Story City, Iowa
Story City is a city of 3,398 people in Story County, Iowa, founded in December 12, 1881.
Why visit Story City
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 4 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Story Theatre-Grand Opera House, Grand Auditorium and Hotel Block and Henry T. and Emilie (Wiese) Henryson House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 11°F.
Weather in Story City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Story City
Story City is a city in Story County, Iowa. It is located within the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area which envelops Story County and combined with the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area makes up the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area. The population was 3,352 in the 2020 census, a slight increase from 3,228 in 2000.
From the Wikipedia article Story City, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Story Theatre-Grand Opera House
Cinema and theater · 0.5 mi
512 Broad Street, Story City
Museums and landmarks5
Grand Auditorium and Hotel Block
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Commercial block and theater in Story City, Iowa
Henry T. and Emilie (Wiese) Henryson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Keigley Branch Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Road bridge in Gilbert, United States of America
Herschel-Spillman Two-Row Portable Menagerie Carousel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Restaurants and cafes4
_of_the_Herschel-Spilman_Carousel.JPG){kind=link}
History
Story City was known as Fairview throughout much of its early history. The named changed in 1881 when the town established a post office and discovered that the Fairview name was already in use for another town. Story City was renamed after Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story. The boundaries of "Old Fairview" are outlined by signs during Scandinavian Days, and is approximately in the northeast corner of current Story City with the southern boundary being Broad Street.
Story City was laid out including Fairview in 1878, and officially incorporated in 1881. The railroad arrived in 1878 and connected the city to Ames by the narrow-gauge Des Moines & Minnesota and to Des Moines via the Chicago and North Western Railroad in Ames.
The city has deep historic and cultural ties to the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden, and mostly Norway. A large contingent of the city's population is descended from a major immigration of people from Nordic countries in the 1840s through 1860s. It is evident in the large number of Lutheran churches in the community with ministers historically delivering sermons in different languages (Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian) respective of the makeup of their congregations.
From the History section of Story City, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship6
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.6 mi
1532 Prairie Drive
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Story City
38 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°F | 11°F | 0.6 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 15°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 47°F | 27°F | 1.9 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 38°F | 3.9 in |
| May | 72°F | 50°F | 5.2 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 60°F | 5.2 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 63°F | 4.4 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 4.8 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 51°F | 3.3 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 39°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 27°F | 1.9 in |
| Dec | 34°F | 16°F | 1.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ames Muni Ap (13 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
Story County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-08-17: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-08-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ames Municipal Airport (AMW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Roland 5 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Gilbert 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Ames 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- Nevada 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Boone 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Huxley 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- Webster City 22 mi northwest, about 36 min by car
- Slater 22 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Madrid 25 mi southwest, about 40 min by car
- Ogden 25 mi southwest, about 40 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
- Happy Chef, Story City, IA, Matt Emerson from Ames, IA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Keigley Branch Bridge, Joseph Elliott, Public domain
- Plaque inside the pavilion housing the Herschel-Spilman Carousel, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Close-up of inner panels in the Herschel-Spilman Carousel, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Close-up of carousel figure head (pig) of the Herschel-Spilman Carousel, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pavilion housing the Herschel-Spilman Carousel, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Organ of Herschel-Spilman Caroussel, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Horses in the Herschel-Spilman Carousel, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Close-up of figure (rooster) of the Herschel-Spilman Caroussel, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grand Auditorium and Hotel Block, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- East facade of the H.T. Henryson House and Bartlett Museum, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plaque in front of the H.T. Henryson House and Bartlett Museum, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South facade of the H.T. Henryson House and Bartlett Museum, HMHC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS053-E-223340 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-45313 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-223341 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
_of_the_Herschel-Spilman_Caroussel.JPG){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.