Spirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, home to about 5,518 people across 4.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51360.
Homes sold for a median of $253 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Spirit Lake; also Orleans
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Spirit Lake. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Spirit Lake’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)137 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD)76 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN140 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL393 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Spirit Lake; 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.
Spirit Lake had 5,439 residents in the 2020 census, up 28% since 2000.
It’s the 74th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Dickinson County grew from 7,995 residents in 1900 to 17,703 in 2020.
Dickinson 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 29 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 42 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Spirit Lake, IA weather station (about a mile away).
7,749 jobs at 784 businesses in Dickinson County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
89 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Spirit Lake.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 18 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 3 |
| Dentists | 7 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 11 |
| Mental health providers | 14 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 18 |
| Optometrists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 13 |
| 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 (9 nearby)
Grocery stores (3 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
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.
Established in 1856.
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 Spirit Lake Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Lake Elementary SchoolSpirit Lake | Pre-K–4 | 547 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Spirit Lake Middle SchoolSpirit Lake | 5–8 | 379 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Spirit Lake High SchoolSpirit Lake | 9–12 | 393 | Public | 0.9 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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Shares ZIP codes with Orleans.
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.