Jasper County, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jasper County
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Jasper County Courthouse in Newton
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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 | 1846 |
| Named for | William Jasper |
| Seat | Newton |
| Largest city | Newton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 733 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
| • Land | 730 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
| • Water | 2.5 sq mi (6 km2) 0.3% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 37,813 |
| • Density | 51.59/sq mi (19.918/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Jasper County is a county located in the state of Iowa in the United States. It's like a special area within the state. As of the 2020 census, about 37,813 people live here.
The main town, or county seat, of Jasper County is Newton. The county was created in 1846. It was named after Sergeant William Jasper, who was a hero during the American Revolutionary War.
Jasper County is also part of a larger area called the Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's connected to the bigger cities of Des Moines and West Des Moines.
Contents
Geography
Jasper County covers a total area of about 733 square miles. Most of this is land, with only a small part being water. The North and South Skunk River flow through the county, which are important waterways. You can also find Lake Mariposa and Rock Creek here.
Main Roads
Many important roads help people travel through Jasper County. These include:
Interstate 80
U.S. Highway 6
U.S. Highway 65
Iowa Highway 14
Iowa Highway 117
Iowa Highway 163
Iowa Highway 224
Iowa Highway 330
Neighboring Counties
Jasper County shares its borders with several other counties:
- Marshall County (to the north)
- Poweshiek County (to the east)
- Mahaska County (to the southeast)
- Marion County (to the south)
- Polk County (to the west)
- Story County (to the northwest)
People and Population
The number of people living in Jasper County has changed a lot over the years. Here's how the population has grown:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,280 | — | |
| 1860 | 9,883 | 672.1% | |
| 1870 | 22,116 | 123.8% | |
| 1880 | 25,963 | 17.4% | |
| 1890 | 24,943 | −3.9% | |
| 1900 | 26,976 | 8.2% | |
| 1910 | 27,034 | 0.2% | |
| 1920 | 27,855 | 3.0% | |
| 1940 | 31,496 | — | |
| 1950 | 32,305 | 2.6% | |
| 1960 | 35,282 | 9.2% | |
| 1970 | 35,425 | 0.4% | |
| 1980 | 36,425 | 2.8% | |
| 1990 | 34,795 | −4.5% | |
| 2000 | 37,213 | 6.9% | |
| 2010 | 36,842 | −1.0% | |
| 2020 | 37,813 | 2.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 37,919 | 2.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018 |
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2020 Census Information
In 2020, the census counted 37,813 people living in Jasper County. This means there are about 52 people for every square mile. Most people (96.04%) said they belonged to one race. There were 16,132 homes, and almost all of them (14,994) were lived in.
Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Jasper County:
| Race | Number of People | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 34,445 | 91.1% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 683 | 1.8% |
| Native American (not Hispanic) | 91 | 0.24% |
| Asian (not Hispanic) | 215 | 0.57% |
| Pacific Islander (not Hispanic) | 30 | .08% |
| Other/Mixed (not Hispanic) | 1,262 | 3.33% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,087 | 3% |
Towns and Communities
Jasper County has many different towns and communities where people live.
Cities
- Baxter
- Colfax
- Kellogg
- Lambs Grove
- Lynnville
- Mingo
- Mitchellville (part of this city is in another county)
- Monroe
- Newton
- Oakland Acres
- Prairie City
- Reasnor
- Sully
- Valeria
Smaller Communities (Unincorporated)
These are smaller places that are not officially cities:
County Divisions (Townships)
The county is also divided into smaller areas called townships:
- Buena Vista
- Clear Creek
- Des Moines
- Elk Creek
- Fairview
- Hickory Grove
- Independence
- Kellogg
- Lynn Grove
- Malaka
- Mariposa
- Mound Prairie
- Newton
- Palo Alto
- Poweshiek
- Richland
- Rock Creek
- Sherman
- Washington
Population Ranking of Cities
Here are the cities and towns in Jasper County, listed from largest to smallest by population, based on the 2020 census.
† The county seat, which is the main town for the county's government.
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Type | Population (2020 Census) |
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| 1 | † Newton | City | 15,760 |
| 2 | Mitchellville (mostly in Polk County) | City | 2,485 |
| 3 | Colfax | City | 2,255 |
| 4 | Monroe | City | 1,967 |
| 5 | Prairie City | City | 1,700 |
| 6 | Baxter | City | 962 |
| 7 | Sully | City | 881 |
| 8 | Kellogg | City | 606 |
| 9 | Lynnville | City | 380 |
| 10 | Mingo | City | 302 |
| 11 | Oakland Acres | City | 176 |
| 12 | Lambs Grove | City | 174 |
| 13 | Reasnor | City | 152 |
| 14 | Valeria | City | 39 |
Famous People
Some notable people who have connections to Jasper County include:
- John M. Haines: He was the tenth Governor of Idaho. He was born in Jasper County.
- Lyle Goodhue: A smart chemist and inventor who was also born in Jasper County.
- Sara Haines: An American television host and journalist.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Jasper (Iowa) para niños
