Lake City is a city in Calhoun County, Iowa, home to about 1,693 people across 4.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51449.
Mostly Lake City
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)76 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD)34 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE97 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL363 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Lake City; 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.
Lake City had 1,731 residents in the 2020 census, down 3% since 2000.
It’s the 193rd largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Calhoun County grew from 18,569 residents in 1900 to 9,927 in 2020.
Calhoun 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 8°F. About 33.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 32 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rockwell City, IA weather station (11 miles away).
2,241 jobs at 280 businesses in Calhoun County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
33 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Lake City.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 4 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 6 |
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 8 |
| Mental health providers | 3 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 6 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 4 |
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 (4 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 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.
Public schools here are run by South Central Calhoun Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Calhoun High SchoolLake City | 9–12 | 284 | Public | 0.3 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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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.