Sac County, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sac County
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Sac County Courthouse
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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 | January 15, 1851 |
| Named for | Sac and Fox Nation |
| Seat | Sac City |
| Largest city | Sac City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 578 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Land | 575 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Water | 3.3 sq mi (9 km2) 0.6% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,814 |
| • Density | 16.979/sq mi (6.556/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Sac County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,814. The county seat is Sac City. Both were named for the Sauk people, a local American Indian tribe.
In February 2007, in its third annual list of the “Best Places to Live in Rural America”, Progressive Farmer magazine placed Sac County as #7 in the overall rankings. In 2009, the magazine ranked Sac County as the tenth "Best Place" in the Midwest Region.
Contents
History
Sac County was formed on January 15, 1851. It was named after the Sauk people, formerly referred to as the Sac Indians. Sac City was appointed the county seat in 1856, and the first Sac County Courthouse was erected in 1862. The courthouse served its purpose well until 1873 when citizens of Sac County realized the county had outgrown the tiny building. Thus, a second courthouse was built. The building was eighty-five feet by fifty-six feet, a beautiful building of brick with limestone foundations and an impressive tower on the top. It was declared to be one of the best county buildings in Iowa. This courthouse was first used in January 1874, and the old courthouse was sold shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, in 1888 a prisoner set fire to the jail attached to the courthouse while attempting to escape, and both buildings were destroyed. Sac City erected a third courthouse at a cost of thirty thousand dollars. This courthouse has been in use since with minimal structural changes, except for an extensive addition which was completed in the 1980s.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 578 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 575 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (0.6%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 20
U.S. Highway 71
Iowa Highway 39
Iowa Highway 110
Iowa Highway 175
Adjacent counties
- Buena Vista County (north)
- Calhoun County (east)
- Carroll County (southeast)
- Crawford County (southwest)
- Ida County (west)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 246 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,411 | 473.6% | |
| 1880 | 8,774 | 521.8% | |
| 1890 | 14,522 | 65.5% | |
| 1900 | 17,639 | 21.5% | |
| 1910 | 16,555 | −6.1% | |
| 1920 | 17,500 | 5.7% | |
| 1930 | 17,641 | 0.8% | |
| 1940 | 17,639 | 0.0% | |
| 1950 | 17,518 | −0.7% | |
| 1960 | 17,007 | −2.9% | |
| 1970 | 15,573 | −8.4% | |
| 1980 | 14,118 | −9.3% | |
| 1990 | 12,324 | −12.7% | |
| 2000 | 11,529 | −6.5% | |
| 2010 | 10,350 | −10.2% | |
| 2020 | 9,814 | −5.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018 |
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2020 census
The 2020 census recorded a population of 9,814 in the county, with a population density of 16.9454/sq mi (6.5427/km2). 97.09% of the population reported being of one race. 90.86% were non-Hispanic White, 0.47% were Black, 3.61% were Hispanic, 0.11% were Native American, 0.32% were Asian, 0.09% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.54% were some other race or more than one race. There were 5,118 housing units, of which 4,273 were occupied.
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,350 in the county, with a population density of 17.974/sq mi (6.940/km2). There were 5,429 housing units, of which 4,482 were occupied.
Geocaching
Sac County is a rich area for geocaching. The county was "put on the map" when geocachers hid a series of caches a mile wide and 8 miles high to spell "SAC" along rural roads between Sac City and Lytton in August 2011.
Communities
Cities
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Sac County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
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| 1 | † Sac City | City | 2,220 |
| 2 | Lake View | City | 1,142 |
| 3 | Odebolt | City | 1,013 |
| 4 | Wall Lake | City | 819 |
| 5 | Schaller | City | 772 |
| 6 | Early | City | 557 |
| 7 | Auburn | City | 322 |
| 8 | Lytton (partially in Calhoun County) | City | 315 |
| 9 | Nemaha | City | 85 |
Education
Three public school districts are based in Sac County: East Sac County School District (ESC) is the largest school district in Sac County, with the Schaller-Crestland School District serving the northwestern portion of the county and Odebolt-Arthur School District serving the southwest part. Successful completion of the curriculum of these schools leads to graduation from East Sac County High School, OA-BCIG High School, or Ridge View High School respectively. Only ESC HS is located in Sac County, with OA-BCIG HS in Ida Grove and Ridge View in Holstein.
Residents outside the three Sac County-based districts are within either the South Central Calhoun School District in areas around Lytton. A small part of northwestern Sac County is within the Galva–Holstein Community School District, which shares Ridge View High School with Schaller-Crestland SD.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Sac para niños
