The city was named after Nathaniel Macon, American politician. It was originally plotted in 1856 on land owned by the Illinois Central Railroad. Macon was officially incorporated as a city on April 19, 1869.
Geography
Macon is located at . According to the 2010 census, Macon has a total area of, all land.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 51
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,213 people, 467 households, and 346 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,376.2 people per square mile. There were 491 housing units at an average density of 557.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 98.85% White, 0.25% African American, 0.33% Asian, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population. There were 467 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couplesliving together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98. In the city, the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,917, and the median income for a family was $48,583. Males had a median income of $35,333 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,029. About 5.1% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Macon is the site of Macon Speedway, a 1/5 mile high-banked dirt oval track which has been in operation since 1946. In 2006, the track saw a major decrease in spectator turnouts and the owner was having trouble keeping the track open. In early 2007, Macon speedway was purchased by NASCAR driversTony Stewart, Ken Schrader, and Kenny Wallace. Since their purchase, parts of the track have been remodeled, including new fencing all around and fresh painted grandstands.
Notable people
Dale Connelly, co-host of Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Show, is a 1973 graduate of Macon High School
Nelson G. Kraschel, governor of Iowa from 1937 to 1939, was born on a farm near Macon on October 27, 1889
Brian Snitker, Manager of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, former professional baseball player, was a 1973 graduate of Macon High School.
Toby Towson, NCAA Gymnastics Champion, coach and dancer was a 1965 graduate of Macon High School
