Albia

History

Albia was incorporated as a town in 1856. The town was named after Albia, New York, the former home of an early settler. On Feb. 14, 1893, there was a coal mine explosion in the Chicago and Iowa mine, about 2.5 miles west of Albia. This room and pillar mine had opened around 1877. By the time of the explosion, mining extended more than 1,000 yards from the hoisting shaft, and the mine employed 60 miners and 20 other men. One miner was killed outright and seven died later of their injuries, after a "shot" (gunpowder charge used to bring down the coal) ignited a dust explosion in the mine. This was one of only two major mine disasters in Iowa between 1888 and 1913. In the early 20th century, the region around Albia was dotted with coal mining camps and company towns. Of these, Buxton, 9 miles north of Albia, is the most widely studied. It had a large Black population. Other former coal camps in the area include Hiteman, Bluff Creek, Lockman, Coalfield, Hocking, and Hynes. The growth in membership in the United Mine Workers union, as shown by the following data, is a useful measure of the importance of mining in the region. In 1902, UMW Locals 692 and 793 in Albia had an aggregate membership of 216. By 1912, UMW Locals 407, 782 and 793 in Albia had an aggregate membership of 338 (about 7.2% of the 1910 population). Miners in Hiteman, 5 miles northwest of town, joined the UMWA in 1898; between 1902 and 1912, membership grew from 450 to 688. Miners in Hynes, 7 miles east, joined the UMWA in 1896; between 1902 and 1912, membership grew from 330 to 543.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Albia has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  105
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  102
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  81
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  80
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  79
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  71
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  68
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  59

Largest nearby schools

• Albia High School
  High · Albia · 374 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Lincoln Center
  Elementary · Albia · 293 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Grant Center
  Elementary · Albia · 233 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Albia Middle School
  Middle · Albia · 164 students · 27.3:1 ratio
• Kendall Center
  Other · Albia · 56 students · 28:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-06-25
  10 km WNW of Marysville, Iowa
• M 3 — 2025-06-25
  5 km S of Knoxville, Iowa
• M 3.3 — 2025-06-25
  8 km SE of Knoxville, Iowa