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Storm Lake, Iowa
Storm Lake is a city of 11,428 people in Buena Vista County, Iowa, founded in 1873.
Why visit Storm Lake
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 28 parks and trails, 14 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Vista 3 Theatres, Harker House and Storm Lake Public Library.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 9°F.
Weather in Storm Lake
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Storm Lake
Storm Lake is a city in and the county seat of Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 11,269 in the 2020 census, an increase from 10,076 in the 2000 census. It has one of the only cities in Iowa with a non-white majority population.
From the Wikipedia article Storm Lake, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks8
Harker House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Storm Lake, Iowa, United States
Storm Lake Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Public library in Iowa, United States of America
Illinois Central Passenger Depot-Storm Lake
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Railway station in Storm Lake, Iowa
Old Storm Lake High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic building in Iowa, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds28
Little Storm Lake Discovery Center Park
Park · 1.8 mi
Lookout Tower, Floating Dock with conservation information
16 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes14
La Juanita Taqueria
Restaurant · Mexican
613 Lake Avenue
Su-Th 09:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-02:00
The Villager
Restaurant · American, Chicken, Hot Dog, Ice Cream, Mexican, Pasta · 0.5 mi
421 Flindt Drive, Storm Lake
Mo-Su 10:30-20:00
Ying's Kitchen
Restaurant · Thai
504 Lake Avenue
Tu-Sa 11:00-14:00,16:30-19:30
2 more on the map.
History
Storm Lake's first European settler, Abner Bell, arrived in 1856, and the city was officially incorporated in 1873. Though early settlers found no natives permanently occupying the land, the area around the lake was likely used for fishing and hunting by tribes traveling from the north. Centuries prior to European colonization, the area was home to the Mill Creek indigenous culture. Railroad magnate John Insley Blair platted out land in Storm Lake in the 1870s. During the same decade, the Illinois Central Railroad was constructed through the town.
The city of Storm Lake is named for the lake where it is said a trapper experienced a severe storm. An alternate story claims the lake took its name after two star-crossed lovers from opposed Native American bands paddled out for a secret rendezvous, only to be drowned as a sudden storm blew in.
The 1920s and 1930s saw economic and industrial growth, with the town remaining relatively unaffected by the Great Depression. During the 1940s, a prisoner-of-war camp was temporarily established in Storm Lake. In 1956, the main building of the Buena Vista University campus burned down. The central brick archway was salvaged and remains standing.
From the History section of Storm Lake, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
King's Pointe Resort
Motel and hotel · 1.1 mi
1520 East Lakeshore Drive, Storm Lake
Quality Inn - Storm Lake
Motel and hotel · 1.3 mi
1726 North Lake Avenue, Storm Lake
Churches and places of worship13
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries15
St Lake/Ia Cntrl/Buena Vista Early College Hs
School · 0.4 mi
621 Tornado Dr, Storm Lake
Healthcare3
Map of Storm Lake
95 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°F | 9°F | 0.8 in |
| Feb | 30°F | 13°F | 1.0 in |
| Mar | 43°F | 25°F | 1.7 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 37°F | 3.5 in |
| May | 69°F | 49°F | 4.9 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 60°F | 5.3 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 64°F | 3.8 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 61°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 53°F | 3.0 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 40°F | 2.4 in |
| Nov | 44°F | 27°F | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 31°F | 15°F | 1.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Storm Lake 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
Buena Vista County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (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)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Storm Lake Municipal Airport (SLB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Lakeside 2 mi southeast, about 3 min by car
- Alta 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Newell 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Schaller 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Early 13 mi south, about 21 min by car
- Aurelia 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Galva 15 mi southwest, about 24 min by car
- Carroll 43 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Le Mars 51 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fort Dodge 53 mi east, 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
- Storm Lake Public Library (NRHP 83000346) 20120930 IMG 8844, Scott A. Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Storm Lake Public Library on Cayuga Street 20120930 IMG 8858, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Metabank Building Storm Lake IA 20120930 IMG 8832, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Buena Vista County Courthouse, Storm Lake, Iowa (cropped), Calvin Beale, Public domain
- Buena Vista County Courthouse, Storm Lake, Iowa, Calvin Beale, Public domain
- Storm Lake Public Library (NRHP 83000346) 20120930 IMG 8835, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Illinois Central Passenger Depot Storm Lake Iowa 20120930 IMG 8876, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Lakeside Presbyterian Church Storm Lake Iowa 20120930 IMG 8893, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Illinois Central Passenger Depot Storm Lake Iowa 20120930 IMG 8865, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Harker House Storm Lake Iowa 20120930 IMG 8886, Scott A. Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Harker House Storm Lake Iowa 20120930 IMG 8884, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Harker House Storm Lake Iowa 20120930 IMG 8900, Scott A. Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greetings from Storm Lake, Iowa - Large Letter Postcard (7850160484), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- BVU-campus-aerial, Harderrj, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Buena Vista County Courthouse 20120930 IMG 8853, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Buena Vista County Courthouse 20120930 IMG 8852, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Buena Vista County Courthouse 20120930 IMG 8838, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Buena Vista County Courthouse 20120930 IMG 8837, Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Buena Vista County Courthouse 20120930 IMG 8837 (cropped), Scott A. Miller, CC BY 3.0
- Rand Paul (22018522140), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22216660441), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22019740879), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22018681988), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22216867951), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (21583520794), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22018412980), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22206564635), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (21585333243), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22019582319), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cliff Maloney (22018599410), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul supporters (22216783731), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22018358810), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22019686009), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul with supporters (21585375013), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22193658602), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul with supporters (21585397873), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Matt Meiners (22216980571), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22206516165), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22206364035), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rand Paul (22216848691), Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
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