Atlantic, Iowa
Atlantic is a city of 6,763 people in Cass County, Iowa, founded in October 1868.
Why visit Atlantic
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 8 places to eat and 3 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Atlantic High School, American Legion Memorial Building, Atlantic Golf & Country Club and Nishna Hills Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 10°F, and about 27 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Atlantic
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Atlantic
Atlantic is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Iowa, United States, located along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 6,792 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 7,257 population in 2000.
From the Wikipedia article Atlantic, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks10
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Atlantic High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
School building in Atlantic, Iowa
1201 E 14Th St, Atlantic
American Legion Memorial Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Cass County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Courthouse in Atlantic, Iowa
Charles F. and Ruth Chase House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic residence located in Atlantic, Iowa, United States
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Former train station in Atlantic, Iowa
Hotel Whitney
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Job A. and Rebecca E. McWaid House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic residence located in Atlantic, Iowa, United States
S.F. Martin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
House in Atlantic, Iowa
William Anzi Nichols House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes8
Pizza Ranch
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.8 mi
1512 East 7th Street, Atlantic
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 1.6 mi
1309 East 7 Street, Atlantic
Mo-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-22:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 1.9 mi
1705 East 7th Street, Atlantic
Mo-Fr 07:00-22:00; Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 09:00-22:00
Where to stay3
Americas Best Value Inn & Suites Atlantic
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
1902 East 7th Street, Atlantic
History
Atlantic was founded in October 1868 by Franklin H. Whitney, B.F. Allen, John P. Cook, and others. While historians cannot agree on how Atlantic got its name, local legend tells that the founding fathers estimated that the town was about halfway between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, so it led them to flip a coin and, clearly, Atlantic won. The nearby Rock Island Railroad was important in deciding the actual location of the town, and to this day, the old depot, built in 1898, sits at the north end of Chestnut Street. Today, the depot serves as the offices of the Chamber of Commerce.
A log cabin stands in Atlantic City Park with a historical plaque bearing the following inscription:
This 14 by 18 foot log cabin was built by John Gingery in 1863 in what was called Five Mile Grove located two miles northeast of Atlantic. John left Stark County where he had been raised and has become a school teacher. He was twenty-six years old and arrived just as Cass County was being organized. He was hired by Cass County to do their clerical work in organizing the county.
John Gingery married Mary Hyatt of Audubon County, Iowa on April 28, 1866. Ten children were born to them and all were born in this log house except the tenth and youngest child. This cabin may also have been used as the first school house in Pymosa Township until 1868 when a separate school building was erected.
From the History section of Atlantic, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship22
Atlantic Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.4 mi
2407 East 7th Street, Atlantic
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare1
Map of Atlantic
64 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 10°F | 0.9 in | 5.1 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 14°F | 1.1 in | 7.9 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 25°F | 1.9 in | 3.4 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 36°F | 3.8 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 73°F | 49°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 60°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 61°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 51°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 38°F | 2.9 in | 0.7 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 25°F | 1.6 in | 2.0 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 15°F | 1.5 in | 7.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Atlantic 1 Ne (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cass County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2022-02-23: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2010-03-02: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Storm)
- 2010-02-25: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Atlantic Municipal Airport (AIO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Avoca 17 mi west, about 28 min by car
- Oakland 20 mi west, about 33 min by car
- Corning 31 mi southeast, about 50 min by car
- Neola 31 mi west, about 50 min by car
- Treynor 32 mi west, about 52 min by car
- Manning 36 mi north, about 58 min by car
- Stuart 37 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Coon Rapids 38 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Council Bluffs 44 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Omaha 54 mi west, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Atlantic-RI-Depot, Rabbit.Runner, Public domain
- Chase Atlantic IA, Smallbones, CC0
- Greetings from Atlantic, Iowa - Large Letter Postcard (9604116137), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- American Legion Atlantic IA, Smallbones, CC0
- Atlantic IA Rock Island Station, Smallbones, CC0
- SF Martin Atlantic IA, Smallbones, CC0
- Atlantic, Iowa 7.26.07 (910820386), John Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Atlantic, Iowa 7.26.07 (910833894), John Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Atlantic, Iowa 7.26.07 (909996121), John Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Atlantic, Iowa 7.26.07 (909996857), John Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Atlantic, Iowa 7.26.07 (910825920), John Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 702 4th Atlantic IA, Smallbones, CC0
- Old Atlantic IA High School, Smallbones, CC0
- Cass Co IA Court House, Smallbones, CC0
- Hotel Whitney, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS053-E-223320 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS017-E-19085 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-15285 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS045-E-47703 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- BOSS Railcar Movers, Jjbarretts2, CC BY-SA 4.0
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