764

|1950= 4977

|1960= 6158

|1970= 6430

|1980= 7458

|1990= 8183

|2000= 8161

|2010= 7777

|2020= 7687

|footnote=Iowa Data Center{{cite web |url=http://data.iowadatacenter.org/datatables/PlacesAll/plpopulation18502000.pdf |title=Iowa Data Center |publisher=Clear Lake |access-date=December 1, 2010}}{{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=August 12, 2021}}

}}

File:Clear LakeIowaPopPlot.png

Clear Lake is part of the Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the census of 2020,{{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}} there were 7,687 people, 3,586 households, and 2,083 families residing in the city. The population density was 713.1 inhabitants per square mile (275.3/km²). There were 4,749 housing units at an average density of 440.6 per square mile (170.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.6% White, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 3.0% of the population.

Of the 3,586 households, 21.7% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 5.9% were cohabitating couples, 29.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 17.8% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 41.9% of all households were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

The median age in the city was 49.1 years. 21.0% of the residents were under the age of 20; 4.1% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 21.0% were from 25 and 44; 27.4% were from 45 and 64; and 26.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

As of the census{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 11, 2012}} of 2010, there were 7,777 people, 3,507 households, and 2,087 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|720.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 4,423 housing units at an average density of {{convert|409.5|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 0.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.

There were 3,507 households, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16% 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 2.78.

The median age in the city was 46.3 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 to 44; 31.9% were from 45 to 64; and 20.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

As of the census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 8,161 people, 3,461 households, and 2,239 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|782.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 4,156 housing units at an average density of {{convert|398.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.99% White, 0.27% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.

There were 3,461 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% 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.

Age spread:23.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,097, and the median income for a family was $45,589. Males had a median income of $30,266 versus $21,356 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,213. About 5.0% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

File:Clear Lake Fire Museum.JPG

• Surf Ballroom: Site of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper's last concert, the Surf Ballroom continues to host concerts and can be reserved as a convention hall or reception site. It is also a tourist attraction and holds a tribute to the three rock and roll singers each February.
• Lady of the Lake: A sternwheeler ferry boat which takes passengers on a scenic cruise around Clear Lake. It has an enclosed lower level and an open upper level.[http://www.cruiseclearlake.com/ Lady of the Lake Cruise]
• Clear Lake Fire Museum: Designed to resemble an early fire station, this museum's highlights include a 1924 Ahrens-Fox pumper truck, the city's 1883 hand-pulled hose cart, and the original fire bell used by the department. A memorial is dedicated to honor firefighters who have served Clear Lake.[http://www.clearlakeiowa.com/vi/attractions.htm/ Attractions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609204451/http://www.clearlakeiowa.com/vi/attractions.htm |date=June 9, 2007 }}
• Guardian Angel Roadside Chapel: Built by Jack Kennedy, the Guardian Angel Chapel overlooks Interstate 35 and is open to the public daily.
• Clear Lake Arts Center: This non-profit organization displays local and regional artists' work along with a sales gallery and art classes open to the public.
• PM Park: Site of the Patriarchs Militant camp (a subgroup of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows). Established in 1914, turned into a historical eating and lodging venue.
• Central Gardens of North Iowa, Inc. has over 20 themed gardens on nearly 3 acres of land and is the only free public garden within 90 miles of Clear Lake. It is open daily, dawn to dusk, May 1 through October 31 and offers over 50 free activities, events, and programs each year.
• Lake Theatre: Historic single screen movie theatre showing current titles. Originally an Opera House, converted to movie theatre in 1935.{{Cite web |title=Lake Theatre - Everything's Better At The Lake - Everything's Better At The Lake |url=https://clearlaketheatre.com/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Lake Theatre - Everything's Better At The Lake |language=en-US}}

