Emergency Crime Scene and Biohazard Cleanup in Schaller, IA

Schaller is a city in Sac County that was founded in August 1879 as a station on a railroad then under construction, and it was incorporated in 1882.

Schaller was named after Phillip Schaller, and its early settlers came mostly from Germany, England, Canada, New York, and eastern Iowa.

Schaller became known as "The Popcorn Capital of the World" because the Bango and Jolly Time popcorn packing companies operated there through the middle of the 20th century.

Schaller's popcorn packers moved on to other locations in the 1980s, but popcorn remains a major crop in the surrounding Sac County countryside.

Schaller celebrates its heritage with the annual Popcorn Days festival, which has been held for more than 70 years and draws former residents back to town each summer.

The 2020 census counted 729 people in Schaller living in 297 households, down from the city's peak of 896 residents in 1960.

Schaller's Hispanic and Latino population grew from 9.6 percent of the city in 2010 to 21.0 percent in 2020, reflecting the changing workforce of northwest Iowa agriculture.

Schaller's railroad ceased operations and its tracks were pulled up in the 1970s, leaving U.S. Route 20 and Iowa Highway 110 as the city's main transportation links.

Schaller students attend the Schaller-Crestland Community School District, which shares its schools with the neighboring Galva-Holstein district under the collective name Ridge View.

Schaller covers 1.26 square miles in Eureka Township, surrounded by corn, soybean, and feeder-cattle country.