| Official Name: | Fontanelle, Iowa |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Adair |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Subdivision Name3: | Summerset |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 2.22 |
| Area Land Km2: | 2.22 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.86 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.86 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 676 |
| Population Density Km2: | 304.72 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 788.80 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1348 |
| Coordinates: | 41.29°N -94.5603°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 50846 |
| Area Code: | 641 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 19-28290 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2394783 |
Fontanelle is a city in Summerset Township, Adair County, Iowa, United States. The population was 676 at the time of the 2020 census.[2]
Fontanelle was platted in 1855,[3] by New York state native James C. Gibbs (1820–1907),[4] who followed the arrival of a transient named Collins. In the summer of that year, Gibbs purchased lots on the northeast of the city square where he constructed a large log cabin. He brought his family there to live. Gibbs ran a hotel out of the log cabin briefly. He died in 1907, aged 86, and is buried with his wife, Phoebe, in Fontanelle Cemetery.[4]
D. M. Valentine purchased lots immediately to the west of Gibbs', thus becoming the second settler.
The city is named for chief Logan Fontanelle of the Omaha tribe, son of the French fur trader Lucien Fontanelle of the American Fur Company and an Omaha tribeswoman.[5] [6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.96sqmi, all land.[7]
The local terrain is rolling with a few ravines near the streams. The east branch of the Nodaway River enters Fontanelle in its northwest quadrant.[8]
As of the census of 2020,[9] there were 676 people, 268 households, and 157 families residing in the city. The population density was 789.2 inhabitants per square mile (304.7/km2). There were 313 housing units at an average density of 365.4 per square mile (141.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.0% from other races and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 0.9% of the population.
Of the 268 households, 28.7% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% were cohabitating couples, 24.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 23.5% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 41.4% of all households were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.
The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 26.6% of the residents were under the age of 20; 3.4% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 and 44; 21.3% were from 45 and 64; and 24.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.
As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 672 people, 304 households, and 164 families living in the city. The population density was 700PD/sqmi. There were 336 housing units at an average density of 350/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 99.7% White, 0.1% from other races, and 0.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.
There were 304 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.1% were non-families. 41.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the city was 48.2 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 26.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 692 people, 305 households, and 186 families living in the city. The population density was 775.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 328 housing units at an average density of 367.6sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 99.42% White, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.
There were 305 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.70.
20.2% were under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 34.2% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,328, and the median income for a family was $39,861. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $20,550 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,352. About 3.6% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
Nodaway Valley Community School District serves the community.[12] It was formed on July 1, 2000, by the consolidation of the districts of Greenfield and Bridgewater–Fontanelle.[13] Nodaway Valley High School is the joint high school.
The city's newspaper is The Fontanelle Observer, which now has a page on the website of the Creston News Advertiser. The office of the Observer is on 5th Street.
Defunct newspapers include The Fontanelle Register (established in 1862) and The Fontanelle Reporter (1879).[8]
There are two churches in Fontanelle: a United Methodist[14] and an Emmanuel Lutheran, established in 1874.[15]