Columbus Junction School 1882-1920 · National Register of Historic Places
Columbus Junction’s story
156 years in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1870Columbus Junction is settled
Columbus JunctionIA
A town of 2,110, settled in 1870. Public schools that outperform most of Iowa.
Photo: Bill Whittaker (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,110
−3.6% since 2010
Typical home
$165K
+4.5% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
33.0
years
Jobs based here
355
A commuter town
What makes Columbus Junction stand out
The 2 things Columbus Junction does most differently from other towns.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Columbus Junction for work
Where Columbus Junction’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
355jobs based in Columbus Junction
7%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Columbus Junction’s report card
Now in Columbus Junction
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Residents weigh in
Live in Columbus Junction? Is a D for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Columbus Junction’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Columbus Junction. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Columbus Junction’s public schools outperform 8% of Iowa districts
The public schools Columbus Junction’s kids attend trail 92% of Iowa’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
DSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roundy Elementary School | PK–6 | 383 | C+ |
| Columbus Community Junior High School | 7–8 | 104 | C |
| Columbus Community High School | 9–12 | 220 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state testsAll 3 schools →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Columbus Junction
Most working residents leave Columbus Junction for work: only 7% work in town. The top destinations are Iowa City (8%), Muscatine (7%) and West Liberty (3%). Half commute less than 18 miles.
7%work in town
Where working residents work
In Columbus Junction7%
Iowa City8%
Muscatine7%
West Liberty3%
Mount Pleasant3%
18 mi
median commute distance
355
jobs based in Columbus Junction
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Columbus Junction home is worth about $165K
The typical Columbus Junction home is worth about $165,000, up 4.5% in a year, 31% below the Iowa typical home.
$165KZillow home value
Typical home value
Columbus Junction$165K
Iowa$240K
+4.5%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Columbus Junction has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–35°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–84°
Fall42–64°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+0.8°
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 59% of U.S. communities.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windDrought
7
paid flood claims since 1982
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health
Healthier than 46% of U.S. towns
Columbus Junction beats the Iowa average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
2 better22 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Columbus Junction | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with depression | 17.1% | 20.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.7% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 15.9% | 7.3% |
Washington County Hospital and Clinics
16.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
35th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0.3% of Columbus Junction is conserved land
0.5 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0.3%conserved
0.3%
conserved · 4 of 1,367 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hoover Nature Trail | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Columbus Junction
City in Iowa, United States
Columbus Junction is a city in Louisa County, Iowa. The population was 1,830 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area. Columbus Junction is home of the historic Swinging Bridge, found one block south of Highway 92 near downtown. The 262-foot-long steel cable and wood suspension bridge was built in 1922 as an elevated walkway connecting Third and Fourth streets. The Columbus Community School District (which serves Columbus Junction, Columbus City, Fredonia, Cotter, Conesville, and other surrounding townships) is based in Columbus Junction. The school's colors are blue and white and their mascot is a wildcat. The city's largest employer is a Tyson Foods me…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1870
- Population
- 1,830
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 604 ft
- ZIP code
- 52738
- Area code
- 319