Map of Peterson city, Iowa

Peterson is a city in Clay County, Iowa, United States. The population was 322 in the 2020 census, a decline from 372 in 2000.

Peterson city overview:
Name:	Peterson city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Iowa
County:	Clay County
Elevation:	1,250 ft (381 m)
Total Area:	0.54 sq mi (1.40 km²)
Land Area:	0.52 sq mi (1.34 km²)
Water Area:	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km²)
Total Population:	322
Population Density:	620.42/sq mi (239.47/km²)
ZIP code:	51047
Area code:	712
FIPS code:	1962625
GNISfeature ID:	0460102

Online Interactive Map

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Peterson online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Peterson location map. Where is Peterson city?

Peterson location on the U.S. Map. Where is Peterson city. — Peterson location on the U.S. Map.

Peterson location on the Iowa map. Where is Peterson city. — Location of Peterson in Iowa.

History

The first settlement was made at Peterson in 1856. In 1862, a fort was built in Peterson by settlers to defend against anticipated Dakota attacks during the Dakota War, though the fort was never attacked. The blockhouse from this fort still stands near its original location at the corner of Second and Park.

Peterson was platted in 1881 when the railroad was extended to that point. The city was named for Adlie Peterson, an early settler.