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Clarke County, Iowa facts for kids

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Clarke County
Clarke County Courthouse in Osceola
Clarke County Courthouse in Osceola
Map of Iowa highlighting Clarke 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 January 13, 1846
Named for James Clarke
Seat Osceola
Largest city Osceola
Area
 • Total 432 sq mi (1,120 km2)
 • Land 431 sq mi (1,120 km2)
 • Water 0.6 sq mi (2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 9,748
 • Density 22.565/sq mi (8.712/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Clarke County is a county in the state of Iowa. In 2020, about 9,748 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Osceola.

Clarke County was created in January 1846. It was one of twelve counties made at that time. The county was named after James Clarke. He was a governor of the Iowa Territory.

History of Clarke County

The first building used as a courthouse in Clarke County was a two-story wooden building in Osceola. In 1883, a new brick courthouse was built in the town square.

By the 1950s, this building was too small. A new, modern courthouse was finished in 1956. This building, the current courthouse, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

Geography and Location

Clarke County covers about 432 square miles. Most of this area is land, about 431 square miles. A small part, about 0.6 square miles, is water.

Counties Nearby

Clarke County shares borders with several other counties:

Major Roads and Highways

Several important roads pass through Clarke County:

  • I-35.svg Interstate 35: This highway runs north and south through the middle of the county. It goes through Osceola.
  • US 34.svg U.S. Highway 34: This highway runs east and west through the middle of the county. It also passes through Osceola.
  • US 69.svg U.S. Highway 69: This highway enters the county from the northeast. It goes southwest to Osceola, then south to the county line.

Public Transportation

Towns and Communities

Clarke County has several towns and smaller communities.

Cities in Clarke County

Smaller Unincorporated Communities

  • Hopeville
  • Jamison
  • Lacelle
  • Liberty
  • Ottawa
  • Smyrna

Townships in Clarke County

Townships are smaller areas within a county. Clarke County has twelve townships:

  • Doyle
  • Franklin
  • Fremont
  • Green Bay
  • Jackson
  • Knox
  • Liberty
  • Madison
  • Osceola
  • Troy
  • Ward
  • Washington

Population and Demographics

The population of Clarke County has changed over the years.

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 79
1860 5,427 6,769.6%
1870 8,735 61.0%
1880 11,513 31.8%
1890 11,332 −1.6%
1900 12,440 9.8%
1910 10,736 −13.7%
1920 10,506 −2.1%
1930 10,384 −1.2%
1940 10,233 −1.5%
1950 9,369 −8.4%
1960 8,222 −12.2%
1970 7,581 −7.8%
1980 8,612 13.6%
1990 8,287 −3.8%
2000 9,133 10.2%
2010 9,286 1.7%
2020 9,748 5.0%
2023 (est.) 9,588 3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
ClarkeCountyIowaPop2020
This graph shows how the population of Clarke County has changed over time, based on US census data.

Population in 2020

In 2020, the county's population was 9,748 people. This means there were about 22 people living per square mile. Most people (about 93%) reported being of one race. There were 4,268 homes in the county, and 3,871 of them were lived in.

ClarkeCountyIA2022PopPyr
This chart shows the age groups in Clarke County in 2022. It's called a population pyramid.

Population in 2010

In 2010, Clarke County had 9,286 people. There were 4,086 homes, and 3,701 of them were lived in.

Ranking of Cities by Population

The table below shows the cities in Clarke County, ranked by how many people lived there in 2020.

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Type Population (2020 Census)
1 Osceola City 5,415
2 Murray City 684
3 Woodburn City 146
4 Weldon (mostly in Decatur County) City 136

See also

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

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