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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Mason City (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Mason City. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Mason City is located in Cerro Gordo County and is the County Seat.

To see how the shape of Iowa's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Cerro Gordo County: Butler, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Mitchell, Winnebago, Worth & Wright.

Below are the counties that are near Mason City. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Mason City:

  • Cerro Gordo County     (The home county of Mason City)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • Mason City Junction
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Portland
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Cameron
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cameron. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameron
      • Cameron is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cameron
      • From Mason City to Cameron
    • Plymouth Junction
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Rock Falls
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Falls
      • Rock Falls is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 146 people
    • Plymouth
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plymouth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plymouth
      • Plymouth is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 361 people
    • Burchinal
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Creamery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Creamery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creamery
      • Creamery is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Creamery
      • From Mason City to Creamery
    • Clear Lake
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Rockwell
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Cartersville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Swaledale
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Butler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • Aredale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Greene
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Dumont
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dumont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dumont
      • Dumont is located in Butler County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 595 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dumont <3>
    • Bristow
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Floyd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • Nora Springs
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nora Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nora Springs
      • Nora Springs is located in Floyd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,342 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nora Springs <3>
    • Rockford
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Rudd
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Aureola
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aureola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aureola
      • Aureola is located in Floyd County
    • Marble Rock
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marble Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marble Rock
      • Marble Rock is located in Floyd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 287 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marble Rock <3>
    • Roseville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Floyd
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Oakwood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Charles City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Colwell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colwell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colwell
      • Colwell is located in Floyd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colwell <3>
  • Franklin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • Sheffield
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sheffield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheffield
      • Sheffield is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,096 people
    • Chapin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Hansell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Alexander
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Hampton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hampton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hampton
      • Hampton is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,162 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hampton <3>
    • Latimer
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Latimer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latimer
      • Latimer is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 463 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Latimer <3>
    • Coulter
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Hancock County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • Garner
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garner have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garner
      • Garner is located in Hancock County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,031 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garner <3>
    • Klemme
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Klemme have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klemme
      • Klemme is located in Hancock County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 455 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Klemme <3>
    • Goodell
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Duncan
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Britt
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • Crystal Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crystal Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lake
      • Crystal Lake is located in Hancock County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 228 people
  • Mitchell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • Rock Creek
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Carpenter
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carpenter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carpenter
      • Carpenter is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 108 people
    • Mitchell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Orchard
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orchard have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchard
      • Orchard is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
    • Osage
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Saint Ansgar
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Ansgar have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Ansgar
      • Saint Ansgar is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,125 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Ansgar <3>
    • Toeterville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toeterville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toeterville
      • Toeterville is located in Mitchell County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toeterville <3>
    • Little Cedar
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Cedar have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Cedar
      • Little Cedar is located in Mitchell County
    • Stacyville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • New Haven
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for New Haven. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Haven
      • New Haven is located in Mitchell County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to New Haven
      • From Mason City to New Haven
  • Winnebago County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • Forest City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Lake Mills
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Mills
      • Lake Mills is located in Winnebago County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,987 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Mills <3>
    • Leland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Scarville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scarville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scarville
      • Scarville is located in Winnebago County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scarville <3>
  • Worth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • Manly
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Hanlontown
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hanlontown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanlontown
      • Hanlontown is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
    • Kensett
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kensett have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kensett
      • Kensett is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 249 people
    • Grafton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Fertile
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fertile have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fertile
      • Fertile is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 356 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fertile <3>
    • Bolan
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Joice
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Joice have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joice
      • Joice is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
    • Northwood
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Northwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northwood
      • Northwood is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,958 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Northwood <3>
    • Bristol
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Silver Lake
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
  • Wright County
  • Freeborn County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.
    • London
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for London. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for London
      • London is located in Freeborn County (MN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to London
      • From Mason City to London
    • Myrtle
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myrtle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrtle
      • Myrtle is located in Freeborn County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people
    • Emmons
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emmons have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmons
      • Emmons is located in Freeborn County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 380 people
    • Glenville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenville
      • Glenville is located in Freeborn County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 624 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glenville <3>
    • Twin Lakes
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Mower County (MN)
    • Lyle
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyle
      • Lyle is located in Mower County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 553 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyle <3>

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Mason City, see our County-by-County Page for Mason City.

Cemeteries Near Mason City ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mason City.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Mason City covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.

  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Josephs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Josephs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Elmwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elmwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elmwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the IOOF Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the IOOF Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Owen's Grove Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Owen's Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Owen's Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rock Falls Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rock Falls Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rock Falls Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bohemian Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Oakwood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Clear Lake Municipal Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Manly Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Manly Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Manly Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Vernon Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Vernon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Vernon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (184 more) ...
    • Spring Grove Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Grove Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spring Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wise Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wise Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wise Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Lincoln Twp. Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Mason City had a population of 4,007 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Mason City had a population of 26,682 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Mason City, with the one closest to Mason City listed first.

  • Mason City Junction
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Cameron
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cameron. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameron
    • Cameron is located in Cerro Gordo County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Cameron
    • From Mason City to Cameron
  • Portland
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Rock Falls
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Falls
    • Rock Falls is located in Cerro Gordo County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 146 people
  • Plymouth Junction
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Burchinal
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Plymouth
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plymouth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plymouth
    • Plymouth is located in Cerro Gordo County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 361 people
  • Creamery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Creamery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creamery
    • Creamery is located in Cerro Gordo County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Creamery
    • From Mason City to Creamery
  • Manly
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Nora Springs
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nora Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nora Springs
    • Nora Springs is located in Floyd County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,342 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nora Springs <3>
  • Clear Lake
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Rockwell
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Swaledale
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Kensett
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kensett have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kensett
      • Kensett is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 249 people
    • Grafton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Mason City. See our List of 1890's Communities around Mason City.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Mason City ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 75 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mason City.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Mason City. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Mason City and those printed in the larger area surrounding Mason City.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6> of Mason City.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Mason City:

The official website for Mason City: www.masoncity.net/

The official website for Cerro Gordo County: www.co.cerro-gordo.ia.us/

The official website for State of Iowa: https://www.iowa.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Mason City, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Mason City) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Mason City. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.1518, Longitude: -93.1994    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025