Mason City is a city in Cerro Gordo County. Iowa. is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County.
From golf courses to speedways, there is a full calendar of events in Mason City. Each weekend offers several choices for entertainment in the area. Come see for yourself that Mason City is a great place to enjoy life.
Leisure time is learning time in Mason City. A wealth of cultural opportunities awaits residents and visitors to Mason City. Music leads the program, with art, architecture, history and theater rounding out the bill. Mason City is proud to have the Charles MacNider Art Museum and the Kinney Pioneer Museum, each special in their own way. The North Iowa Area Community College Performing Arts Series brings national touring groups, celebrities and presenters to North Iowa. The Community Theater and the Stebens Children’s Theatre showcase the best of community talent. Many architectural gifts from the past await you on the streets of Mason City. To learn about and appreciate the beauty of the Prairie School Style and a variety of other styles, take time for the Architectural Walking Tour or visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Stockman House.
The North Iowa Fair Facility is a multifaceted area offering a myriad of events through out the year from ag shows, dog and horse shows, to flea markets, craft shows, sport shows, conventions and more. The facility is home of the annual North Iowa Fair, North Iowa Recreational Arena, the North Iowa Outlaws NAHL team and I-35 Speedway auto races.
During the summer and fall enjoy a lake cruise aboard the Lady of the Lake paddlewheel boat or put your navigational skills to the test as you wind through two miles of paths at the Fort Custer Wooden Maze in Clear Lake.
Who doesn’t love a parade? The area’s signature North Iowa Band Festival Parade is held every year at the end of May. There are fireworks on the Third of July in Mason City and on the Fourth of July over Clear Lake. East Park hosts the annual Up in Smoke BBQ Bash in July and the Civil War Battle & Encampment in August. The Downtown Association sponsors several Friday Night Lives in Central Park.
Holidays are celebrated with a special flair in Mason City. Go for a spooky hike through Lime Creek Nature Center at Halloween, or begin the season with Home for the Holidays celebration in downtown. Lights and Christmas décor abound showing the pride that North Iowans have for their community.
Mason City is home to one of the nation's top-rated medical facilities - Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa. In 2004, it was named a Top 100 Hospital by Solucient for the third consecutive year. Living up to its motto, "Exceptional Quality, World Class Service," Mercy-North Iowa has more than 275 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners on staff to provide patients with the quality care they need. As the hub of Mercy Health Network-North Iowa, Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, manages nine rural primary care hospitals and owns 38 primary care and specialty clinics.
Mason City public schools lead the state in several standards, including 11th grade reading and math proficiency levels, graduation rates, and attendance rates.
Mason City Community School District students attend one of four elementary schools in the public school system. Education continues in two middle schools, one high school and one alternative high school.
Housing Cost
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $102,560
Mean prices in 2007: All housing units: $121,150; Detached houses: $120,747; Townhouses or other attached units: $199,819; In 2-unit structures: $87,689; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $99,599; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $121,298; Mobile homes: $10,000
Demographics
Population in July 2007: 27,505. Mason City covers 25.8 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 1,138 feet above sea level.
Zip codes: 50401, 50402 - Area code: 641
Weather
Mason City, IA climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and extremely cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 10's.
The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 82.90 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 3.20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 22 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 19 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Mason City is 34.58 Inches. Summer months tend to be wetter than winter months. The wettest month of the year is June with an average rainfall of 5.14 Inches.
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
