Norwalk

History

The first settlers came to Norwalk area about 1846. One of them, Samuel Crow, settled near the North River. The first construction on the site that is now Norwalk began with a log cabin built by Samuel Snyder. The following year more families settled in the little town known as Pyra. A post office was established in the town on June 18, 1856. George W. Swan laid out the town and erected a hotel. Mr. Swan, who was born in Norwalk, Connecticut and was associated with a newspaper in Norwalk, Ohio, changed the town's name to Norwalk. The first railroad into town was constructed in 1882 a narrow gauge line from Des Moines to Cainsville, Missouri. In the 1890s the railroad was acquired by a subsidiary of the Burlington Railroad and was widened to standard gauge. Its primary use was for shipping the farmers’ livestock to various markets. The line was abandoned in 1947, after a flood had severely damaged the North River bridge. Norwalk was incorporated in 1900 with Adam Stiffler serving as its first mayor. At the time, the town was one square mile in size. Phone service was introduced in Norwalk in 1903. Many additions and land acquisition have contributed to Norwalk's growth. The first was the triangle formed by Highway 28, High Road and Cherry Parkway on November 11, 1969. The second was the development of a residential area in what is now the middle of town containing the Norwalk United Methodist Church and the Regency Nursing Home. Several farm annexations were made in the 70s and 80s that greatly expanded the city's footprint. Further annexations continue to this day as the city seeks to maximize its economic growth potential. Norwalk is regionally notable as having three golf courses, two of which sit amidst residential developments, Echo Valley and the Legacy. On…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Norwalk holds the unofficial record for the largest amount of rainfall in a 24-hour period for any town in Iowa, with more than 9 inches falling June 9–10, 2011.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,887
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,866
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,669
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,647
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,609
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,445
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  3,192
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,152

Largest nearby schools

• Norwalk Senior High School
  High · Norwalk · 1,035 students · 17:1 ratio
• Norwalk Middle School
  Middle · Norwalk · 787 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• Oviatt Elementary School
  Elementary · Norwalk · 616 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Lakewood Elementary School
  Elementary · Norwalk · 544 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Orchard Hills Elementary
  Elementary · Norwalk · 526 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Wilder Elementary School
  Elementary · Indianola · 442 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• Martensdale Elementary School
  Elementary · Martensdale · 305 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Martensdale-St Marys Jr-Sr High School
  High · Martensdale · 275 students · 14.5:1 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