Chester is a city in Howard County, Iowa, home to about 150 people across 1.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 52134.
Mostly Chester
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)105 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Rochester International Airport (RST)30 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Paul, MN107 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL265 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Chester; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Chester had 139 residents in the 2020 census, down 8% since 2000.
It’s the 761st largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Howard County grew from 14,512 residents in 1900 to 9,469 in 2020.
Howard County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 38.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 40 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cresco 1 Ne, IA weather station (17 miles away).
3,350 jobs at 270 businesses in Howard County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
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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.