Columbus Junction is a city located in Louisa County, Iowa. In 2020, the population was 1,830.
Columbus Junction is located between the cities of Columbus City and Fredonia. The United States Census Bureau says that the city covers about 2.19 square miles (5.42 square kilometers) of land.
The Columbus Community School District serves Columbus Junction and several nearby towns.
Key Landmarks and Features
Columbus Junction is home to the historic Swinging Bridge, found one block south of Highway 92 near downtown. This cool bridge is made of steel cables and wood. It was built in 1922 and is 262 feet long. It used to connect Third and Fourth streets.
Origins and Early Growth
Columbus Junction began as a small settlement. It grew up where two important railroad lines met. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad built a line going east-west in 1858. Then, the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad built a line going north-south in 1870.
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The very first local business, a restaurant and a place for people to stay, opened the day after the second train line was finished. It was imported via the Rock Island from Muscatine, Iowa. A nearby town called Columbus City was already there.
Since the people who invested in the new railroad line got to name the new town, they called it Columbus Junction. Neighboring Columbus City had been established before the railroads arrived and both the Rock Island and BCR&M had built their lines over a mile's distance away.
Columbus Junction grew a lot between 1960 and 2000. This growth was mainly because of jobs in meat processing. From 1961 to 1982, a company called Rath Packing Company had a hog processing plant there. Later, in 1985, IBP took over the plant.
Demographics
People from many different places have moved to Columbus Junction over the years. This has made the city a diverse place. For example, many refugees from the Chin State in Myanmar (Burma) have moved there.
As of the census of 2020, there were 1,830 people residing in the city. The population density was 873.8 inhabitants per square mile (337.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was:
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- 49.5% White
- 1.4% Black or African American
- 1.3% Native American
- 10.2% Asian
- 0.0% Pacific Islander
- 23.2% from other races
- 14.3% from two or more races
The median age of people in the city was 37.4 years.
Population Trends
Here's a look at the population trends in Columbus Junction over the years:
| Year | Population | Density (per sq mi) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,900 | 879.6 |
| 2010 | 1,899 | 867.1 |
| 2020 | 1,830 | 873.8 |
Challenges and Recent Events
In 2008, a big flood in Iowa affected Columbus Junction. Many businesses were damaged.
A very important business in the city is a Tyson Foods meat processing plant. It is located just north of the city on Highway 70.
Meatpacking workers say a union would also address the breakneck pace of the line and the unremitting production pressures, which they say make injuries all but certain. They lift heavy turkey carcasses onto hooks at West Liberty and cut into pork limbs with dull knives at Tyson.
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Tyson to reopen Columbus Junction plant Tuesday after COVID-19 closure
Notable People
Bill Orr was raised in Columbus Junction. Billie Ray was born in Columbus Junction in 1928. She is the wife of former Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray.
Karl Weber was a television and radio actor. He starred in popular shows like Maverick, Perry Mason, and Dr. Kildare.