Ottumwa, Iowa
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Ottumwa (pronounced "Uh-tuhm-wa") is a city located in Wapello County, Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 24,998. It is the county seat of Wapello CountyTemplate:GR.
It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River.
Ottumwa was the birthplace of Tom Arnold, the home of notorious rare book thief Stephen Blumberg, and of the fictional character Radar O'Reilly from the television program M*A*S*H.
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Railroads
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
The BNSF Railway has tracks through Ottumwa. This is a major segment in the Chicago-Omaha line that is double track. The tracks travel under U.S. Highway 34, pass through the business district, under the U.S. Highway 63 bridge, cross over the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern railroad tracks, exit Ottumwa, and later cross over the Des Moines River on their way to Albia, Iowa and later Omaha, Nebraska.
Amtrak's California Zephyr, running between Chicago and Emeryville, California, makes a station stop in Ottumwa two times a day. As of the Spring/Summer 2005 Amtrak timetable, the eastbound Zephyr stops in Ottumwa at 9:39 AM, and the westbound Zephyr stops in Ottumwa at 6:43 PM.
The Norfolk Southern Railroad has trackage rights over the BNSF through Ottumwa.
Geography
IAMap-doton-Ottumwa.PNG
Location of Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is located at 41°0'47" North, 92°24'53" West (41.012917, -92.414817)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.7 km² (16.5 mi²). 40.9 km² (15.8 mi²) of it is land and 1.7 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.07% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 24,998 people, 10,383 households, and 6,530 families residing in the city. The population density is 610.9/km² (1,582.2/mi²). There are 11,038 housing units at an average density of 269.7/km² (698.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.33% White, 1.27% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.38% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 2.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 10,383 households out of which 28.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% are married couples living together, 11.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% are non-families. 31.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.31 and the average family size is 2.88.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $30,174, and the median income for a family is $37,302. Males have a median income of $31,222 versus $20,934 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,040. 15.2% of the population and 10.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21.3% of those under the age of 18 and 8.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Media
Radio Stations
AM
FM
- KOTM-FM 97.7, Rock, Pop
- KRKN-FM 104.3, Country
- KTWA-FM 92.7, Soft Rock, Easy Listening
- KKSI-FM 101.5, Classic Rock
Television Stations
- Ottuwma Courier, the primary daily newspaper
- Ottumwa Sun, a semi-regular online newspaper
Higher Education
Ottumwa is the home of Indian Hills Community College, a two year community college.
External links
- City of Ottumwa -- http://ci.ottumwa.ia.us/
- Indian Hills Community College -- http://www.ihcc.cc.ia.us/
- John Deere & Company -- http://www.deere.com/en_US/deerecom/usa_canada.html
- Ottumwa Sun -- http://www.ottumwasun.com/
