Asbury, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Asbury is a city in Dubuque County
, Iowa
, United States
, and a suburb
of the city of Dubuque
. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,450 at the 2000 census, but is now (2010) 4,170. Asbury is the second-largest city in Dubuque County, surpassing Dyersville, Iowa
to become the second-largest in the 2010 U.S. Census count. The city is largely a bedroom community
, made up of spacious, new subdivisions
whose residents work in Dubuque or Peosta, Iowa
.
Asbury has experienced a 53.3% increase in population from 2000 to 2007, making it the state's 10th-fastest growing city (with 1,000 people or more) during that period.
. The city is named after British-born Bishop Francis Asbury
, one of the first two bishop
s of the Methodist Episcopal Church
in the United States
. The city was incorporated in 1933, following the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
, which ended prohibition
. The city incorporated to gain the legal standing necessary to sell alcohol
, as liquor license
s were still forbidden in rural areas
.
For most of its history, Asbury was very small, much like hundreds of other towns in rural Iowa. In the 1960 census, Asbury still had only 71 residents. During this time, the City of Dubuque grew immensely, and the sprawl
reached the Asbury area beginning in the 1960s. By 1970, Asbury had 410 residents and had grown fast enough to become the fastest growing city in the state of Iowa.
Asbury continues to grow at a rapid pace today, expanding over 50% since the year 2000, and currently (2010) counts 4,170 residents. This number is certain to increase, as an ever-growing number of new subdivisions are being built or planned for the area.
form of government
, employing a full-time city administrator
, and part-time city council
(mayor
and 5 at-large
city council members). The city administrator is Beth Bonz, the current mayor is Jim Adams, and the council members are: Jaime Nedved, Andy Kindle, Kate Perrin, Bob Reisch, and Deb Roth. The city council meets at 7 P.M. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at Asbury City Hall.
The city council works on the advice of a number of citizen committees, including the following: Building Code Commission, Park & Recreation Board, Planning & Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the Water Board. In addition, Asbury sends commissioners to the Eastern Iowa Housing Authority.
Asbury has 3 city departments: Public Safety (police
& fire
), Public Works
, and Parks.
In the Iowa General Assembly
, Asbury is represented by Senator Tom Hancock
(D
-Epworth
) in the Iowa Senate
, and Representative Steven Lukan (R
-New Vienna
) in the Iowa House of Representatives
. At the federal level, it is within Iowa's 1st congressional district
, represented by Bruce Braley
(D-Waterloo
) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Asbury, and all of Iowa, are represented by U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley
(R) and Tom Harkin
(D).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), all of it land.
The city operates three parks and a pedestrian trail
. The parks include: Althaus Wetland & Nature Preserve, Asbury Park, and Maple Hills Park. The trail runs from Asbury Rd. to Maple Hills Park, and is part of Asbury's plan for having a city-wide trail network.
to work in Dubuque. Only a handful of businesses operate within the City of Asbury, however, this number has grown in recent years, along with an expanding population
. Most people who do work in Asbury either are employed by the city government, or in the service
-related businesses along Asbury and Saratoga Roads.
of 2000, there were 2,450 people, 846 households, and 728 families residing in the city. The population density
was 971.8 people per square mile (375.4/km²). There were 867 housing units at an average density of 343.9 per square mile (132.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.49% White, 0.49% African American, 0.37% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races
, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population.
There were 846 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.8% were married couples
living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 11.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $60,100, and the median income for a family was $64,097. Males had a median income of $41,935 versus $25,337 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,447. About 4.5% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
. Elementary school
students living in the central, eastern, and southern parts of Asbury are zoned to Carver Elementary School. Other students in northern, western, and southwestern Asbury (Arrowhead, Brook Haven, Forest Hills, Long Grove, Wedgewood) are zoned to Kennedy Elementary School. Asbury's middle school
students are zoned to Roosevelt Middle School, and high school
students are zoned to Hempstead High School
.
There are no private schools currently operating in Asbury, but many parochial school
students attend private schools in Dubuque, as they are open to anyone, regardless of location. Many of these students are enrolled in the Holy Family Catholic School System
, and attend nearby Resurrection Elementary School
, Mazzuchelli Middle School
, and Wahlert High School
. There is also a private elementary school serving the Lutheran community in the area, the Dubuque Lutheran School (LCMS
affiliated).
