Town guide

Charter Oak, Iowa

Charter Oak is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, home to about 580 people across 0.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51439.

Homes sold for a median of $76 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population5801,137 per sq mi
Median home value$77,700Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$76Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking100%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Charter Oak

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Charter Oak. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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Around Charter Oak

Distances

Nearest major airportEppley Airfield (OMA)55 miles away
Closer regional airportSioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field (SUX)46 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Omaha, NE60 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL407 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Charter Oak; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Charter Oak

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Charter Oak had 535 residents in the 2020 census, up 1% since 2000.

It’s the 434th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

Crawford County grew from 21,685 residents in 1900 to 16,525 in 2020.

Charter Oak population by census2000: 530, 2010: 502, 2020: 535530200050220105352020

Crawford County, 1900–2020

Crawford County population, 1900 to 20201900: 21,685, 1910: 20,041, 1920: 20,614, 1930: 21,028, 1940: 20,538, 1950: 19,741, 1960: 18,569, 1970: 18,780, 1980: 18,935, 1990: 16,775, 2000: 16,942, 2010: 17,096, 2020: 16,52522K’00’1021K’20’3021K’40’5019K’60’7019K’80’9017K’00’1017K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 9°F. About 32.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 31 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Charter OakJan: high 28°F, low 9°F, 0.8 in; Feb: high 33°F, low 13°F, 0.9 in; Mar: high 47°F, low 24°F, 1.8 in; Apr: high 60°F, low 35°F, 3.4 in; May: high 71°F, low 47°F, 4.8 in; Jun: high 81°F, low 58°F, 4.6 in; Jul: high 84°F, low 62°F, 4.2 in; Aug: high 82°F, low 59°F, 3.8 in; Sep: high 75°F, low 50°F, 3.1 in; Oct: high 62°F, low 37°F, 2.3 in; Nov: high 46°F, low 24°F, 1.5 in; Dec: high 33°F, low 14°F, 1.1 in28°9°Jan0.833°13°Feb0.947°24°Mar1.860°35°Apr3.471°47°May4.881°58°Jun4.684°62°Jul4.282°59°Aug3.875°50°Sep3.162°37°Oct2.346°24°Nov1.533°14°Dec1.1Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mapleton No.2, IA weather station (11 miles away).

Jobs in Crawford County

5,121 jobs at 415 businesses in Crawford County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Crawford CountyManufacturing: 1,567 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 843 jobs; Retail trade: 732 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 345 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 325 jobs; Wholesale trade: 290 jobs; Construction: 257 jobs; Other services: 197 jobsManufacturing 31% Health care and social assistance 17% Retail trade 14% Transportation and warehousing 7% Hotels and restaurants 6% Wholesale trade 6% Construction 5% Other services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

Nearest hospitals

  • Crawford County Memorial HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Denison12.6 miles
  • Horn Memorial HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Ida Grove19.9 miles
  • Burgess Health CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Onawa26.2 miles

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.

Places in and around Charter Oak

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Charter Oak Public Library0.4 mi

Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Charter Oak

Public schools here are run by Charter Oak-Ute Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Charter Oak-Ute Elementary SchoolCharter OakPre-K–5117Public0.6 mi
Charter Oak-Ute Junior High SchoolCharter Oak6–849Public0.6 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Charter Oak is

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Towns near Charter Oak

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.