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Lost Nation, IowaPhoto: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Lost Nation handbook

Living in Lost Nation, IA: what to set up and who to call

Lost Nation Water Supply has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 5.0 ppb, was higher than 90% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). The closest ER is Jackson County Regional Health Center, 10.4 miles away.

I’m new in town

What to set up in Lost Nation, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Lost Nation.

Electricity

Power comes from Interstate Power and Light

Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Lost Nation. Its homes paid an average of 17.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $131 a month (its average across Iowa).

Start or move service: alliantenergy.com · (319) 786-4411

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Drinking water · reported to EPA

Water comes from Lost Nation Water Supply

Lost Nation Water Supply supplies Lost Nation: about 96% of residents live in its service area. About 4% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 434 people in all.

No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people.

Lead, 90th percentile5.0 ppb
015 ppb action level20

The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 5.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 90% of similar systems’ latest results.

The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report

EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. IA2346047.

Internet

2 home internet providers serve Lost Nation

100% of 241 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Lost Nation-Elwood Telephone CompanyFiber100%500/500
T-MobileFixed wireless80%100/20

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Lost Nation’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Lost Nation.

Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Lost Nation kids go to
PK–5Midland Elementaryin Oxford Junction
6–12Midland Middle/High Schoolin Wyoming

Lost Nation is in Midland Community School District.

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Nov 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Lost Nation is in ZIP code 52254

ZIP codes where Lost Nation residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of Lost NationZIP’s residents in Lost Nation
52254Lost Nation, IA100%49%
Area code563Wikidata

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Lost Nation

Who supplies Lost Nation’s drinking water, and has it had violations?

Lost Nation Water Supply (EPA ID IA2346047). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 5.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.

Who provides electricity in Lost Nation?

Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Lost Nation?

Lost Nation-Elwood Telephone Company, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Lost Nation?

52254. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Lost Nation in?

Midland Community School District.

How do I register to vote in Lost Nation?

In Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Clinton County Auditor. Check your registration at sos.iowa.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.