Mayor’s Welcome

City of

Fort Dodge is a city that I am proud to call home. I believe our community is and has been experiencing some of the most exciting developments and opportunities in our city’s history. As Mayor and on behalf of our City Council, I would like to extend to you a warm and genuine welcome to the City of Fort Dodge and Webster County. Fort Dodge is the county seat for Webster County, IA with a population of over 26,000 and serves as a regional retail hub for the surrounding communities.

With a rich history Fort Dodge was founded in 1869 as a military fort. We were built around the mining industry (gypsum, clay, and limestone), then animal pharmaceuticals, and now with bio-chem/bio tech and other agriculture related industries. Over the years Fort Dodge has seen many changes with the addition and expansion of companies like CJ Bio America, Cargill, Elanco, Friendship Haven, Unity Point, and AML Riverside. We continue to experience economic growth as our community comes together to find ways to make Fort Dodge a dynamic and exciting place to live. Additionally, Fort Dodge’s Historic Downtown was recently designated as a “Main Street Iowa” community which highlights the vibrancy of the varied small businesses, boutiques, and restaurants located in the downtown area. The City of Fort Dodge is dedicated to working in partnership with The Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, local businesses and area citizens to enhance our quality of life.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming community with picturesque neighborhoods, firstclass educational opportunities, state-of-the-art health services, many service clubs and organizations, an array of arts and culture as well as boundless activities through recreation, local attractions and entertainment venues. Through purposeful collaboration we have made great strides to develop our infrastructure, retail sector, and recreational and educational opportunities that have helped our community thrive.

Again, I welcome you to our great community and invite you to discover why Fort Dodge is a strong community in which to live, work and play.

Matt Bemrich

Mayor, City of Fort Dodge

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