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Cedar County, Iowa facts for kids

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Cedar County
Cedar County Courthouse
Cedar County Courthouse
Map of Iowa highlighting Cedar 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 1837
Named for Cedar River
Seat Tipton
Largest city Tipton
Area
 • Total 582 sq mi (1,510 km2)
 • Land 579 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Water 2.5 sq mi (6 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 18,505 Increase
 • Density 32/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Cedar County is a county in the state of Iowa, USA. A county is like a smaller region within a state. In 2020, about 18,505 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Tipton. The county gets its name from the Cedar River, which flows through it.

Cedar County is special because it's located between three big city areas: Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, and Iowa City. People sometimes call this the "Tri-Metro" area. It's also the only county in Iowa named after a tree!

History of Cedar County

Cedar County was officially created on December 21, 1837. It was formed from parts of another area called Dubuque County. As you know, it was named after the Cedar River.

In 1840, the town of Tipton was started. Tipton is still the county seat today.

Before the Civil War, the area around West Branch was very important. It was a key part of the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people from the southern states find freedom.

A famous person, Herbert Hoover, was born in West Branch in Cedar County in 1874. He later became the 31st President of the United States.

The Cedar County Sheriff's House and Jail is an interesting old building. It was used as both a jail and the sheriff's home for a very long time. It closed in 2001 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Geography and Nature

Cedar County covers a total area of about 582 square miles (1,507 square kilometers). Most of this is land, about 579 square miles (1,499 square kilometers). Only a small part, about 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), is water. Rock Creek is one of the waterways that flows through Cedar County.

Main Roads

Several important highways pass through Cedar County, making it easy to travel.

  • I-80.svg Interstate 80
  • US 6.svg U.S. Highway 6
  • US 30.svg U.S. Highway 30
  • Elongated circle 38.svg Iowa Highway 38
  • Elongated circle 130.svg Iowa Highway 130

Neighboring Counties

Cedar County shares its borders with several other counties:

Special Protected Area

People and Population

The number of people living in Cedar County has changed over the years. Here's how the population has grown or shrunk according to the U.S. Census:

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 3,941
1860 12,949 228.6%
1870 19,731 52.4%
1880 18,936 −4.0%
1890 18,253 −3.6%
1900 19,371 6.1%
1910 17,765 −8.3%
1920 17,560 −1.2%
1930 16,760 −4.6%
1940 16,884 0.7%
1950 16,910 0.2%
1960 17,791 5.2%
1970 17,655 −0.8%
1980 18,635 5.6%
1990 17,444 −6.4%
2000 18,187 4.3%
2010 18,499 1.7%
2020 18,505 0.0%
2023 (est.) 18,302 −1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
CedarCountyIowaPop2020
This chart shows how the population of Cedar County has changed over time, based on U.S. census data.

What the 2020 Census Shows

In 2020, the census counted 18,505 people in Cedar County. This means there were about 32 people living in each square mile. Most people (about 91.92%) were non-Hispanic White. Other groups included Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian people. About 4.51% of the population identified as more than one race.

CedarCountyIA2022PopPyr
This graph, called a population pyramid, shows the different age groups and genders in Cedar County in 2022.

Towns and Communities

Cedar County has several towns and smaller communities.

Cities

Special Community (CDP)

  • Rochester is a "Census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's a community that looks like a town but isn't officially governed as a city.

Smaller Communities (Unincorporated)

Townships

Cedar County is also divided into seventeen smaller areas called townships:

  • Cass
  • Center
  • Dayton
  • Fairfield
  • Farmington
  • Fremont
  • Gower
  • Inland
  • Iowa
  • Linn
  • Massillon
  • Pioneer
  • Red Oak
  • Rochester
  • Springdale
  • Springfield
  • Sugar Creek

Biggest Towns by Population

Here are the towns in Cedar County ranked by how many people live in them, based on the 2020 census. The symbol means it's the county seat.

Rank City/Town/etc. Type Population (2020 Census)
1 Tipton City 3,149
2 Wilton (mostly in Muscatine County) City 2,924
3 West Branch (partially in Johnson County) City 2,509
4 Durant (partially in Muscatine and Scott Counties) City 1,871
5 Clarence City 1,039
6 Mechanicsville City 1,020
7 Lowden City 807
8 Stanwood City 637
9 Bennett City 347
10 Rochester CDP 142

Famous People from Cedar County

  • Herbert Hoover (1874–1964): He was the 31st President of the United States from 1929 to 1933. He was born in West Branch in 1874 and was the first president born west of the Mississippi River.
  • John Brown (1800–1859): He was an abolitionist, meaning he worked to end slavery. He stayed near the community of Springdale in Cedar County while planning his actions to help free enslaved people. Two local men, Edwin and Barclay Coppock, also helped him.
  • Lawrie Tatum (1822–1900): He was an agent who worked with the Kiowa and Comanche Native American tribes. Later, starting in 1884, he became the guardian for the future President Herbert Hoover.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Cedar (Iowa) para niños

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