Washta is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 209 at the time of the 2020 census. It is called "The Coldest Spot in Iowa", recording a temperature of without wind chill on January 12, 1912. Washta's name dates back to 1868 when a local man named Whisman turned his farm into a trading post/mail stop for the freight train going from Correctionville, Iowa, to Cherokee, Iowa. He was asked to be the official postmaster for the area. When asked what the name of his town would be, he recalled an interesting encounter with two Native Americans the year before: While Whisman was out hunting, the two came upon him, removed his gun, looked at it, and handed it back while saying, Wash-tay, Wash-tay, meaning "good". Changing the pronunciation slightly, Whisman decided he would call the town Washta. Geography Washta is located at (42.575896, -95.718051). It is situated near the Little Sioux River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 248 people, 110 households, and 73 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 123 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.2% White, 0.4% Asian, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population. There were 110 households, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the city was 45.8 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 23.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female. 2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 282 people, 117 households, and 69 families residing