Calhoun County, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Calhoun County
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    Clockwise from top: Calhoun County Courthouse in Rockwell City, the former Lake City Public Library, a grain elevator in the small town of Somers rises from a field at sunset, and the historic Central School in Lake City
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Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
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 Iowa's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Founded | 1855 |
| Named for | John C. Calhoun |
| Seat | Rockwell City |
| Largest city | Rockwell City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 572 sq mi (1,480 km2) |
| • Land | 570 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Water | 2.1 sq mi (5 km2) 0.4% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,927 |
| • Density | 17.355/sq mi (6.701/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Calhoun County is a county located in the state of Iowa. In 2020, about 9,927 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Rockwell City.
Contents
History of Calhoun County
Calhoun County was created on January 15, 1851. It was first called Fox County. In 1853, it was renamed after John C. Calhoun, who was the seventh US vice president.
In 1870, train tracks for the Illinois Central Railroad were built through the county. Because of this, the county seat moved from Lake City to Rockwell City. The first train arrived in Rockwell City on August 7, 1882. The number of people living in the county doubled that same year!
The first courthouse, which was made of wood, burned down in 1884. The county government then moved into a nearby hotel. The current courthouse was built in 1913.
On July 6, 1893, the town of Pomeroy was hit by a very strong tornado. This tornado was rated F5 on the Fujita scale, which is the highest level. It was about 500 yards wide and traveled for 55 miles. The tornado destroyed about 80% of the homes in Pomeroy. Sadly, 71 people died and 200 were hurt.
Geography of Calhoun County
Calhoun County covers a total area of about 572 square miles. Most of this (570 square miles) is land, and a small part (2.1 square miles) is water.
Nature and Land
Calhoun County is part of a flat area in Iowa called the Des Moines Lobe. This area was shaped by glaciers a long time ago. It's mostly flat or gently rolling, with some small hills and dips left by the glaciers. Unlike some other parts of Iowa, it doesn't have much loess, which is a type of fine soil.
The rivers and streams here are not very well developed. Most of the natural lakes in Iowa are found in the northern part of this region. A long time ago, this area had many wetlands and wet prairies. But now, most of the land has been changed for farming. Many wetlands and natural lakes have been drained using special pipes or ditches to make more farmland.
Main Roads
Here are the main highways that go through Calhoun County:
U.S. Highway 20
Iowa Highway 4
Iowa Highway 7
Iowa Highway 175
Neighboring Counties
Calhoun County shares borders with these counties:
- Pocahontas County (to the north)
- Webster County (to the east)
- Greene County (to the southeast)
- Carroll County (to the southwest)
- Sac County (to the west)
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 147 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,602 | 989.8% | |
| 1880 | 5,595 | 249.3% | |
| 1890 | 13,107 | 134.3% | |
| 1900 | 18,569 | 41.7% | |
| 1910 | 17,090 | −8.0% | |
| 1920 | 17,783 | 4.1% | |
| 1930 | 17,605 | −1.0% | |
| 1940 | 17,584 | −0.1% | |
| 1950 | 16,925 | −3.7% | |
| 1960 | 15,923 | −5.9% | |
| 1970 | 14,287 | −10.3% | |
| 1980 | 13,542 | −5.2% | |
| 1990 | 11,508 | −15.0% | |
| 2000 | 11,115 | −3.4% | |
| 2010 | 9,670 | −13.0% | |
| 2020 | 9,927 | 2.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,763 | 1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018 |
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2020 Census Details
In 2020, the census counted 9,927 people living in Calhoun County. This means there were about 17 people for every square mile. Most people (97.22%) said they belonged to one race. About 91.88% were non-Hispanic White, 1.53% were Black, and 2.38% were Hispanic. There were 4,771 homes in the county, and 4,070 of them were lived in.
2010 Census Details
In 2010, the county's population was 9,670. There were 5,108 homes, and 4,242 of them were occupied.
Towns and Communities
Cities
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially cities:
- Easley
- Knoke
- Sherwood
- Twin Lakes, which is a special type of place counted by the census.
Townships
Calhoun County is divided into sixteen areas called townships:
- Butler
- Calhoun
- Cedar
- Center
- Elm Grove
- Garfield
- Greenfield
- Jackson
- Lake Creek
- Lincoln
- Logan
- Reading
- Sherman
- Twin Lakes
- Union
- Williams
Population Ranking of Towns
This table shows how many people lived in each city or town in Calhoun County in 2020.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
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| 1 | † Rockwell City | City | 2,240 |
| 2 | Lake City | City | 1,731 |
| 3 | Manson | City | 1,709 |
| 4 | Pomeroy | City | 526 |
| 5 | Farnhamville (partially in Webster County) | City | 383 |
| 6 | Lohrville | City | 381 |
| 7 | Twin Lakes | CDP | 316 |
| 8 | Lytton (mostly in Sac County) | City | 40 (282 total) |
| 9 | Somers | City | 128 |
| 10 | Knierim | City | 53 |
| 11 | Rinard | City | 38 |
| 12 | Jolley | City | 28 |
| 13 | Yetter | City | 19 |
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Calhoun (Iowa) para niños
