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Keokuk County, Iowa facts for kids

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For the city in Lee County, see Keokuk, Iowa.
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Keokuk County
U.S. county
Courthouse in Sigourney is on the NRHP
Courthouse in Sigourney is on the NRHP
Map of Iowa highlighting Keokuk 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 February 17, 1843
Named for Keokuk (Sauk leader)
Seat Sigourney
Largest city Sigourney
Area
 • Total 580 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Land 579 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Water 0.7 sq mi (2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 10,033
 • Density 17.30/sq mi (6.68/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Keokuk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 10,033. The county seat is Sigourney.

History

Keokuk 2
Keokuk (Sauk chief) by George Catlin

Keokuk County was formed in 1837. It was named for Keokuk, the leader of the Sauk tribe, who advocated peace with the white settlers. In May 1843, the county opened for public settlement, with its judicial and regulatory duties assigned to the existing Washington County. Its governing structure was created in 1844, although the seat was not decided (for Sigourney) until 1856.

Keokuk County is unusual in that it has two county fairs. The Keokuk County Fair is held in What Cheer and immediately followed by the Keokuk County Expo which is held in Sigourney.

The Keokuk County Courthouse was built in 1911, in Sigourney's Public Square Historic District. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1981.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 579 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.1%) is water. The South Branch of the Skunk River drains the topography, flowing eastward through the lower portion of the county.

Major highways

  • Circle sign 1.svg Iowa Highway 1
  • Elongated circle 21.svg Iowa Highway 21
  • Elongated circle 22.svg Iowa Highway 22
  • Elongated circle 78.svg Iowa Highway 78
  • Elongated circle 92.svg Iowa Highway 92
  • Elongated circle 149.svg Iowa Highway 149

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 4,822 —
1860 13,271 175.2%
1870 19,434 46.4%
1880 21,258 9.4%
1890 23,862 12.2%
1900 24,979 4.7%
1910 21,160 −15.3%
1920 20,983 −0.8%
1930 19,148 −8.7%
1940 18,406 −3.9%
1950 16,797 −8.7%
1960 15,492 −7.8%
1970 13,943 −10.0%
1980 12,921 −7.3%
1990 11,624 −10.0%
2000 11,400 −1.9%
2010 10,511 −7.8%
2020 10,033 −4.5%
2023 (est.) 9,914 −5.7%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
KeokukCountyIowaPop2020
Population of Keokuk County from US census data

2020 census

KeokukCountyIA2022PopPyr
2022 US Census population pyramid for Keokuk County from ACS 5-year estimates

The 2020 census recorded a population of 10,033 in the county, with a population density of 17.3236/sq mi (6.6887/km2). 96.81% of the population reported being of one race. 93.01% were non-Hispanic White, 0.51% were Black, 2.14% were Hispanic, 0.15% were Native American, 0.16% were Asian, 0.00% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.03% were some other race or more than one race. There were 4,654 housing units, of which 4,174 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,511 in the county, with a population density of 18.1478/sq mi (7.0069/km2). There were 4,931 housing units, of which 4,408 were occupied.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Adams
  • Benton
  • Clear Creek
  • East Lancaster
  • English River
  • Jackson
  • Lafayette
  • Liberty
  • Plank
  • Prairie
  • Richland
  • Sigourney
  • Steady Run
  • Van Buren
  • Warren
  • Washington
  • West Lancaster

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Keokuk County.

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 † Sigourney City 2,004
2 North English (mostly in Iowa County) City 1,065
3 Keota City 897
4 Hedrick City 728
5 What Cheer City 607
6 Richland City 542
7 Keswick City 242
8 South English City 202
9 Ollie City 201
10 Harper City 118
11 Martinsburg City 110
12 Webster City 94
13 Kinross City 80
14 Thornburg City 45
15 Hayesville City 41

Education

School districts include:

  • Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District
  • English Valleys Community School District
  • Keota Community School District
  • Pekin Community School District
  • Sigourney Community School District
  • Tri-County Community School District

Former school districts:

  • Eddyville–Blakesburg Community School District
  • Fremont Community School District
  • Hedrick Community School District

See also

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

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