Snake Alley · National Register of Historic Places
Burlington’s story
193 years in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 29 places on the National Register.
- 1833Burlington is settled
BurlingtonIA
A town of 23,728, settled in 1833. Home to 29 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
23,728
−6.6% since 2010
Typical home
$129K
+1.3% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
42.5
years
Jobs based here
10,227
Balanced
What makes Burlington stand out
The 3 things Burlington does most differently from other towns.
Snake AlleyHistory
Settled in 1833
29 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 193 years.
Robert NoyceFamous people
63 notable people
born in Burlington
Including Robert Noyce and Wallace Carothers.
$129Ktypical home
Housing
$129K typical home
46% below the IA typical home
Up 1.3% in a year.
Get outside
13 miles of trails in Burlington
9.2% of the town is conserved land, across 12 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Burlington’s report card
Housing$129K46% below the IA typical homeOutdoors13 mi#23 for trails in IASchoolsD−Beats 2% of IA districtsHealthC+Healthier than 40% of U.S. townsCommute3 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyC−Less crime than 22% of U.S. townsClimate86°/16°Summer high · winter low · 22″ snowHazards43/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Burlington
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Burlington? Is a D− for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Burlington’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →50°
Clear
H 79° · L 65°
Local news
All →- Partial collapse at a hotel in Burlington, IAyahoo.com · Aug 15
- Nurse cited after patient death at West Burlington facilityDaily Gate City · Jul 14
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Burlington. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Burlington home is worth about $129K
The typical Burlington home is worth about $129,000, up 1.3% in a year, 46% below the Iowa typical home.
$129KZillow home value
Typical home value
Burlington$129K
Iowa$240K
Market temperature
64
days on market
93.4%
sale-to-list price
+1.3%
value change, 1 year
45
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
9.2% of Burlington is conserved land
13 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves.
#23for trails in IA
9.2%
conserved · 888 of 9,658 acres
13 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
#15
most conserved land in IA
#26
most walkable in IA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crapo Park | 1.8 mi | 75 |
| 2. Dankwardt Memorial Park | 1.4 mi | 67 |
| 3. Riverside Park | — | 24 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
Burlington’s public schools outperform 2% of Iowa districts
The public schools Burlington’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 98% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
D−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk Elementary School | K–4 | 305 | C− |
| Sunnyside Elementary School | K–4 | 298 | C− |
| North Hill Elementary School | K–4 | 268 | D |
| James Wilson Grimes School | K–4 | 212 | D |
| Edward Stone Middle School | 7–8 | 452 | D |
| Aldo Leopold Intermediate School | 5–6 | 412 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduationAll 10 schools →
Health
Healthier than 40% of U.S. towns
Burlington beats the Iowa average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better20 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Burlington | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.8% | 11.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 14.7% | 12% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.7% | 6.4% |
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center
2.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
25th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Burlington
40% of Burlington’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are West Burlington (16%), Fort Madison (4%) and Mount Pleasant (3%). Half commute less than 3 miles.
40%work in town
Where working residents work
In Burlington40%
West Burlington16%
Fort Madison4%
Mount Pleasant3%
Davenport2%
3 mi
median commute distance
10,227
jobs based in Burlington
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 22% of U.S. towns
Burlington reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 78% report less.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Burlington2.5
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Burlington12.9
Iowa12
U.S.15.5
22nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
11th
percentile among IA towns
60
violent crimes reported in 2025
304
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Burlington has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–36°
Spring41–62°
Summer63–84°
Fall43–64°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 43% of U.S. communities.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
170
paid flood claims since 1979
13
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Landmarks
29 places in Burlington on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Burlington
63 notable people were born in Burlington.
About Burlington
City in Iowa, United States
Burlington is a city in and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area, which includes West Burlington and Middletown, Iowa, and Gulfport, Illinois. Burlington is the home of Snake Alley, the crookedest street on earth.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1833
- Population
- 23,982
- Area
- 15 sq mi
- Elevation
- 607 ft
- ZIP code
- 52601
- Area code
- 319
Burlington’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Burlington.
West BurlingtonCarmanGulfportGladstoneBurlington
More about Burlington
Still missing for Burlington:upcoming events