Washta
Sign in to saveAlso known as Washta, Iowa, Washta, IA
city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- Iowa
- County
- Cherokee
- Total
- 1.01 sq mi (2.62 km )
- Land
- 1.01 sq mi (2.62 km )
- Water
- 0 sq mi (0.00 km )
- Elevation
- 1,152 ft (351 m)
- Density
- 206.8/sq mi (79.86/km )
- Time zone
- UTC-6 ( Central (CST) )
- Summer dst
- UTC-5 (CDT)
- Fips code
- 19-82380
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official name
- Washta
- Population
- 209
- Area
- 2.70496
- Elevation
- 350
- Households
- 98
Show 4 more facts
- postal code
- 51061
- water as percent of area
- 0
- per capita income
- 27075
Sources (8)
via Wikidata · CC0
~5 min read
Article
Washta is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 209 at the time of the 2020 census. It is called "The Coldest Spot in Iowa", recording a temperature of −47 °F (−44 °C) without wind chill on January 12, 1912.
Washta's name dates back to 1868 when a local man named Whisman turned his farm into a trading post/mail stop for the freight train going from Correctionville, Iowa, to Cherokee, Iowa. He was asked to be the official postmaster for the area. When asked what the name of his town would be, he recalled an interesting encounter with two Native Americans the year before: While Whisman was out hunting, the two came upon him, removed his gun, looked at it, and handed it back while saying, Wash-tay, Wash-tay, meaning "good". Changing the pronunciation slightly, Whisman decided he would call the town Washta.