Fort Dodge, a city and the capital of Webster co., Iowa, on the Des Moines river, and the Iowa division of the Illinois Central railroad, at the terminus of the Des Moines Valley line, 70 m. X. X. W. of Des Moines; pop. in 1860, 672; in 1870, 3,095. The river, here about 250 ft. wide, affords water power, and coal and limestone are found in the vicinity.

The city contains a court house of stone, a high school building costing $30,000, two national banks, 10 public schools, a semi-weekly and two weekly newspapers, a monthly periodical, and six or eight churches, and has considerable trade.