" is Asbury Road, and most of the neighborhoods branch off of this artery. The city is growing at a phenomenal clip, adding 544 new single-family homes since 2000.
Dubuque County, Iowa
Dubuque County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 93,653 in the 2010 census, an increase from 89,143 in the 2000 census. The county seat is the city of Dubuque. Dubuque County is coterminous with the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the seventh...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of the city of Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,450 at the 2000 census, but is now (2010) 4,170. Asbury is the second-largest city in Dubuque County, surpassing Dyersville, Iowa
Dyersville, Iowa
Dyersville is a city in eastern Delaware and western Dubuque Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,035 at the 2000 census and was estimated to be 4,167 in 2006....
to become the second-largest in the 2010 U.S. Census count. The city is largely a bedroom community
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
, made up of spacious, new subdivisions
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
whose residents work in Dubuque or Peosta, Iowa
Peosta, Iowa
Peosta is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and an exurb of the city of Dubuque. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,377 in the 2010 census, an increase of 111.5% from 651 in the 2000 census...
.
Asbury has experienced a 53.3% increase in population from 2000 to 2007, making it the state's 10th-fastest growing city (with 1,000 people or more) during that period.
History
Asbury was settled beginning in the 1830s, at first by MethodistsMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
. The city is named after British-born Bishop Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
, one of the first two bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The city was incorporated in 1933, following the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition...
, which ended prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
. The city incorporated to gain the legal standing necessary to sell alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, as liquor license
Liquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
s were still forbidden in rural areas
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
.
For most of its history, Asbury was very small, much like hundreds of other towns in rural Iowa. In the 1960 census, Asbury still had only 71 residents. During this time, the City of Dubuque grew immensely, and the sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
reached the Asbury area beginning in the 1960s. By 1970, Asbury had 410 residents and had grown fast enough to become the fastest growing city in the state of Iowa.
Asbury continues to grow at a rapid pace today, expanding over 50% since the year 2000, and currently (2010) counts 4,170 residents. This number is certain to increase, as an ever-growing number of new subdivisions are being built or planned for the area.
Law and government
Asbury has a mayor-councilMayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
form of government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, employing a full-time city administrator
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
, and part-time city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
(mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and 5 at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
city council members). The city administrator is Beth Bonz, the current mayor is Jim Adams, and the council members are: Jaime Nedved, Andy Kindle, Kate Perrin, Bob Reisch, and Deb Roth. The city council meets at 7 P.M. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at Asbury City Hall.
The city council works on the advice of a number of citizen committees, including the following: Building Code Commission, Park & Recreation Board, Planning & Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the Water Board. In addition, Asbury sends commissioners to the Eastern Iowa Housing Authority.
Asbury has 3 city departments: Public Safety (police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
& fire
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
), Public Works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
, and Parks.
In the Iowa General Assembly
Iowa General Assembly
The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively...
, Asbury is represented by Senator Tom Hancock
Tom Hancock
Tom Hancock is the Iowa State Senator from the 16th District. A Democrat, he has served in the Iowa Senate since 2005. He is retired from the United States Postal Service....
(D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-Epworth
Epworth, Iowa
Epworth is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,428 at the 2000 census, but is now estimated to be 1,589 ....
) in the Iowa Senate
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
, and Representative Steven Lukan (R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-New Vienna
New Vienna, Iowa
New Vienna is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 400 at the 2000 census. New Vienna is home to the Saint Boniface Catholic Church...
) in the Iowa House of Representatives
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency...
. At the federal level, it is within Iowa's 1st congressional district
Iowa's 1st congressional district
Iowa's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers the northeastern part of the state. The district includes Dubuque, Clinton, Davenport and Waterloo....
, represented by Bruce Braley
Bruce Braley
Bruce Braley is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district lies in northeastern Iowa and includes Davenport, Bettendorf, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Dubuque, and Clinton....
