Decorah is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Winneshiek County,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest community in Winneshiek County.

History

Decorah was the site of a Ho-Chunk village beginning ''circa'' 1840. Several Ho-Chunks had settled along the

Upper Iowa River The Upper Iowa River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 13, 2011 tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States. Its headwaters rise ...

that year when the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

forced them to remove from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. In 1848, the United States removed the Ho-Chunks again to a new reservation in Minnesota, opening their Iowa villages to white settlers. Waa-kaun-see-kaa

The first European-Americans to settle were the Day family from

Tazewell County, Virginia Tazewell County () is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,429. Its county seat is Tazewell. Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA Micropolitan S ...

. According to local Congregationalist minister Rev. Ephraim Adams, the Days arrived in June 1849 with the Ho-Chunks' "tents still standing—with the graves of the dead scattered about where now run our streets and stand our dwellings." Judge Eliphalet Price suggested that the Days name their new settlement ''Decorah'' after Ho-Chunk leader

Waukon Decorah Waukon Decorah (–1868), also known as Wakąhaga (Wau-kon-haw-kaw) or "Snake-Skin", was a prominent Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) warrior and orator during the Winnebago War of 1827 and the Black Hawk War of 1832. Although not a hereditary chief, he em ...

, who was a U.S. ally during the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...

of 1832.

During the 1850s and 1860s, Decorah grew quickly as settlers built dams and mills to harness water power at Dunning's Spring and other local streams. In 1851, the town became the county seat of Winneshiek County. Decorah also became the site of a U.S. Land Office from 1855 to 1856, making it a destination for immigrants seeking

land patent A land patent is a form of letters patent assigning official ownership of a particular tract of land that has gone through various legally-prescribed processes like surveying and documentation, followed by the letter's signing, sealing, and publi ...

s in northern Iowa. The Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad opened a branch to Decorah in 1869. Vesterheim2006

Decorah has become a center for

Norwegian-American Norwegian Americans ( nb, Norskamerikanere, nn, Norskamerikanarar) are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the ...

culture originating from a high number of Norwegian settlements beginning in the 1850s. Since 1861 it has been the home of Luther College, a liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Each July Decorah is also the host of

Nordic Fest Nordic Fest is a weekend festival held annually in Decorah, Iowa, () to commemorate the traditional customs and culture of Scandinavian countries, especially Norway. The event always occurs over the last weekend in July and often draws estimated c ...

, a celebration of Norwegian culture with ethnic dancing, food, and music. Decorah is also the home of the

Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, with over 33,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, and a library and archives. This treasure showcases one of the most extensive co ...

, the largest museum in the country devoted to one single immigrant group. Until 1972, one of the largest Norwegian language newspapers in the nation was published in Decorah, the ''

Decorah Posten ''Decorah-Posten'' was a notable Norwegian language newspaper published in Decorah, Iowa. It was founded in 1874 by Brynild Anundsen, a native of Skien, Norway, and widely read by Scandinavian immigrants in several states. History Its origin ...

''.

Geography

Decorah is located at (43.301795, -91.790218), approximately south of the

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

-Iowa border. It is the northernmost major community located along

U.S. Route 52 in Iowa U.S. Highway 52 (US 52) is a United States Numbered Highway in northeast Iowa. The route begins at the Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River between Sabula, Iowa, Sabula and Savanna, Illinois. From Sabula, it heads no ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The

flows through the city en route to the

Upper Mississippi River The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, at the confluence of its main tributary, the Missouri River. History In terms of geologic and hydrographic history, the Upper ...

. The river is faced by steep bluffs, characteristic of the

Driftless Area The Driftless Area, a topographical and cultural region in the American Midwest, comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois. Never covered by ice during the las ...

Impact crater

About 470 million years ago, a meteorite as big as a city block smashed into what is now Decorah, supporting a theory that a giant space rock broke up and bombarded Earth just as early life began flourishing in the oceans. The impact dug a crater nearly four miles wide that now lies beneath the town, said Bevan French, one of the world's foremost crater hunters and an adjunct scientist at the National Museum of Natural History. The Decorah crater lay undiscovered until recently because almost none of it is above ground. Instead, it is filled by an unusual shale that formed after an ancient seaway sluiced into the crater, depositing sediment and an array of bizarre sea creatures that hardened into fossils. One such creature is '' Pentecopterus decorahensis'', which was named for the city.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 7,587. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 3,210 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 1.8%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1.4%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.5% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.6%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. The 2020 census population of the city included 1,463 people in student housing. According to the American Community Survey estimates for 2016-2020, the median income for a household in the city was $55,920, and the median income for a family was $85,822. Male full-time workers had a median income of $49,643 versus $43,991 for female workers. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $27,154. About 4.5% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 96.9% were high school graduates or higher and 43.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 8,127 people, 2,855 households, and 1,527 families living in the city. The

was . There were 3,121 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.6%

, 1.5%

, 2.2%

, 0.6% from

, and 1.0% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 2,855 households, of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.5% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age in the city was 29.6 years. 14.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 32.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.3% were from 25 to 44; 19.5% were from 45 to 64; and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 8,172 people, 2,819 households, and 1,561 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,968 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.99%

, 1.13%

, 0.10% Native American, 1.60%

, 0.01%

, 0.42% from

, and 0.76% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.30% of the population. 34.0% were of

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, 30.3%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 5.4%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and 5.2%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry according to

Census 2000 The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

. There were 2,819 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.80. In the city the population was spread out, with 15.0% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 17.8% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.5 males.

