Diagonal is a city in northwest Ringgold County, Iowa, the United States. The population was 344 at the time of the 2020 census. The community was named for the fact that two railroads intersected diagonally near the town site.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code50845

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Living in Diagonal

Work & commute in Diagonal

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Most working residents leave Diagonal for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Mount Ayr (10%), Creston (8%) and Des Moines (7%). Half commute less than 34 miles.

Mount Ayr

10%

Creston

Des Moines

Lenox

9%Work in townlive and work in Diagonal 34 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 162Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Diagonal →

Health in Diagonal

Compared with Iowa

10better than IA·5worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 17 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 5▼ 6 close Habits 1▲ 3 close Care 4▲ 3 close Mind all close Everyday needs 4▲ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

4.4%Fewer adults facing a utility shut-offIA 6.4% · better 6.5%Fewer adults facing housing insecurityIA 9.4% · better 12.7%More adults who have had cancerIA 8.7% · worse

Care nearby

Ringgold County HospitalMount Ayr · 11.3 mi · ER · rural critical access

Infinity Health - Mount Ayr OfficeMount Ayr · 8.6 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Diagonal · CMS · HRSAHealth in Diagonal →

Natural hazards in Diagonal

High

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities.

🌵 Drought🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves

0Does Diagonal flood?no paid flood claims on record 5Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Diagonal

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Diagonal →

Climate in Diagonal

Full climate →

Diagonal has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

35° / 16°Winter

61° / 39°Spring

83° / 62°Summer

63° / 41°Fall

How much snow does Diagonal get?About 21 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 12, with the last in spring around Apr 25.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.8° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Diagonal →

Schools in Diagonal

All Diagonal schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Diagonal’s kids attend outperform 52% of Iowa’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

DistrictDiagonal Comm School DistrictSchools2

Diagonal Elementary School CElementary · Grades PK–5 · 58 students Diagonal Junior-Senior High School B-High · Grades 6–12 · 52 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results, graded within IA. Ratings are from neighbors.