(D-Waterloo
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Asbury, and all of Iowa, are represented by U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley
Chuck Grassley
Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley is the senior United States Senator from Iowa . A member of Republican Party, he previously served in the served in the United States House of Representatives and the Iowa state legislature...
(R) and Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
(D).
Geography
Asbury is located at 42°30′56"N 90°45′48"W (42.515648, -90.763235).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), all of it land.
The city operates three parks and a pedestrian trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
. The parks include: Althaus Wetland & Nature Preserve, Asbury Park, and Maple Hills Park. The trail runs from Asbury Rd. to Maple Hills Park, and is part of Asbury's plan for having a city-wide trail network.
Economy
Serving primarily as a bedroom community, Asbury has only a small local economy. Most of its residents commuteCommuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
to work in Dubuque. Only a handful of businesses operate within the City of Asbury, however, this number has grown in recent years, along with an expanding population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
. Most people who do work in Asbury either are employed by the city government, or in the service
Tertiary sector of industry
The tertiary sector of the economy is one of the three economic sectors, the others being the secondary sector and the primary sector .The service sector consists of the "soft" parts of the economy, i.e...
-related businesses along Asbury and Saratoga Roads.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,450 people, 846 households, and 728 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 971.8 people per square mile (375.4/km²). There were 867 housing units at an average density of 343.9 per square mile (132.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.49% White, 0.49% African American, 0.37% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population.
There were 846 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 11.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $60,100, and the median income for a family was $64,097. Males had a median income of $41,935 versus $25,337 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $21,447. About 4.5% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
All students living in Asbury are zoned to schools in the Dubuque Community School DistrictDubuque Community School District
The Dubuque Community School District is a school district based in Dubuque, Iowa . The DCSD, which operates schools in eastern Dubuque County, is the seventh largest school district in Iowa...
. Elementary school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
students living in the central, eastern, and southern parts of Asbury are zoned to Carver Elementary School. Other students in northern, western, and southwestern Asbury (Arrowhead, Brook Haven, Forest Hills, Long Grove, Wedgewood) are zoned to Kennedy Elementary School. Asbury's middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
students are zoned to Roosevelt Middle School, and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students are zoned to Hempstead High School
Hempstead High School (Dubuque, Iowa)
Stephen Hempstead High School is a four-year public high school located in Dubuque, Iowa. It is one of three high schools in the Dubuque Community School District, and enrolls 1,824 students in grades 9-12. Hempstead is named in honor of Stephen P. Hempstead, the second governor of Iowa...
.
There are no private schools currently operating in Asbury, but many parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
students attend private schools in Dubuque, as they are open to anyone, regardless of location. Many of these students are enrolled in the Holy Family Catholic School System
Holy Family Catholic Schools
Holy Family Catholic Schools is a Roman Catholic school system based in Dubuque, Iowa . Holy Family, which operates schools in eastern Dubuque County, is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque...
, and attend nearby Resurrection Elementary School
Resurrection Catholic Church (Dubuque)
Church of the Resurrection is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The parish is located in Dubuque, Iowa, near the border between Dubuque and Asbury, Iowa.-History:...
, Mazzuchelli Middle School
Mazzuchelli Middle School
Mazzuchelli Middle School is a three-year Roman Catholic middle school located in Dubuque, Iowa. It is the only middle school in the Holy Family Catholic School system, and enrolls 417 students in grades 6-8. Mazzuchelli is named in honor of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP, a Catholic pioneer and...
, and Wahlert High School
Wahlert High School
Wahlert Catholic High School is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic high school in the city of Dubuque, Iowa. It is one of four high schools in Dubuque, the others being Central Alternative High School, Hempstead High School and Dubuque Senior High School. Wahlert is the central Catholic high...
. There is also a private elementary school serving the Lutheran community in the area, the Dubuque Lutheran School (LCMS
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
affiliated).
Neighborhoods
Asbury is a city of neighborhoods. Since the city is very young, and much of its growth has occurred only recently, its subdivisions are still clearly identifiable. Generally, eastern and southern parts of the city are older, while northern and western areas are of entirely new construction. Asbury's "main streetMain Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
" is Asbury Road, and most of the neighborhoods branch off of this artery. The city is growing at a phenomenal clip, adding 544 new single-family homes since 2000.