Economy

2009-0528-MN-IA13-Decorah-WinneshiekCourthouse

Decorah serves as the

of Winneshiek County, which is a major employer. The county courthouse was built in 1903. Decorah's largest employer is Luther College, in addition to several national corporations. Because Winneshiek County's economy is primarily based on farming, Decorah serves as an agricultural hub. Decorah is also home to

Seed Savers Exchange Seed Savers Exchange, or SSE, is a non-profit organization based near Decorah, Iowa, that preserves heirloom plant varieties through regeneration, distribution and seed exchange. It is one of the largest nongovernmental seedbanks in the United Stat ...

, an

heirloom plant An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, heritage fruit (Australia and New Zealand), or heirloom vegetable (especially in Ireland and the UK) is an old cultivar of a plant used for food that is grown and maintained by gardeners and farmers, particular ...

farm and preservation organization.

Parks and recreation

Each July Decorah is the home of

, a celebration of Norwegian culture. Decorah is also the home of the

. This museum is the largest Norwegian museum in the United States. Natural features include Dunning's Spring,

Ice Cave An ice cave is any type of natural cave (most commonly lava tubes or limestone caves) that contains significant amounts of perennial (year-round) ice. At least a portion of the cave must have a temperature below 0 °C (32 °F) all ...

, and Siewers Spring. The city is home to several parks built on bluffs, particularly Phelps Park, Palisades Park, and Pulpit Rock. Until 2003, Decorah had a community ski area, the Nor-Ski Runs Ski Area. Decorah is home to an operating trout hatchery as well as Twin Springs Park, the former home of the hatchery.

The ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

br> Raptor Resource Center
is located in Decorah. Each year they host
livestreamed webcam
of a family of nesting bald eagles as they rear their young.

Education

Decorah is part of the

Decorah Community School District The Decorah Community School District is a rural public school district located in Decorah, Iowa, United States. The district is almost entirely in Winneshiek County, with a small portion in Allamakee County. In addition to Decorah, the censu ...

in Winneshiek County. The high school is

Decorah High School Decorah High School is a state school, public high school located in Decorah, Iowa. The school colors are red and royal blue, and the mascot is the Vikings. It is a part of the Decorah Community School District. In addition to Decorah, the cens ...

, and the mascot is the Vikings. St. Benedict School of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque The Archdiocese of Dubuque ( la, Archidiœcesis Dubuquensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counti ...

is in Decorah. It opened in 1885 in a two-story, four-room frame building. The school, with five nuns as teachers, was initially until high school but in 1919 became an elementary-middle school only. The convent, which had a second-floor bridge to the original school building, was renovated to be the second school building. In 1964 the current school was built for $268,000 in southern Decorah. A new addition was established in the 1980s, with a music room, a storage and teaching aid area, and two classrooms. Decorah is also home to Luther College, a private four-year residential college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and known especially for their Nordic Choir. Their mascot is "The Norse."

Media

Newspaper: The community newspaper is printed twice a week in Decorah - ''The Driftless Journal'' and ''Decorah Public Opinion''. Newspaper office location: 110 Washington Street, Decorah, IA 52101. Web: The local independent news web site is Decorah News.

Radio

2009-0528-MN-IA16-Decorah-MilwaukeeRoadDepot

* KLNI 88.7 (

Minnesota Public Radio Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, YourClassical MPR and The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest. MPR ha ...

News) * KPVL 89.1 (Studios in both Postville and Decorah) * KLCD 89.5 (Classical

) * K247BF-LP 97.3 (Translator for KWVI) * K257CI-LP 99.3 (Translator for

KQYB KQYB (98.3 FM broadcasting, FM, “KQ98”) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Spring Grove, Minnesota, United States, the station serves La Crosse. The station is currently owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting. ...

-FM) *

KDHK KDHK (100.5 FM) is a mainstream rock radio station in Decorah, Iowa Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the interse ...

100.5 "Hawk Rawk" * K268AF-LP 101.5 (Translator for KFSI) *

KVIK KVIK (104.7 FM) is a radio station licensed to serve Decorah, the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa. The station is owned by Wennes Communications Stations, Inc. KVIK broadcasts a classic hits music format to northeast Iowa. On weekends ...

