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Belle Plaine

Iowacity

Photograph of Belle Plaine
Featured view

Belle Plaine

Total population

2,380

Median home value

$113,900

20.1%

Bachelor's+

Median income

$73,656

Belle Plaine$74k
National$74k
Elevation252 m
Land area8.37 km²
Weather54°F · Slight Chance Rain Showers
Coordinates41.90°, -92.28°

Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

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City facts

Elevation
252 m
Area
8.37 km²
Official website
www.belleplaineiowa.us

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

Belle Plaine is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,330 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area.

Read more on Wikipedia

History & geography

History

Belle Plaine was founded in 1862 when it was certain the railroad would be extended to that point. It was surveyed in March 1862 by George F. Kirby for its proprietor, John I Blair who platted it and filed the plat for record on 12 May 1862. (The date and surveyor were identical for Blairstown.) "Belle Plaine" is derived from the French meaning "beautiful plain". Belle Plaine is located on both the historic Lincoln Highway and the cross country tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The Iowa River flows roughly southeastward, just south of the city airport.

Read full article on Wikipedia

Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).

Demographics & economy

Median age
45
Median home value
$113,900
Housing units
1,149
Poverty rate
3.5%
Unemployment
1.2%

Race & ethnicity

White
94.1%
Black
0.9%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
3.4%

Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Geography

Latitude
41.8956
Longitude
-92.2757
Water area
0.02 mi²
View on OpenStreetMap

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Climate

Current forecast

Tonight
54°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
Wednesday
68°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wednesday Night
53°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Thursday
64°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Thursday Night
43°F
Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy
Friday
57°F
Mostly Sunny

Forecast for Belle Plaine, IA from NOAA NWS API.

Air quality

Industrial & pollution facilities

Natural hazard risk

Health (adults)

High blood pressure
31%
Diabetes
9.1%
Adult obesity
41.6%
Binge drinking
23.1%
Adult smoking
16.9%
No leisure activity
23.9%

Age-adjusted prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES (latest release).

Walkability

Amenities nearby

Wildlife & biodiversity

Observations (last 5 yrs, 10 mi)
5,849
Distinct species (top 10)
10

Most-observed species

  • Red-winged Blackbird
    Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
    227
  • Canada Goose (canadensis Group)
    Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
    210
  • Bald Eagle
    Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
    164
  • American Crow
    Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
    163
  • Sandhill crane
    Grus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
    152
  • Trumpeter/Tundra Swan
    Cygnus buccinator Richardson, 1831 · Aves
    144
  • American Robin
    Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
    142
  • Killdeer
    Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
    130

Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Schools

Total
3
Elementary
2
Middle
0
High
1
Other
0

Largest nearby schools

  • Longfellow Elementary School
    Elementary · Belle Plaine · 286 students · 15.1:1 ratio
  • Keystone Elementary School
    Elementary · Keystone · 207 students · 15.9:1 ratio
  • Belle Plaine Jr/Sr High School
    High · Belle Plaine · 193 students · 10.2:1 ratio

Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).

Earthquake history

Quakes ≥ 2.5 (25 yrs, 62 mi)
3
Largest magnitude
3.3
Largest event
2025-06-25

Most recent

Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).

Photos

Sights & places nearby

Notable people from here

A
Ann Malcolm
American jazz singer and musician
C
Clement Wilson
American sprinter (1891-1983)
H
Hap Moran
Player of American football (1901-1994)
E
Earl Gregg Swem
American librarian
Frank Baker
Frank Baker
American football player (1909-1985)
L
Lonnie Nielsen
professional golfer (1953-2021)
Marjorie Cameron
Marjorie Cameron
American actress and occultist (1922-1995)
S
Steve Carl
American martial artist
A
Albert Johannsen
American geologist, mineralogist, petrographer and professor
Franklin P. Mall
Franklin P. Mall
American anatomist and pathologist
B
Bill Dudek
American-football player (1943-)
B
Bertha Maude Horack Shambaugh
American photographer and writer
M
Maggie Minott
circus Performer with the Sells Bros. Circus
T
Tom Lundberg
American textile artist (born 1953)

People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.

Nearby places in Iowa

Browse all places in Iowa →

Geography & sun

Avg solar (kWh/m²/day)
4.07
Annual solar (kWh/m²)
1,486

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Nearby airports

Public attention

Wikipedia views (last 30 days)
1,012
Avg daily Wikipedia views
35
Attention level
Quiet

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Books about Belle Plaine

Belle Plaine, Iowa, 1862-1962
Belle Plaine, Iowa, 1862-1962
Jean Newland Swailes · 1962
Benton County records
Benton County records
Lois W. Cronbaugh · 1958
Iowa Geological Survey. Volume IX. Annual Report 1898
Iowa marriage records
Iowa marriage records
Daughters of the American Revolution. Iowa Society
American daughter
American daughter
Era Bell Thompson · 1946
Aircraft accident report
Aircraft accident report
United States. National Transportation Safety Board. · 1975
[H. Roy Mosnat chrysanthemum materials]
[H. Roy Mosnat chrysanthemum materials]
H. Roy Mosnat (Firm) · 1942
The best of young American novelists
The best of young American novelists
Bill Buford · 1996

Search results from Open Library.

Recent natural events nearby

Ground air-quality sensors

Recently spotted species

tall bellflower
tall bellflower
Campanulastrum americanum
Seen 2026-09-21
Yellow-shouldered Drone Fly
Yellow-shouldered Drone Fly
Eristalis stipator
Seen 2026-09-07
spotted lady's thumb
spotted lady's thumb
Persicaria maculosa
Seen 2026-08-25
Yellow Garden Spider
Yellow Garden Spider
Argiope aurantia
Seen 2026-08-21
hoary vervain
hoary vervain
Verbena stricta
Seen 2026-07-05
swamp milkweed
swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Seen 2026-07-04
purple prairie clover
purple prairie clover
Dalea purpurea
Seen 2026-07-03
Carolina rose
Carolina rose
Rosa carolina
Seen 2026-06-18
sulphur cinquefoil
sulphur cinquefoil
Potentilla recta
Seen 2026-06-18

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).

Nearest stream gauge

Site
Iowa River near Belle Plaine, IA
Distance
2.5 mi
Streamflow
3,850 cfs
Gage height
11.83 ft

Live readings from USGS NWIS · measured 2026-10-13 21:00 UTC.

Events

Gallery

Sources

  • • Wikipedia
  • • US Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates)
  • • NOAA National Weather Service
  • • Wikidata
  • • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
  • • USGS NWIS (water data)
  • • NCES via Urban Institute Education Data Portal
  • • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
  • • iNaturalist
  • • CDC PLACES
  • • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
  • • Wikipedia Pageviews API
  • • Open Library