Mount Vernon, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Mount Vernon is a city in Linn County
, Iowa
, United States
, adjacent to the city of Lisbon
. The city's population was 3,390 when the 2000 census figures were released, but that number was later revised to 3,808 because the Census Bureau had incorrectly reported that 418 residents of a Cornell College
dormitory in Mount Vernon lived in the nearby city of Bertram
. A special census taken by the city in 2004 counted 4,171 residents.
Mount Vernon is part of the Cedar Rapids
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), of which, 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) of it is land and 0.29% is water.
The central geographic feature of Mount Vernon is the "mountain" on which it sits. This "mountain" is actually a paha
, a ridge formed of sand
and loess
along the line of the prevailing wind during the ice ages. The Mount Vernon paha is roughly one mile (2 km) long and 1/4 mile (1/2 km) wide, aligned along a roughly northwest to southeast axis and standing up to 100 feet (30 m) above the surrounding landscape. Uptown Mount Vernon is aligned with the southeast end of the ridge crest, while the campus of Cornell College
crowns the northwest end of the ridge.
passes through the city, and the town is located on the historic Lincoln Highway
. U.S. Route 30
and Iowa Highway 1 intersect in the southern part of town. Passenger train service was once provided by the Chicago and North Western Railway
from a station in the north of town. The CRANDIC interurban electric railway ran from Cedar Rapids, through downtown Mount Vernon, and ended in nearby Lisbon. The interurban ran from 1914 to 1928 and took 45 minutes to travel to the western terminus of Cedar Rapids. Nearby stops included Bertram, the Palisades and Cornell College
.
of 2000, there were 3,390 people, 1,129 households, and 795 families residing in the city. The population density
was 973.0 people per square mile (376.1/km²). There were 1,192 housing units at an average density of 342.1 per square mile (132.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.05% White, 0.65% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.
There were 1,129 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples
living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.
The population spread: 25.6% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,228, and the median income for a family was $59,205. Males had a median income of $39,402 versus $27,358 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,027. About 4.1% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
, a liberal arts institution with an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students. Cornell's entire campus is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Mount Vernon has a Middle School, High School, and Elementary School. A new high school was built in 2006. The middle school moved to the old High School.
In the United States general elections, 2006
, Cornell political science professor David Loebsack
was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in an upset victory over 15-term incumbent Jim Leach
.
Linn County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 211,226 in the county, with a population density of . There were 92,251 housing units, of which 86,134 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, 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...
, adjacent to the city of Lisbon
Lisbon, Iowa
Lisbon is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, adjacent to the city of Mount Vernon. The population was 2,152 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lisbon is located at ....
. The city's population was 3,390 when the 2000 census figures were released, but that number was later revised to 3,808 because the Census Bureau had incorrectly reported that 418 residents of a Cornell College
Cornell College
Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Originally called the Iowa Conference Seminary, the school was founded in 1853 by Reverend Samuel M. Fellows...
dormitory in Mount Vernon lived in the nearby city of Bertram
Bertram, Iowa
Bertram is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 681 at the 2000 census, although the official population was later revised to 263 when officials discovered that 418 students living in a Cornell College dormitory in nearby Mount Vernon had incorrectly been reported as...
. A special census taken by the city in 2004 counted 4,171 residents.
Mount Vernon is part of the Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Cedar Rapids metropolitan area
The Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Iowa, anchored by the city of Cedar Rapids...
.
Geography
Mount Vernon is located at 41°55′27"N 91°25′11"W (41.924096, -91.419679).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 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), of which, 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) of it is land and 0.29% is water.
The central geographic feature of Mount Vernon is the "mountain" on which it sits. This "mountain" is actually a paha
Paha (landform)
A Paha is a hill or ridge, typically formed of sand and capped with loess. The word paha means hill in Dakota Sioux. The most well known Paha is the paha around which the town of Mount Vernon, Iowa developed.- Origin :...
, a ridge formed of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
and loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
along the line of the prevailing wind during the ice ages. The Mount Vernon paha is roughly one mile (2 km) long and 1/4 mile (1/2 km) wide, aligned along a roughly northwest to southeast axis and standing up to 100 feet (30 m) above the surrounding landscape. Uptown Mount Vernon is aligned with the southeast end of the ridge crest, while the campus of Cornell College
Cornell College
Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Originally called the Iowa Conference Seminary, the school was founded in 1853 by Reverend Samuel M. Fellows...
crowns the northwest end of the ridge.
Transportation
The town is located on significant transportation corridors, both current and historical. The main line of the Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
passes through the city, and the town is located on the historic Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
. U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
and Iowa Highway 1 intersect in the southern part of town. Passenger train service was once provided by the Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
from a station in the north of town. The CRANDIC interurban electric railway ran from Cedar Rapids, through downtown Mount Vernon, and ended in nearby Lisbon. The interurban ran from 1914 to 1928 and took 45 minutes to travel to the western terminus of Cedar Rapids. Nearby stops included Bertram, the Palisades and Cornell College
Cornell College
Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Originally called the Iowa Conference Seminary, the school was founded in 1853 by Reverend Samuel M. Fellows...
.
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 3,390 people, 1,129 households, and 795 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 973.0 people per square mile (376.1/km²). There were 1,192 housing units at an average density of 342.1 per square mile (132.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.05% White, 0.65% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.41% 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 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.
There were 1,129 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% 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, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.
The population spread: 25.6% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,228, and the median income for a family was $59,205. Males had a median income of $39,402 versus $27,358 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 $19,027. About 4.1% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Located on Highway 30, is a local artist's rendition of Grant Wood's American Gothic, on the side of a barn.Annual events
A sidewalk-chalk festival takes place each May. People from all over are encouraged to perform their own artwork on more than 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) of the main street.Popular culture
In the October 2009 edition of Budget Travel Magazine in an article entitled America's Coolest Small Towns Mount Vernon was included as one of the ten selected. A quote from the magazine. "Every now and then, you stumble upon a town that's gotten everything right—great coffee, food with character, shop owners with purpose."Education
Mount Vernon is the home of Cornell CollegeCornell College
Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Originally called the Iowa Conference Seminary, the school was founded in 1853 by Reverend Samuel M. Fellows...
, a liberal arts institution with an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students. Cornell's entire campus is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Mount Vernon has a Middle School, High School, and Elementary School. A new high school was built in 2006. The middle school moved to the old High School.
In the United States general elections, 2006
United States general elections, 2006
The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. All United States House of Representatives seats and one third of the United States Senate seats were contested in this election, as well as 36 state governorships, many state legislatures, four territorial...
, Cornell political science professor David Loebsack
David Loebsack
David Wayne "Dave" Loebsack is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located in southeastern Iowa and includes Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Ottumwa...
was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in an upset victory over 15-term incumbent Jim Leach
Jim Leach
James Albert Smith "Jim" Leach is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa. In August 2009, he became Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities ....
.
External links
- Mount Venon Schools
- Early History, Growth And Development Of Mount Vernon
- City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Mount Vernon