Sabula, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sabula, Iowa
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Sabula, Iowa from the Mississippi River
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Location of Sabula, Iowa
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Jackson |
| Incorporated | September 1864 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.46 sq mi (3.77 km2) |
| • Land | 0.49 sq mi (1.28 km2) |
| • Water | 0.96 sq mi (2.49 km2) |
| Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 506 |
| • Density | 1,024.29/sq mi (395.21/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
52070
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| Area code(s) | 563 |
| FIPS code | 19-69510 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0460877 |
Sabula is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 506 at the 2020 census. Sabula is the site of Iowa's only island city. The island has a beach and a campground, as well as a harbor with boat docks and storage sheds to store boats during the winter. Sabula is the northern terminus of U.S. Route 67, a 1,560 mile (2,511 km) long north–south highway in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States–Mexico border in Presidio, Texas.
History
Sabula was established in 1835 when, according to legend, Isaac Dorman crossed the river from the Illinois side on a log and decided to settle on the present site of Sabula. Sabula is a name of French origin meaning "sand"; this refers to the sandy soil of the area.
In the late 19th century the principal industries in the community included a large "pearl button" factory—which produced buttons from clam shells harvested from large clam beds located in the river adjacent to the shoreline. (The factory is no longer there.) The thriving community also supported a large hog slaughtering industry.
The community did not actually become an island until the lock and dam system was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers on the upper Mississippi in the 1930s. The construction of Lock and Dam No. 13 between Clinton, Iowa and Fulton, Illinois in 1939 left the lowlands west of the townsite permanently flooded, creating the "Island City," as the town is now known.
Geography
Sabula is located at 42°4′4″N 90°10′27″W / 42.06778°N 90.17417°W (42.067866, −90.174270).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.26 square miles (3.26 km2), of which 0.40 square miles (1.04 km2) is land and 0.86 square miles (2.23 km2) is water.
Sabula is connected to Iowa via a roadway that runs between two lakes and with Savanna, Illinois, by another roadway that leads to a bridge that crosses the Mississippi River.
Demographics
| Historical populations | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1850 | 168 | — |
| 1860 | 406 | +141.7% |
| 1870 | 920 | +126.6% |
| 1880 | 1,223 | +32.9% |
| 1890 | 918 | −24.9% |
| 1900 | 1,029 | +12.1% |
| 1910 | 918 | −10.8% |
| 1920 | 865 | −5.8% |
| 1930 | 759 | −12.3% |
| 1940 | 771 | +1.6% |
| 1950 | 888 | +15.2% |
| 1960 | 894 | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 845 | −5.5% |
| 1980 | 824 | −2.5% |
| 1990 | 710 | −13.8% |
| 2000 | 670 | −5.6% |
| 2010 | 576 | −14.0% |
| 2020 | 506 | −12.2% |
| Source: and Iowa Data Center Source: |
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2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 576 people, 270 households, and 157 families living in the city. The population density was 1,440.0 inhabitants per square mile (556.0/km2). There were 321 housing units at an average density of 802.5 per square mile (309.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 99.1% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.
There were 270 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.9% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% 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 2.81.
The median age in the city was 45 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 29.6% were from 45 to 64; and 20.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.
Education
Sabula is a part of the Easton Valley Community School District, formed in 2013 by the merger of the East Central Community School District and the Preston Community School District. East Central formed in 1974 by the merger of the Sabula Community School District and the Miles Community School District. At one point the former East Central district entered into a grade-sharing relationship with the Northeast Community School District, in that East Central residents attended Northeast secondary schools.
Sabula previously had a school in the community, and it first met in a settler's home in 1838. New campuses were built in 1856 and then in 1883. By circa 2012 the leadership of what would be the Easton Valley district was seeking to close the Sabula school due to potential future upkeep costs and because of how old it was. The Sabula school remained vacant until 2015, when the Easton Valley board voted unanimously in favor of demolishing it. The school district and the city government both agreed to demolition after considering other options and uses.
Religion
Sabula is served by three churches: Sabula United Methodist church (dating to 1839), St. Peter's Catholic Church (dating to the 1840s), Calvary Lutheran Church (built in 1944).
See also
In Spanish: Sabula (Iowa) para niños
