Swaledale Iowa Map

About Swaledale, Iowa

Swaledale is a locality in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. It is a small community with a population of 144. The population density is 223.3 people per km². Swaledale is located at 42.9786°N, 93.3169°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. Swaledale is an incorporated locality. ZIP code: 50477.

Swaledale occupies a quiet expanse of the Iowa prairie, where the horizon stretches into an infinite, flat canvas defined by the precise geometry of tilled soil. It lies 13.4 miles south-southwest of Mason City, IA (from Mason City, IA: bearing 206°T), and is situated 11.5 miles south-southeast of Clear Lake. The land surrounding Swaledale maintains a steady, rhythmic slope, broken only by the thin, winding ribbon of West Branch Beaverdam Creek that cuts through the earth a mile from the center. Beyond the immediate fields, the landscape shifts toward the horizon where the distant rise of Pilot Knob suggests a subtle break in the monotony of the plains. As dusk descends, the light turns a bruised, dusty violet, casting long, thin shadows that stretch across the rows of corn and soybeans, lending the vast, open space an air of profound, watchful stillness.

Agriculture serves as the essential pulse of the region, grounding the lives of those who work the dense, fertile earth that has supported local families for generations. The legacy of the area is tied to the industry of the soil, with the daily pace dictated by the seasonal requirements of harvest and planting. Residents find a quiet respite in the natural expanse of the Stille Wildlife Area, a nearby sanctuary that preserves the native character of the prairie, while the presence of the distant Claybanks Forest offers a deeper, darker contrast to the sun-drenched fields. Life here is defined by an unshowy, persistent civility, where the weight of the seasons provides a constant, reliable structure to the passage of time.

About This Swaledale Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Swaledale, Iowa. Coordinates: 42.978576, -93.316871. 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 Swaledale includes the ZIP code (50477), telephone area code (515), county seat of Cerro Gordo County (Mason City), and school district assignment (West Fork 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.