kids encyclopedia robot

Dyersville, Iowa facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Dyersville, Iowa
Basilica of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Basilica of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Location in Dubuque County and Iowa
Location in Dubuque County and Iowa
Country  United States
State  Iowa
Counties Dubuque, Delaware
Area
 • City 6.90 sq mi (17.86 km2)
 • Land 6.85 sq mi (17.74 km2)
 • Water 0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2)  0.18%
Elevation
951 ft (290 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 4,477
 • Density 653.77/sq mi (252.42/km2)
 • Metro
92,384
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
52040
Area code(s) 563
FIPS code 19-23115
GNIS feature ID 0456086
Website cityofdyersville.com
FI0003202
Western Dubuque High School marching band, Dyersville, Iowa

Dyersville is a city in eastern Delaware County and western Dubuque County in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,477 at the time of the 2020 census, up from 4,035 in 2000.

History

Dyersville was laid out in 1851. It was named for early landowner James Dyer (1820-1864). Dyer immigrated from Banwell, England and established a hotel, The Clarendon, in 1857. His sons, James Andrew Dyer with 6th Iowa Cavalry Regiment and Henry Andrew Dyer with 21st Iowa Infantry Regiment, served in the United States Civil War.

Field of Dreams

The 1989 movie Field of Dreams was filmed at a farm near Dyersville. The ballpark, now named for the movie, hosted the Major League Baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees (broadcast live as MLB at Field of Dreams) on August 12, 2021. It had been scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The park hosted the second game in the series, between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds on August 11, 2022.

Attractions

  • The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, one of the few minor Roman Catholic basilicas in the United States outside a large metropolitan area.
  • The Ertl Company as well as an outlet store.
  • The National Farm Toy Museum.
  • The Field of Dreams filming location.
FOD 2023
The entrance to the Field of Dreams Movie Site

Geography

Dyersville is located at 42°28′53″N 91°7′15″W / 42.48139°N 91.12083°W / 42.48139; -91.12083 (42.481316, -91.120967), along the North Fork of the Maquoketa River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.64 square miles (14.61 km2), of which 5.63 square miles (14.58 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.

Demographics

DyersvillePopulation
Population history of Dyersville, Iowa (1940-2006).
North Fork Maquoketa River
The North Fork of the Maquoketa River at Dyersville in 1996
Historical populations
Year Pop. ±%
1880 975 —    
1890 1,272 +30.5%
1900 1,323 +4.0%
1910 1,511 +14.2%
1920 1,933 +27.9%
1930 2,046 +5.8%
1940 2,138 +4.5%
1950 2,416 +13.0%
1960 2,818 +16.6%
1970 3,437 +22.0%
1980 3,825 +11.3%
1990 3,696 −3.4%
2000 4,035 +9.2%
2010 4,058 +0.6%
2020 4,477 +10.3%
Source: and Iowa Data Center
Source:
U.S. Decennial Census
DyersvilleIowaPopPlot
The population of Dyersville, Iowa from US census data

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 4,058 people, 1,700 households, and 1,102 families living in the city. The population density was 720.8 inhabitants per square mile (278.3/km2). There were 1,808 housing units at an average density of 321.1 per square mile (124.0/km2). The racial makup of the city was 97.6% White, 0.9% African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3%.

Of the 1,700 households 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.9% of households were one person and 14.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94.

The median age was 40.6 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 19.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Beckman Catholic High School - panoramio
Beckman Catholic High School

All public school students living in Dyersville are zoned to schools in the Western Dubuque Community School District. Elementary school students attend Dyersville Elementary School (in Dyersville) for grades K-5. Dyersville Elementary opened in 2011. As of 2020 it has about 292 students. Middle school students are zoned to Drexler Middle School (in Farley), and high school students are zoned to Western Dubuque High School in Epworth.

SFXBasilicaDyersvilleMay04
The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville.

Dyersville also has private schools. Parochial school students attend St. Francis Xavier Elementary School for grades PreK-6 (enrollment 420), then go to Beckman Catholic High School for grades 7-12 (enrollment 280), both of which are in Dyersville. These schools are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, and are a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque.

Public libraries

James Kennedy Public Library - panoramio
James Kennedy Public Library

The municipal public library is the James Kennedy Public Library. In 1956 the city council proposed a standalone library to replace the collection at city hall, and on September 11, 1959 it was dedicated. In 1970 a children's library area was placed in a former fire station. The current library was formally named after its benefactor on March 1, 2001 and broke ground on April 1, 2001.

Economy

Dyersville is a thriving farming city with a long history. It is nicknamed "The Farm Toy Capital of the World" because it hosts a farm toy show the first weekend in June and the National Farm Toy Show the first weekend in November. It is also the longtime home of the Ertl Company, a maker of die-cast farm toys. Multiple local businesses are based on this part of its economy.

Largest employers

The nine largest employers (by number of employees) in descending order, as of 2016.

  1. FarmTek - distributor of farm supplies and manufacturer of tension fabric buildings.
  2. Modernfold - operable and moveable walls and folding doors.
  3. Lumber Specialties - floor and roof trusses and wall panels.
  4. Dyersville Die-Cast - custom manufacturer of zinc and aluminum die-casting, CNC machining, powder coating and scale model toys.
  5. TOMY - branded toys, collectibles, hobby and infant products.
  6. Spireon - mobile resource management.
  7. BARD Materials - ready-mix concrete (e.g. lime, crushed rock, sand).
  8. Mercy Medical Center - acute hospital services, nursing, nursing home, assisted and independent living facilities, physical therapy.
  9. Beckman Catholic High School - grades 7-12.

Notable people

  • George Strock (Photographer)
  • Robert Osterhaus (Politician)
  • Rudolph Gerken (Roman Catholic Archbishop)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Dyersville (Iowa) para niños

kids search engine
Dyersville, Iowa Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.