Polk County, Iowa Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Polk County

U.S. county

Polk County Courthouse

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Iowa

Iowa's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Iowa

Founded

January 13, 1846

Largest city

Des Moines

Area

• Total

592 sq mi (1,530 km²)

• Land

574 sq mi (1,490 km²)

• Water

18 sq mi (50 km²) 3.0%

Population

(2020)

• Total

492,401

• Estimate

(2023)

505,255

• Density

831.8/sq mi (321.14/km²)

Time zone

UTC−6 (Central)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−5 (CDT)

Congressional district

3rd

Polk County is a place in the state of Iowa, USA. In 2020, about 492,401 people lived there. It's the county with the most people in Iowa, home to more than 15% of everyone in the state! The main city, called the county seat, is Des Moines. This city is also the capital of Iowa. Polk County is part of a larger area called the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Area.

History of Polk County
Geography and Location
- Main Roads and Highways
- Neighboring Counties
Cities and Towns
- Cities
- Other Communities
Population Information
- What the 2020 Census Showed
- What the 2010 Census Showed
Schools in Polk County
Fun Places to Visit
Images for kids
See also

History of Polk County

On January 13, 1846, the government of the Iowa Territory decided to create twelve new counties. Just a few days later, on January 17, they officially set up the governments for Jasper and Polk Counties to start on March 1, 1846. Polk County was named after James K. Polk, who was the President of the United States from 1845 to 1849.

The first building for the county government, called a courthouse, was built in Des Moines in 1846. It had two stories. But the county grew very fast! Soon, this building was too small. So, they started building a bigger one in 1858. Because of delays and the Civil War, the new courthouse wasn't finished until 1866. The courthouse you see today was built in 1906. It was updated and made larger in 1962.

Geography and Location

Polk County covers a total area of about 592 square miles. Most of this is land (574 square miles), and a smaller part (18 square miles) is water. This means about 3% of the county is water. The Des Moines River flows right through the middle of the county.

Main Roads and Highways

Many important roads run through Polk County, helping people travel around. These include major interstates and U.S. highways:

Interstate 35 sign

Interstate 35
Interstate 80 sign

Interstate 80
Interstate 235 sign

Interstate 235
U.S. Route 6 sign

U.S. Highway 6
U.S. Route 65 sign

U.S. Highway 65
U.S. Route 69 sign

U.S Route 69
Iowa Highway 5 sign

Iowa Highway 5
Iowa Highway 17 sign

Iowa Highway 17
Iowa Highway 28 sign

Iowa Highway 28
Iowa Highway 141 sign

Iowa Highway 141
Iowa Highway 160 sign

Iowa Highway 160
Iowa Highway 163 sign

Iowa Highway 163
Iowa Highway 415 sign

Iowa Highway 415
Iowa Highway 210 sign

Iowa Highway 210

Neighboring Counties

Polk County shares borders with several other counties:

Boone – to the northwest
Dallas – to the west
Jasper – to the east
Madison – to the southwest
Marion – to the southeast
Story – to the north
Warren – to the south

Cities and Towns

Polk County has many different communities, from small towns to larger cities.

Cities

Other Communities

Census-designated place: Saylorville (a community that is not an official city)
Unincorporated communities: These are smaller places that don't have their own city government.

Avon
Berwick
Enterprise
Farrar
Herrold
Ivy

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	4,513	—
1860	11,625	157.6%
1870	27,857	139.6%
1880	42,395	52.2%
1890	65,410	54.3%
1900	82,624	26.3%
1910	110,438	33.7%
1920	154,029	39.5%
1930	172,837	12.2%
1940	195,835	13.3%
1950	226,010	15.4%
1960	266,315	17.8%
1970	286,101	7.4%
1980	303,170	6.0%
1990	327,140	7.9%
2000	374,601	14.5%
2010	430,640	15.0%
2020	492,401	14.3%
2023 (est.)	505,255	17.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

This chart shows how Polk County's population has grown over many years, based on U.S. census data.

What the 2020 Census Showed

The census is a count of all the people living in an area. In 2020, the census showed that 492,401 people lived in Polk County. There were 207,290 households, which are groups of people living together in a home. The county had about 834 people per square mile.

Most people (92.55%) said they belonged to one race. Here's a breakdown:

66.18% were non-Hispanic White.
7.23% were Black.
9.76% were Hispanic.
4.98% were Asian.
A small number were Native American (0.46%) or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.06%).
11.33% were from other races or more than one race.

There were 210,184 housing units in total, and 196,891 of them were lived in.

This chart, called a population pyramid, shows the age and gender of people in Polk County in 2022.

What the 2010 Census Showed

In 2010, the census counted 430,640 people in Polk County. There were 170,197 households. The population density was about 756 people per square mile. There were 182,262 housing units, and 170,197 of them were occupied.

Schools in Polk County

Polk County has many different school districts that serve its students.

Ankeny Community School District
Ballard Community School District
Bondurant-Farrar Community School District
Carlisle Community School District
Collins-Maxwell Community School District
Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District
Des Moines Independent Community School District
Johnston Community School District
Madrid Community School District
North Polk Community School District
PCM Community School District
Saydel Community School District
Southeast Polk Community School District
Urbandale Community School District
West Des Moines Community School District
Woodward-Granger Community School District

Fun Places to Visit

Polk County has many exciting attractions for families and visitors.

Adventureland Resort - A fun amusement park with rides and games.
Blank Park Zoo - A zoo where you can see animals from all over the world.
Iowa State Capitol - The beautiful building where Iowa's government works.
Iowa State Fair - A huge annual event with rides, food, and exhibits.
Living History Farms - A place where you can experience what farm life was like in the past.
Science Center of Iowa - A museum with hands-on science exhibits.
Valley Junction - A historic area with unique shops and restaurants.
Wells Fargo Arena - A large venue for sports events and concerts.