Why visit Sheldon
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 15 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Carnegie Library and Sheldon Prairie Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 5°F, and about 41 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Sheldon
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sheldon
Sheldon is a city in O'Brien and Sioux counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, along the Floyd River. The population was 5,512 at the time of the 2020 census; it is the largest city in O'Brien County.
From the Wikipedia article Sheldon, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks9
Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic building in Sheldon, Iowa, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes15
3 more on the map.
History
Sheldon got its start in the year 1873, following construction of the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad through that territory. It was named for Israel Sheldon, a railroad promoter. It was a strategic location on the rail for businesses from as far away as Minneapolis and Omaha, after the addition of the intersection with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway in 1878.
The growth in infrastructure has continued. Today, the city lies at the crossroads of Iowa Highway 60 and U.S. Route 18. Eastbound and westbound rail service is provided by IC&E Railroad (since 2008 a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific Railway), while northbound and southbound service is provided by Union Pacific Railroad.
The city's first financial institution, the Sheldon State Bank, closed in 1903. In 1961, the city made headlines when it was revealed that Burnice Geiger had embezzled more than two million dollars from the Sheldon National Bank, operated by her father. She was sentenced to fifteen years in prison in the same year, but paroled in 1966.
From the History section of Sheldon, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship10
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare4
Map of Sheldon
69 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°F | 5°F | 0.9 in | 8.7 in |
| Feb | 30°F | 9°F | 1.0 in | 7.2 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 21°F | 1.9 in | 6.6 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 32°F | 3.2 in | 3.3 in |
| May | 69°F | 46°F | 4.0 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 57°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 60°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 58°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 48°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 35°F | 2.4 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 44°F | 22°F | 1.5 in | 4.7 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 11°F | 1.2 in | 9.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sheldon (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
O'Brien County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, 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)
- 2013-07-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Northwest Iowa Regional Airport (SPW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 32 miles away.
- Primghar 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Orange City 16 mi southwest, about 26 min by car
- Alton 16 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Rock Valley 23 mi west, about 36 min by car
- Rock Rapids 24 mi northwest, about 38 min by car
- Le Mars 32 mi southwest, about 52 min by car
- Lake Park 32 mi northeast, about 51 min by car
- Worthington 33 mi north, about 54 min by car
- Cherokee 33 mi southeast, about 53 min by car
- Spencer 35 mi east, about 56 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
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
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