Charles City, Iowa
Charles City is a city of 7,232 people in Floyd County, Iowa, founded in 1851.
Why visit Charles City
Townapedia lists 15 museums and landmarks, 29 parks and trails, 7 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Charles Theatre, A. B. C. Dodd House, Alvin Miller House and Wildwood Park Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 9°F, and about 38 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Charles City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Charles City
Charles City is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,396 at the 2020 census. Charles City is a significant commercial, industrial, and transportation center for the area. U.S.
From the Wikipedia article Charles City, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Charles Theatre
Cinema and theater · 0.6 mi
405 North Main Street, Charles City
Th-Su 18:15-21:30; Mo-We,PH off
Museums and landmarks15
A. B. C. Dodd House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Single-family detached home in Charles City, Iowa
Alvin Miller House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Charles City, Iowa
Central Park-North Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic district in Charles City, Iowa
Charles City Junior-Senior High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
School building in Charles City, Iowa
Charles Henry Parr House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Charles Walter Hart House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Cook Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Dr. Salsbury's Laboratories, Main Office and Production Laboratory Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Floyd County Court House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
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Lucius and Maria Clinton Lane House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Main Street Bridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
Sherman Nursery Company Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Building in Iowa, United States
3 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds29
Wildwood Park Historic District
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Wildwood Golf Course
Golf course · 1.1 mi
1 Wildwood Road, Charles City
17 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes7
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.4 mi
1003 Blunt Parkway, Charles City
Su-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 10:00-23:00
The Pub on the Cedar
Bar and pub · 0.6 mi
101 North Jackson Street, Charles City
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.5 mi
106 South Main Street, Charles City
Mo-Th,Sa-Su 09:00-21:00; Fr 09:00-18:00
History
The Ho-Chunk people, also known as Winnebago, had long occupied this area and had a village along the Cedar River.
In 1851 Joseph Kelly, the first-known European-American settler in the area, came here after the Ho-Chunk had been pushed out. He believed that the site was ideal for a town, as it had water from the Cedar River and adjacent timberland to supply building needs. The settlement was first called "Charlestown" after his son. By 1852, twenty-five other settler families had joined Kelly. The town name was changed, first to "St. Charles" and then to "Charles City," to avoid duplication of other Iowa town names.
Charles City became the county seat after Floyd County was established in 1851 and officially organized in 1854. Floyd County was named for Sergeant Charles Floyd, a member of the 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition.
From the History section of Charles City, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship20
Saint John Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.5 mi
200 South Main Street, Charles City
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare3
Map of Charles City
88 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°F | 9°F | 1.0 in | 9.5 in |
| Feb | 30°F | 13°F | 1.1 in | 9.3 in |
| Mar | 43°F | 25°F | 1.9 in | 5.4 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 37°F | 3.7 in | 2.1 in |
| May | 70°F | 48°F | 5.1 in | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 59°F | 6.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 62°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 51°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 39°F | 2.6 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 44°F | 26°F | 1.7 in | 2.8 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 15°F | 1.4 in | 8.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Charles City Hcn (0 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
Floyd County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 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)
- 2018-08-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Northeast Iowa Regional Airport (CCY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Nashua 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Greene 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Shell Rock 24 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Waverly 26 mi southeast, about 41 min by car
- Mason City 27 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Tripoli 27 mi southeast, about 44 min by car
- Parkersburg 34 mi south, about 55 min by car
- Cedar Falls 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Waterloo 43 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Austin 45 mi north, about 1 h 15 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
- Golf Club House at Wildwood Park Historic District (CharlesCity, Iowa), Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1960 Charles City, Iowa Soap Box Derby class B Champ Rick Justus, Bill Wrigley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles City Downtown and Main Street Bridge (cropped), Gcardinal101, CC BY 4.0
- Charles City Downtown and Main Street Bridge, Gcardinal101, CC BY 4.0
- Main Street Bridge (Charles City, Iowa), Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Main Street Bridge (Charles City, Iowa) (cropped), Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles City, IA Suspension Bridge, Gcardinal101, CC0
- ABCDodd, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- Lucius and Maria Clinton Lane House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CourthouseFloydCountyIowa, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- Floyd County, Iowa Museum Building pic2, RifeIdeas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CharlesParrHouse, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- AlvinMiller4, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- PXL 20240103 184835914.MP, Tex downey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PXL 20240103 184040270.MP, Tex downey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PXL 20240103 183617766.MP, Tex downey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PXL 20240103 184840912.MP, Tex downey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PXL 20240103 184853146.MP, Tex downey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PXL 20240103 184123660.MP, Tex downey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MainStreetCharlesCity, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- AromasCharlesCity, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- MainStreetCharlesCity (cropped), Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- FloydIACourthouse, Gcardinal101, CC BY 4.0
- Charles Walter Hart House back, Margofarnsworth, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles Walter Hart House front, Margofarnsworth, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CharlesCityBridge, Gcardinal101, CC BY 4.0
- ShermanNurserySummer, Gcardinal101, CC0
- ShermanNurserySummer (cropped), Gcardinal101, CC0
- Sherman Nursery Company Historic District, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pianist and Composer, Harrison Sheckler, Classicarchives1996, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Iowa snowstorm of Dec. 25, 2009 - 2, simplenation, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Iowa snowstorm of Dec. 25, 2009 - 3, simplenation, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Iowa snowstorm of Dec. 25, 2009 - 1, simplenation, CC BY-SA 2.0
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