Muscatine County, Iowa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Muscatine County
U.S. county
Muscatine County Courthouse in Muscatine
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Iowa
Founded	December 7, 1836
Named for	Mascouten tribe
Seat	Muscatine
Largest city	Muscatine
Area
• Total	449 sq mi (1,160 km2)
• Land	437 sq mi (1,130 km2)
• Water	12 sq mi (30 km2)  2.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	43,235
• Estimate  (2023)	42,218
• Density	96.29/sq mi (37.18/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Muscatine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,235. The county seat is Muscatine. The southeastern border is formed by the Mississippi River. Muscatine County comprises the Muscatine, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL Combined Statistical Area.

History

Muscatine County was formed in December 1836 as a part of Wisconsin Territory, partitioned from Des Moines County, which had been organized two years previously. One history suggests that the county was named for Muscatine Island in the Mississippi River. The island lies opposite Muscatine County and was believed to be named after the Mascouten tribe, Algonquian-speaking Native Americans who lived in the area before being driven west by settler encroachment and other tribes.

Colonel George Davenport of Illinois sent three representatives into the territory in 1833 to establish a trade post. They were the first European Americans to settle there. In the same year, James W. Casey and John Vanatta came to the area. They opened a supply depot for steamboats on June 1, 1833, and named it Casey's Woodpile (since steamboats used wood as fuel). Muscatine County became part of Iowa Territory on July 4, 1838, when it was established by partitioning the area from Wisconsin Territory. The first public land sale was held in November 1838. One year later, officials began construction of the first courthouse and associated jail. A second jail, known as the "Old Jail", was built in 1857.

The first courthouse was destroyed by fire on December 23, 1864. By 1866 a replacement stood on the same site. The present courthouse opened on September 26, 1907.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 449 square miles (1,160 km²), of which 437 square miles (1,130 km²) is land and 12 square miles (31 km²) (2.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Cedar County (north)
• Johnson County (northwest)
• Louisa County (south, southwest)
• Rock Island County, Illinois (east), across the Mississippi River
• Scott County (northeast)

Transportation

Transit

• MuscaBus

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 6 – enters from Cedar County, west of Wilton, runs south two miles, then continues west and west-northwest to the northwest corner of the county, exiting into Johnson County.
• U.S. Highway 61 – enters from Louisa County, southwest of Fruitland. Runs northeast through the county, passing Muscatine, before turning east to enter Scott County at Blue Grass.
• Iowa Highway 22 – begins at an intersection with Iowa 70, three miles east of Nichols. Runs east and southeast to an intersection with US 61, west of Muscatine.
• Iowa Highway 38 – begins at an intersection with US 6, three miles south of Wilton. Runs south to an intersection with US 61, north of Muscatine.
• Iowa Highway 70 – enters from Louisa County at the southwest corner of Muscatine County. Runs north, northeast and east to Cedar County, passing Nichols and West Liberty.
• Iowa Highway 92 - enters Muscatine County (and state of Iowa), running northwest across the historic Norbert F. Beckey Bridge into central Muscatine. Runs southwest along the Mississippi River to intersection with US 61, southwest of Muscatine.

Other roadway designations

• Great River Road - system of roadways marking north–south routes across the conterminous US, and generally passing through Iowa.

County highways

Demographics

Population of Muscatine County from US census data

2020 census

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

The 2020 census recorded a population of 43,235 in the county, with a population density of 96.5329/sq mi (37.2716/km²). 92.12% of the population reported being of one race. There were 18,366 housing units, of which 16,908 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 42,745 in the county, with a population density of 99.7154/sq mi (38.5003/km²). There were 17,910 housing units, of which 16,412 were occupied.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Townships

Population ranking

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

† county seat

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Muscatine para niños