Boone, IA

Boone is located at 80km north of Des Moines. The Mamie Doud Eisenhower Birthplace offers a look at the house where the former first lady lived until age 10, complete with period furnishings. Ledges State Park, just outside town, has intriguing sandstone ledges in an area near the Des Moines River. One is the Kate Shelley High Bridge, said to be the highest and longest double-track railroad bridge in the U.S. Another is the ride on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, which is powered by a steam locomotive on its weekend runs.

Population (year 2000): 12,803. Estimated population in July 2005: 12,831 (+0.2% change)
Males: 6,040 (47.2%), Females: 6,763 (52.8%)

Boone County

Zip codes: 50036.

Median resident age: 37.7 years
Median household income: $38,179 (year 2000)
Median house value: $67,400 (year 2000)

Races in Boone:

Ancestries: German (32.8%), Irish (12.5%), English (10.8%), Swedish (9.4%), Norwegian (6.9%), United States (5.7%).

Elevation: 1130 feet

Land area: 8.9 square miles

For population 25 years and over in Boone

• High school or higher: 89.2%
• Bachelor's degree or higher: 17.8%
• Graduate or professional degree: 4.0%
• Unemployed: 3.7%
• Mean travel time to work: 19.0 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Boone city

• Never married: 24.1%
• Now married: 54.8%
• Separated: 1.0%
• Widowed: 9.7%
• Divorced: 10.5%

0.6% Foreign born

Population change in the 1990s: +351 (+2.8%).