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Appanoose County, Iowa facts for kids

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Appanoose County
U.S. county
Appanoose County Courthouse
Appanoose County Courthouse
Map of Iowa highlighting Appanoose County
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Map of the United States highlighting Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Iowa
Founded 1843
Named for Chief Appanoose
Seat Centerville
Largest city Centerville
Area
 • Total 516 sq mi (1,340 km2)
 • Land 497 sq mi (1,290 km2)
 • Water 19 sq mi (50 km2)  3.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 12,317
 • Density 23.870/sq mi (9.216/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Appanoose County is a place in Iowa, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 12,317 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Centerville.

History of Appanoose County

Appanoose
Chief Appanoose, a Meskwaki leader.

Appanoose County was created on February 17, 1843. It was named after Appanoose, a wise Meskwaki Chief. He believed in peace and did not fight in the Black Hawk War.

The county's main town, Centerville, was first called Chaldea. It was later renamed Senterville to honor Congressman William Tandy Senter from Tennessee.

The first courthouse was built in 1848 for only $160. It was used until 1857. A second courthouse opened in 1864. Sadly, it burned down during a Fourth of July fireworks show. The third and current courthouse was opened on May 21, 1903.

In 1832, a group of soldiers explored the area that would become Appanoose County. They passed near where the city of Moulton is today. Early settlers found two main trails. One was the path the soldiers took. The other was called the "bee trace." It was used by people collecting honey.

Geography and Nature

Appanoose County covers about 516 square miles. Most of this area, 497 square miles, is land. The rest, about 19 square miles, is water.

The biggest water feature is Rathbun Reservoir. This large lake was made by building a dam on the Chariton River.

Main Roads

These are the important roads that go through Appanoose County:

  • Circle sign 2.svg Iowa Highway 2
  • Circle sign 5.svg Iowa Highway 5
  • Elongated circle 202.svg Iowa Highway 202

Neighboring Counties

Appanoose County shares borders with these other counties:

People of Appanoose County

AppanooseCountyIowaPop2020
How the population of Appanoose County has changed over time.

The county's population has changed a lot over the years. Here's a look at how many people have lived in Appanoose County during different census years:

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 3,131 —
1860 11,931 281.1%
1870 16,456 37.9%
1880 16,636 1.1%
1890 18,961 14.0%
1900 25,927 36.7%
1910 28,701 10.7%
1920 30,535 6.4%
1930 24,835 −18.7%
1940 24,245 −2.4%
1950 19,683 −18.8%
1960 16,015 −18.6%
1970 15,007 −6.3%
1980 15,511 3.4%
1990 13,743 −11.4%
2000 13,721 −0.2%
2010 12,884 −6.1%
2020 12,317 −4.4%
2023 (est.) 12,119 −5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018

In 2020, the census counted 12,317 people in Appanoose County. This means there were about 25 people living in each square mile. Most people (93.03%) were non-Hispanic White. About 1.88% were Hispanic, and 0.61% were Black.

Towns and Areas

Cities

Townships

Appanoose County is divided into 17 smaller areas called townships:

  • Bellair
  • Caldwell
  • Chariton
  • Douglas
  • Franklin
  • Independence
  • Johns
  • Lincoln
  • Pleasant
  • Sharon
  • Taylor
  • Udell
  • Union
  • Vermillion
  • Walnut
  • Washington
  • Wells

City Populations (2020)

This table shows the population of cities and towns in Appanoose County from the 2020 census.

† county seat

Rank City/Town Population (2020 Census)
1 † Centerville 5,412
2 Moravia 636
3 Moulton 607
4 Mystic 322
5 Cincinnati 290
6 Exline 160
7 Unionville 75
8 Numa 68
9 Plano 59
10 Rathbun 43
11 Udell 28

Images for kids

  • Centerville Iowa East Entrance Sign

    Welcome sign for Centerville, Iowa.

  • AppanooseCountyIA2022PopPyr

    A population pyramid showing age groups in Appanoose County.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Appanoose para niños

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