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Fort Dodge, IA

View of Fort Dodge, IA
Image credit: Bill Whittaker ( talk ) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
24,837
U.S. Census Population Estimates Program · 2025
Elevation
1,111 ft
Median Home Value
$144,100
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024
Median Rent
$785/mo
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024
Median Income
$60,649
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024

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Fort Dodge in context.

OverallBest places in IowaPopulation ranking#21 highest population in IowaNearest larger communityAmes, Iowa44 miles away · 68,220 residents.

About Fort Dodge

Fort Dodge is a city on the Des Moines River and the county seat of Webster County. It traces its beginnings to 1850, when Captain Lewis Armistead established a military post in the area, and the Fort Museum and Frontier Village keeps that early history visible. The city later grew through gypsum, manufacturing, agriculture, and regional services. Fort Dodge feels like a north-central Iowa hub: practical, a little rough-edged, with river bluffs, factories, schools, and small-city institutions carrying real weight.

Top Rating Signals

Highest current ratings for this town.

Lower County Wildfire Hazard Potential ClassA+100.0ratingLower Projected Late-Century County-Area Exposure to Sea-Level RiseA+100.0ratingNearby Hospital Emergency DepartmentsA+98.4rating

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