104.7 "The Viking" * KDEC 1240 *

KWLC KWLC (1240 AM) is a college radio station. The station's programming consists primarily of music, but also includes sports, religious services, and educational content. In September 2015, KWLC added a Sunday afternoon news program. Licensed ...

1240 ( Luther College) Other nearby stations include: * KCZQ 102.3 ( Cresco, IA) *

KOEL The true koels, ''Eudynamys'', are a genus of cuckoos from Asia, Australia and the Pacific. They are large sexually dimorphic cuckoos that eat fruits and insects and have loud distinctive calls. They are brood parasites, laying their eggs in ...

950 ( Oelwein, IA) *

KOEL-FM KOEL-FM (92.3 FM, "K92.3") is a radio station serving Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and the surrounding area known as the Cedar Valley with a country music format. The station is owned by Townsquare Media. History Before the 92.3 frequency was ac ...

92.3 (

Oelwein Oelwein is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,920 at the time of the 2020 census, a decrease of 11.5% from the 2000 census. The largest community in Fayette County, it is located at the junction of State Highways ...

- Waterloo, IA) *

WIZM-FM WIZM-FM (93.3 MHz) is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40/ CHR format. Licensed to La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States, the station serves the La Crosse area. The station is currently owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting. WIZM-FM is the Loc ...

93.3 (

La Crosse, WI La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census wa ...

) *

98.3 ( Spring Grove, MN-

) * KNEI 103.5 ( Waukon, IA) *

KROC-FM KROC-FM (106.9 MHz) is a commercial radio station serving Rochester, Minnesota. The station's transmitter is located near the Minnesota-Iowa border. The station is owned by Townsquare Media. It airs a Top 40 (CHR) music format. History The s ...

106.9 (

Rochester, MN Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Accor ...

)

Notable people

Josey Jewell Josey Jewell (born December 25, 1994) is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa. Early years Jewell attended Decorah High School in Decorah, Iowa, wher ...

, NFL linebacker,

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

Raef LaFrentz Raef Andrew LaFrentz (born May 29, 1976) is an American former professional basketball power forward and center who played for the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Associati ...

, NBA power forward *

Ephraim Douglass Adams Ephraim Douglass Adams (December 18, 1865 in Decorah, Iowa – September 1, 1930 in Stanford, California) was an American educator and historian, regarded as an expert on the American Civil War and British-American relations. He was known as a gr ...

, Stanford historian *

Theodora Cormontan Theodora Cormontan (9 June 184026 October 1922) was a Norwegian American pianist, music publisher and composer, one of the first Norwegian women to have her classical compositions published and widely performed, and the first woman to start a mus ...

, Norwegian-American pianist *

William Foege William Herbert Foege (; ''-ghee''; born March 12, 1936) is an American physician and epidemiologist who is credited with "devising the global strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox in the late 1970s". From May 1977 to 1983, Foege serve ...

, epidemiologist * Edward L. Garden,

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

politician *

Georgann Johnson Georgann Johnson (born Georgia Anne Johnson, August 15, 1926 – June 4, 2018) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She was also known as Georgiann Johnson and Georgianne Johnson. Early years Johnson was born in Decorah, Iow ...

, actress *

John Brayshaw Kaye John Brayshaw Kaye (June 10, 1841 – March 29, 1909) was an English-born American poet, lawyer and politician. Life and works John Brayshaw Kaye was born in Yorkshire, England, June 10, 1841, the fifth child and the fourth son of Abram and M ...

, poet and politician * Hanna Astrup Larsen (1873–1945), writer and editor * Weston Noble, music educator *

Mark Pinter Mark Pinter (born March 7, 1950) is an American actor best known for his numerous roles in daytime soap operas. Early life and education Pinter was born in Decorah, Iowa. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre arts from Iowa State Univers ...

, actor *

Jerry Reichow Garet Neal Reichow (born May 19, 1934) is a former professional American football player. A , 220 lb tight end from the University of Iowa, Reichow was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 1956 NFL Draft. He was one of ...

, nine-year NFL veteran, offensive end for 1957 champion Detroit Lions * Dean Schwarz, American Potter and Painter *

Oswald Veblen Oswald Veblen (June 24, 1880 – August 10, 1960) was an American mathematician, geometer and topologist, whose work found application in atomic physics and the theory of relativity. He proved the Jordan curve theorem in 1905; while this was lon ...

, mathematician, geometer and topologist * Johannes B. Wist, journalist *

Harley Refsal Harley Refsal is an internationally recognized figure carver, specializing in Scandinavian flat-plane style of woodcarving. Background Carver was born and raised on a farm near Hoffman, Minnesota, which was homesteaded by his Norwegian-immigrant gr ...

, woodcarver

Notes

References

External links

City website

Decorah Newspapers

Decorah Community Schools

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Decorah, Iowa
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Winneshiek County, Iowa Populated places established in 1849 County seats in Iowa Driftless Area 1849 establishments in Iowa Norwegian-American culture in Iowa