Fort Dodge is a city in Webster County, Iowa, home to about 24,827 people across 16 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50501.
Homes sold for a median of $112 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Fort Dodge; also Coalville
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Fort Dodge. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Fort Dodge’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)72 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD)3 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE129 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL336 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Fort Dodge; 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.
Fort Dodge had 24,871 residents in the 2020 census, down 1% since 2000.
It’s the 20th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Webster County grew from 31,757 residents in 1900 to 36,999 in 2020.
Webster 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 7°F. About 35.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 39 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ft Dodge 5nnw, IA weather station (5 miles away).
16,146 jobs at 997 businesses in Webster County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2022 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
364 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Fort Dodge.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 22 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 49 |
| Dentists | 30 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 95 |
| Mental health providers | 124 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 18 |
| Optometrists | 9 |
| Chiropractors | 17 |
| Pharmacies | 11 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (22 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles 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.
Established in 1850.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Fort Dodge Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood CenterFort Dodge | Pre-K–K | 376 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Butler Elementary SchoolFort Dodge | 1–5 | 328 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Cooper Elementary SchoolFort Dodge | 1–5 | 231 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Duncombe Elementary SchoolFort Dodge | 1–5 | 438 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Feelhaver Elementary SchoolFort Dodge | 1–5 | 227 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Fort Dodge Middle SchoolFort Dodge | 6–8 | 765 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Fort Dodge High SchoolFort Dodge | 9–12 | 1,020 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Christian SchoolFort Dodge | Pre-K–8 | 83 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.2 mi |
| Harvest Baptist SchoolFort Dodge | Pre-K–12 | 66 | Baptist | 0.6 mi |
| St Edmond Catholic SchoolFort Dodge | Pre-K–12 | 548 | Roman Catholic | 0.7 mi |
| St Edmond Catholic SchoolFort Dodge | Pre-K–12 | 548 | Roman Catholic | 0.7 mi |
| St Paul Lutheran SchoolFort Dodge | Pre-K–8 | 84 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 0.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Coalville.
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.