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Pottawattamie County, Iowa facts for kids

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Pottawattamie County
U.S. county
Pottawattamie County Courthouse
Pottawattamie County Courthouse
Map of Iowa highlighting Pottawattamie 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 September 21, 1848
Named for Potawatomi tribe
Seat Council Bluffs
Largest city Council Bluffs
Area
 • Total 959 sq mi (2,480 km2)
 • Land 950 sq mi (2,500 km2)
 • Water 8.9 sq mi (23 km2)  0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 93,667
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 93,179 Decrease
 • Density 97.67/sq mi (37.711/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Pottawattamie County (/ˌpɑːtəˈwɑːtəmiː/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. At the 2020 census, the population was 93,667, making it the tenth-most populous county in Iowa. The county takes its name from the Potawatomi Native American tribe. The county seat is Council Bluffs.

Pottawattamie County is included in the Omaha–Council Bluffs, NE–IA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 959 square miles (2,480 km2), of which 950 square miles (2,500 km2) is land and 8.9 square miles (23 km2) (0.9%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Iowa by area after Kossuth County. Pottawattamie County is located within Iowa's Loess Hills, and was the site of Kanesville along The Mormon Trail

Due to movement of the Missouri River and a Supreme Court ruling, part of the county, Carter Lake, actually lies on the far side of the Missouri River. This part of the county cannot be reached by road without entering Nebraska; no direct bridge exists.

Major highways

  • I-29.svg Interstate 29
  • I-80.svg Interstate 80
  • I-480.svg Interstate 480
  • I-680.svg Interstate 680
  • I-880.svg Interstate 880
  • US 6.svg U.S. Highway 6
  • US 59.svg U.S. Highway 59
  • US 275.svg U.S. Highway 275
  • Elongated circle 83.svg Iowa Highway 83
  • Elongated circle 92.svg Iowa Highway 92
  • Elongated circle 165.svg Iowa Highway 165
  • Elongated circle 191.svg Iowa Highway 191
  • Elongated circle 192.svg Iowa Highway 192

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 7,828 —
1860 4,968 −36.5%
1870 16,893 240.0%
1880 39,850 135.9%
1890 47,430 19.0%
1900 54,336 14.6%
1910 55,832 2.8%
1920 61,550 10.2%
1930 69,888 13.5%
1940 66,756 −4.5%
1950 69,682 4.4%
1960 83,102 19.3%
1970 86,991 4.7%
1980 86,561 −0.5%
1990 82,628 −4.5%
2000 87,704 6.1%
2010 93,158 6.2%
2020 93,667 0.5%
2023 (est.) 93,179 0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
PottawattamieCountyIowaPop2020
Population of Pottawattamie County from US census data

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 93,667 in the county, with a population density of 97.8212/sq mi (37.7690/km2). 94.09% of the population reported being of one race. There were 39,852 housing units, of which 37,284 were occupied.

Pottawattamie County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 79,181 84.53%
Black or African American (NH) 1,836 2%
Native American (NH) 391 0.42%
Asian (NH) 773 0.83%
Pacific Islander (NH) 76 0.08%
Other/Mixed (NH) 3,750 4%
Hispanic or Latino 7,660 8.2%

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 93,158 in the county, with a population density of 97.6233/sq mi (37.6926/km2). There were 39,330 housing units, of which 36,775 were occupied.

Communities

PottawattamieCountyIA2022PopPyr
2022 US Census population pyramid for Pottawattamie County from ACS 5-year estimates

Cities

Unincorporated community

Census-designated places

Townships

  • Belknap
  • Boomer
  • Carson
  • Center
  • Crescent
  • Garner
  • Grove
  • Hardin
  • Hazel Dell
  • James
  • Kane
  • Keg Creek
  • Knox
  • Lake
  • Layton
  • Lewis
  • Lincoln
  • Macedonia
  • Minden
  • Neola
  • Norwalk
  • Pleasant
  • Rockford
  • Silver Creek
  • Valley
  • Washington
  • Waveland
  • Wright
  • York

Population ranking

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

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 † Council Bluffs City 62,799
2 Carter Lake City 3,791
3 Avoca City 1,683
4 Oakland City 1,524
5 Treynor City 1,032
6 Underwood City 954
7 Neola City 918
8 Carson City 766
9 Walnut City 747
10 Crescent City 628
11 Minden City 600
12 Macedonia City 267
13 Hancock City 200
14 McClelland City 146
15 Bentley CDP 93
16 Weston CDP 78
17 Loveland CDP 36
18 Shelby (partially in Shelby County) City 11 (727 total)

Law enforcement

Pottawattamie County is served by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office consisting of 51 sworn deputies, 13 reserve deputies, 92 detention officers and eight civilian support staff. Its headquarters is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Education

School districts include:

  • Atlantic Community School District
  • AHSTW Community School District
  • Council Bluffs Community School District
  • Glenwood Community School District
  • Griswold Community School District
  • Lewis Central Community School District
  • Missouri Valley Community School District
  • Red Oak Community School District
  • Riverside Community School District
  • Treynor Community School District
  • Tri-Center Community School District
  • Underwood Community School District

There is also a state-operated school, Iowa School for the Deaf.

Former school districts:

  • A-H-S-T Community School District
  • Walnut Community School District

See also

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

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