Spirit Lake, Iowa
Spirit Lake is a city of 5,518 people in Dickinson County, Iowa, founded in 1856.
Why visit Spirit Lake
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 22 parks and trails, 29 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Arnolds Park, Great Lakes Cinema 7, Antlers Hotel and Dickinson County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 7°F, and about 42 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Spirit Lake
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County.
From the Wikipedia article Spirit Lake, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks8
Antlers Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Hotel in Iowa, United States
Dickinson County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Courthouse in Iowa, United States
Old Spirit Lake Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Building in the United States of America
Pillsbury Point State Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
State park in Dickinson County, Iowa
Templar State Recreation Area
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
State recreation area in Iowa, United States
Higgins Museum of National Bank Notes
Museum · 2.9 mi
Currency museum in Iowa, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds22
Marble Beach State Recreation Area
Park · 3.6 mi
Park in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States of America
10 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes29
Burger & Company
Restaurant · Burger, Sandwich · 0.5 mi
1603 Hill Avenue, Spirit Lake
Mo-Sa 11:00-20:00; Su 11:00-15:00
Hibachi 88
Restaurant · Chinese, Sushi · 0.5 mi
1821 18th Street, Spirit Lake
Javi's Grill
Restaurant · Grill · 0.4 mi
914 Lake Street, Spirit Lake
Sportsman's Pub
Bar and pub · 0.5 mi
1609 Hill Avenue, Spirit Lake
Mo-Su 10:00-02:00
Toast on Hill
Restaurant · Breakfast, American · 0.5 mi
1604 Hill Avenue, Spirit Lake
17 more on the map.
History
The Dakota Sioux originated the name of "Spirit Lake" referring to it as "The Lake of The Spirit." In 1856, three brothers-in-law created the town of Spirit Lake after a visit to the Lakes area piqued their interest. The three brothers-in-law, O.C. Howe, B.F. Parmenter, and R.U. Wheelock, were soon joined by various other settlers, making homes along the lakes' shores. These settlers however, did not get along peacefully with the natives, and on March 13, 1857 Chief Inkpaduta of the Sioux led a revolt against the non-native settlers, killing all but four women.
From the History section of Spirit Lake, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship17
Shopping10
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare3
Map of Spirit Lake
110 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°F | 7°F | 0.6 in | 9.5 in |
| Feb | 28°F | 11°F | 0.6 in | 8.2 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 23°F | 1.4 in | 6.0 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 35°F | 3.0 in | 5.1 in |
| May | 68°F | 48°F | 4.1 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 59°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 63°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 60°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 52°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 39°F | 2.1 in | 0.4 in |
| Nov | 42°F | 25°F | 1.4 in | 4.2 in |
| Dec | 29°F | 13°F | 0.8 in | 8.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Spirit Lake (1 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
Dickinson County has had 12 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)
- 2014-07-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Spirit Lake Municipal Airport (RTL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Milford 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Lake Park 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Estherville 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Jackson 15 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Spencer 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Worthington 28 mi northwest, about 46 min by car
- Emmetsburg 30 mi southeast, about 49 min by car
- Windom 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
- Sibley 32 mi west, about 51 min by car
- Fairmont 36 mi northeast, about 58 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
- 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
- Spirit Lake, Iowa, Skywayman at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Dickinson County IA Courthouse, Scott Romine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Spirit Lake Carnegie Library, TheCatalyst31, CC0
- Antlers Hotel, Spirit Lake, IA, TheCatalyst31, CC0
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