Explore Ruthven, Iowa, with this interactive street and satellite map.
| City | Ruthven |
| State | Iowa (IA) |
| County | Palo Alto County |
| Country | United States of America |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| Latitude | 43.129132 |
| Longitude | -94.899153 |
| Population | 725 |
| Density | 686.1 /km² |
| Incorporated | Yes |
| ZIP Code | 51358 |
| Area Code | 563 |
| County Seat | Emmetsburg |
| School District | Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District |
Ruthven emerges from the expansive horizon as a quiet collection of structures anchored to the deep, fertile soil of the Iowa plains. It lies 12.4 miles east of Spencer, IA (from Spencer, IA: bearing 94°T), and is situated 19.1 miles south of Estherville. The landscape here is defined by the rigorous geometry of agriculture, where vast fields of corn and soybeans stretch toward the sky in an unceasing display of seasonal color. Nearby, the stillness of Virgin Lake offers a reflective surface for the shifting prairie light, while the slow, deliberate movement of the Lost Island Outlet carves a subtle path through the surrounding terrain. Evenings bring a particular clarity to the air, sharpening the outlines of the grain elevators that stand as sentinels above the flat, tilled earth.
Hardworking traditions rooted in Scandinavian and German ancestry continue to shape the character of Ruthven, where the pace of life adheres to the rhythms of the harvest and the changing seasons. The local economy remains tethered to the productivity of the soil, maintaining a quiet industriousness that supports the daily needs of the residents. To the east, the Barringer Slough Waterfowl Production Area provides a sanctuary for migratory birds, serving as a reminder of the wilder prairie that once dominated this region. This landscape does not demand attention with grand gestures, but instead offers a subtle, literate civility to those who observe the way the autumn sun gilds the dry stalks or the way the winter wind sweeps across the open, frozen ground.
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This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Ruthven, Iowa. Coordinates: 43.129132, -94.899153. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.
Detailed location data for Ruthven includes the ZIP code (51358), telephone area code (563), county seat of Palo Alto County (Emmetsburg), and school district assignment (Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District).
Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.
| Page generated | August 2026 |
| Location data | SimpleMaps US Cities Database; coordinates matched to USGS GNIS definitive data |
| Wikipedia validation | Article content matched to USGS GNIS coordinates via Wikipedia geosearch API. |