Lester is a city in Lyon County, Iowa, home to about 340 people across 1.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51242.
Mostly Lester
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)150 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)23 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE151 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL453 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Lester; 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.
Lester had 296 residents in the 2020 census, up 18% since 2000.
It’s the 574th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Lyon County grew from 13,165 residents in 1900 to 11,934 in 2020.
Lyon County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 29.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 35 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rock Rapids, IA weather station (8 miles away).
3,746 jobs at 402 businesses in Lyon 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.
Grocery stores
Libraries
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.
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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.