File:Clear Lake Rowhouses.jpg

There are three schools in the local public school district, Clear Lake Community School District. Clear Creek Elementary School hosts preschool,{{cite news |url=https://globegazette.com/news/local/new-preschool-in-clear-lake-scheduled-to-open-in-fall/article_db752ceb-4389-52bd-9208-5080c6cffc16.html |title=New preschool in Clear Lake scheduled to open in Fall 2019 |last=McNett |first=Jared |date=April 11, 2019 |newspaper=Mason City Globe Gazette |access-date=September 30, 2019}} kindergarten, and grades 1–5; Clear Lake Middle School hosts grades 6–8; and Clear Lake High School hosts grades 9–12.{{cite web |url=https://clearlakeschools.org/schools/ |title=Schools |publisher=Clear Lake Community School District |access-date=September 30, 2019}} Lakeside Alternative, an alternative school program, is run jointly with the Garner–Hayfield–Ventura Community School District in neighboring Ventura, Iowa.{{cite web |url=https://sites.google.com/a/ghvschools.org/lakeside-alternative/ |title=Lakeside Alternative |access-date=September 30, 2019}}

Clear Lake Classical, a preK–8 Classical Christian school,{{cite web |url=http://www.clearlakeclassical.org/about.html |title=About |publisher=Clear Lake Classical}} is the only private school in the city.

Clear Lake is located along Interstate 35 approximately halfway between the Twin Cities and Des Moines, Iowa. U.S. Highway 18 runs east–west through the northern side of the city until it meets Interstate 35; at this interchange, Iowa Highway 122 begins and continues to the east. U.S. 18 proper continues to the south, overlapping an approximately 3.5-mile stretch of Interstate 35 and Iowa Highway 27 (part of the Avenue of the Saints). Just south of the city, U.S. 18 and Iowa 27 break from Interstate 35 and continue to the east.{{Cite map |author=Iowa Department of Transportation |title=Highway and Street Map of Clear Lake, Iowa |url=https://iowadot.gov/maps/msp/citypdf/CLEAR-LAKE-ci.pdf |format=PDF |location=Clear Lake Iowa |publisher=Iowa Department of Transportation |access-date=October 6, 2019}}

The North Iowa Area Council of Governments operates Region 2 Transit, which provides city and regional demand responsive public bus transit.{{Cite web |url=https://secure.iowadot.gov/transit/services/agency1.asp?intAgencyID=020 |title=Region 2 Transit |access-date=October 6, 2019 |publisher=Iowa Department of Transportation}} Jefferson Lines, a private intercity bus service, maintains a stop in Clear Lake with service to locations throughout the Midwest.{{Cite web |url=https://www.jeffersonlines.com/bus-stops/iowa/ |title=Buses to Iowa |access-date=October 6, 2019 |author=Jefferson Lines}}

Mason City Municipal Airport is located immediately to the east of Clear Lake.{{cite web |url=http://flymcw.com/ |title=Home |author=Mason City Municipal Airport |access-date=October 6, 2019}}

Two freight rail lines run through the city. Canadian Pacific Railway operates a line parallel to U.S. 18, which stops at a minor grain facility; trackage rights are given to the Iowa Northern Railway. Progressive Rail maintains the Iowa Traction Railway, a shortline railroad which runs between Clear Lake and Mason City.{{Cite map |author=Iowa Department of Transportation |title=Iowa Grain Facilities Rail Map |location=Iowa |url=https://iowadot.gov/iowarail/railroads/maps/Grain.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Iowa Department of Transportation |access-date=October 6, 2019}}

The city's electric power and natural gas utilities are provided by Alliant Energy.{{cite web |url=https://www.alliantenergy.com/CustomerService/AlliantEnergyService/CommunitiesWeServe |title=Communities we serve |author=Alliant Energy |access-date=September 7, 2021}} Since 2004, Alliant Energy has operated a natural gas—fired electricity generation plant southeast of the city.{{cite news |last=Horgen |first=Jan |date=May 19, 2004 |work=Globe Gazette |url=https://globegazette.com/news/local/power-starts-flowing-from-emery-generating-plant/article_56f73d25-9153-5c0c-81ec-4403bd8b303c.html |title=Power starts flowing from Emery Generating Plant |access-date=September 7, 2021}}

Sewage treatment is provided by the Clear Lake Sanitary District, a local government entity separate from the city government. Wastewater travels through pump stations within the city before being routed to a treatment plant to the south. There, it is filtered, processed through a sequencing batch reactor, and disinfected with ultraviolet light. Some of the resulting treated effluent is routed to the nearby Alliant Energy plant for cooling purposes.{{cite web |url=https://clearlakesd.org/treatment/ |title=Treatment |author=Clear Lake Sanitary District |access-date=September 7, 2021}}

