Vinton, Iowa
Vinton is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,938 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 5,102 in 2000. It is also part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. Vinton is the county seat of Benton County. History. Vinton was founded in 1849. It was named for Hon. Plynn Vinton, a state legislator. The first railroad line was extended to Vinton in 1869, and it was incorporated as a city that same year. Geography. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land  and is water. Vinton is located on U.S. Route 218 and the Cedar River, which has flooded parts of the city, most recently in 2008. The town's extensive tree cover was damaged by a derecho (straight line windstorm) on July 11, 2011. Climate. This region experiences significant seasonal temperature fluctuations, going from warm summers to very cold winters. There is precipitation year-round, and snowfall occurs in almost all years. Most summer rainfall occurs during thunderstorms and a very occasional tropical system. Vinton averages 32.7 inches of precipitation annually. May and June are the wettest months; January and February , the driest. This area is classified as humid because it is not dry enough to be classified as semi-arid or arid. Demographics. 2010 census. As of the census of 2010, there were 5,257 people, 2,187 households, and 1,397 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,299 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.8% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population. There were 2,187  households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 40.3 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between  the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female. 2000 census. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,102 people, 2,116 households, and 1,390 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,187.7 people per square mile (458.1/km). There were 2,227 housing units at an average density of 518.4 per square mile (200.0/km). The racial makeup of the city was 98.26% White, 0.25% African American, 0.18 % Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population. There were 2,116 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family  size was 2.91. 25.0% are under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,114, and the median income for a family was $41,546. Males had a median income of $32,460 versus $19,988 for females. The per capita income  for the city was $19,808. About 9.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over. Parks and recreation. Nathan’s Miles Trail. On May 27, 2021, the Nathan's Miles Trail opened and is Iowa's first glow-in-the-dark recreation trail. The walking/biking concrete trail is named after Vinton's longtime trails advocate Nathan Hesson and is located in the southern edge of Vinton near his home connecting the Marvin Lindsey Baseball Complex near the Tilford Elementary  School to the Vinton-Shellsburg High School with a trailhead northeast of the school at the corner of 21st Street and Second Avenue. It traverses some of the land formerly with the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School and will connect to the middle school in the future. The trail is open 24 hours and is free. Ambient Glow Technology (AGT) provided 3000 pounds of glow stones which were imbedded into of the trail and resulted in one of the longest glow-in-the-dark recreation trails in the United States. According to Matt Boggess, Director of the Vinton Parks  and Recreation Department, with only 15 minutes of bright sunshine, the trail will glow-in-the-dark for up to 15 hours at night alleviating the need and the cost of lighting at night. Education. The Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District operates public schools. The district was established on July 1, 1993, by the merger of the Vinton Community School District and the Shellsburg Community School District. Vinton is the home of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, Iowa's state educational institution for vision-impaired students. Residing in the Braille School since 2008 is the North Central Region  headquarters for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). Media. Portions of downtown Vinton, along with the Benton County courthouse, were featured in the 1996 John Travolta film "Michael". Also seen during the movie's opening credits was Prairie Creek Church, a rural area Christian church located approximately six miles northeast of the city. Portions of downtown Vinton were used in the movie "The Final Season".