[3] Located along the northern shore of Storm Lake , the city is home to Buena Vista University, King's Pointe Waterpark Resort, the Living Heritage Tree Museum, and the Santa's Castle holiday attraction.

Storm Lake's first European settler, Abner Bell, arrived in 1856, and the city was officially incorporated in 1873.

[4] Though early settlers found no natives permanently occupying the land, the area around the lake was likely used for fishing and hunting by tribes traveling from the north.

[7] An alternate story claims the lake took its name after two star-crossed lovers from opposed Native American bands paddled out for a secret rendezvous, only to be drowned as a sudden storm blew in.

[10] Storm Lake was a landing place of Hmong and Tai Dam refugees following the Vietnam War.

Storm Lake is currently one of ten cities in the mainland United States to host a polling location for Micronesian elections.

[14] Also that year, journalist Katie Couric interviewed Storm Lake residents for a National Geographic story on the town’s diversity.

[15] A 2020 article in Fox News highlighted Storm Lake as an example of the positive economic impacts of immigration on rural communities.

[19] Due to its location, Storm Lake is a popular campaign trail stop during presidential elections, having drawn visits from Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders.

The city hosts a satellite campus for Iowa Central Community College, including an industrial training center established in 2021.