Telephone, cable television, and internet services are provided by local provider CL Tel{{cite web |url=https://cltel.com/about-us/ |title=Here for You! |author=CL Tel |access-date=September 7, 2021}} and Mediacom.{{cite web |url=https://www.cityofclearlake.com/pview.aspx?id=2093&catid=29 |title=Utility Billing Department |author=City of Clear Lake |access-date=September 7, 2021}}

Water supply services are provided by the city. The city's water is drawn from shallow wells in the Cedar Valley Formation.{{cite web |url=https://www.cityofclearlake.com/pview.aspx?id=2021&catid=29 |title=Water Department |author=City of Clear Lake |access-date=September 7, 2021}}

Waste collection services are also provided by the city and operated by local company Absolute Waste Removal.{{cite web |url=http://absolutewasteremoval.com/ |title=Absolute Waste Removal |author=Absolute Waste Removal |access-date=September 7, 2021}} Further processing is performed at the Landfill of North Iowa to the east.{{cite web |url=https://landfillnorthiowa.org/about-4/ |title=About |author=Landfill of North Iowa |access-date=September 7, 2021}}

MercyOne Medical Center North Iowa{{cite web |url=https://www.mercyone.org/northiowa/about-us/ |title=About Us |author=MercyOne |access-date=September 9, 2021}} in neighboring Mason City is the nearest hospital. Both MercyOne{{cite web |url=https://www.mercyone.org/northiowa/location/mercyone-clear-lake-family-medicine |title=MercyOne Clear Lake Family Medicine |author=MercyOne |access-date=September 9, 2021}} and Iowa Specialty Hospital {{cite web |url=https://www.iowaspecialtyhospital.com/locations/clear-lake-iowa-specialty-hospital/gabrielson-clinic |title=Gabrielson Clinic - Clear Lake |author=Iowa Specialty Hospital |access-date=September 9, 2021}} operate clinics within the city.

In September 2020, construction began on a wellness center near Clear Lake High School for joint use by Clear Lake Community School District and the community.{{cite news |last=Jirgens |first=Alex |date=September 16, 2020 |work=KIMT |url=https://www.kimt.com/content/news/Ground-officially-broken-on-Clear-Lakes-shared-school-district-community-wellness-center-572424731.html |title=Ground officially broken on Clear Lake's shared school district-community wellness center |access-date=September 9, 2021}}

• Carl S. Bates (1884–1956), aviation pioneer and inventor of the Bates Monoplane
• Todd Blodgett - Member of White House staff (Reagan-Bush) 1985-87.{{cite news |last1=Blodgett |first1=Todd |title=Todd Blodgett’s pro-Mohawk comments ruffle Globe-Gazette editor’s fur, is fired from nearly-kaput newspaper for second time since 2017 |url=https://northiowatoday.com/2021/12/28/todd-blodgetts-pro-mohawk-comments-ruffle-globe-gazette-editors-fur-is-fired-from-nearly-kaput-newspaper-for-second-time-since-2017/ |access-date=January 3, 2023 |agency=North Iowa Today |publisher=NIT Publisher |date=December 28, 2021 |ref=Todd Blodgett’s pro-Mohawk comments ruffle Globe-Gazette editor’s fur, is fired from nearly-kaput newspaper for second time since 2017}}
• Richie Hayward (1946–2010), founding member for the rock band Little Feat{{cite web |url=https://www.littlefeat.net/richard-hayward-bio.html |title=Richard Hayward Bio |publisher=Little Feat |access-date=October 1, 2019}}
• Will Kirk Kaynor (1884–1929), United States Representative for Massachusetts{{cite web |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=K000024 |title=KAYNOR, William Kirk |publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |access-date=December 1, 2010}}
• Milo Knutson (1917–1981), mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin and Wisconsin State Senator
• Max McGraw (1883–1964), founder of McGraw-Edison and Centel{{cite web |url=https://maxmcgrawfoundation.org/our-founder/ |title=Our Founder |publisher=McGraw Foundation |access-date=October 1, 2019}}
• Robert Allan Phillips (1906–1976), Lasker Award-winning physician, developed fluid replacement treatment for cholera

• Mirror Reporter

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.cityofclearlake.com/ Official Clear Lake City]
• [http://www.clearlakeiowa.com/ Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce]

{{Cerro Gordo County, Iowa}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa

Category:Cities in Iowa

Category:Mason City, Iowa micropolitan area