Story County, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Story County
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Story County Administration Building
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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 | 1846 |
| Named for | Joseph Story |
| Seat | Nevada |
| Largest city | Ames |
| Area | |
| • Total | 574 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Land | 573 sq mi (1,480 km2) |
| • Water | 0.8 sq mi (2 km2) 0.1% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 98,537 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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98,566  |
| • Density | 171.67/sq mi (66.28/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Story County is a county located in the state of Iowa in the United States. In 2020, about 98,537 people lived here. This makes it the ninth-largest county in Iowa by population. The main town, or county seat, is Nevada. The biggest city in the county is Ames.
Story County is special because the exact middle of Iowa is found here. It's about 5 miles northeast of Ames. The county is also home to Iowa State University in Ames. This is a large and important university.
Contents
History of Story County
How Story County Began
The land that is now Story County was mostly open prairie. There were some groups of trees along the bigger streams. In 1846, the borders of Story County were officially set. The county is shaped like a square and covers about 576 square miles.
Who Was Story County Named After?
The county got its name from Joseph Story in 1853. He was a very important judge on the United States Supreme Court. Early settlers came from Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania. Later, many people from Norway, Germany, and Denmark moved here.
The population grew a lot in the 1850s. In 1852, only 214 people lived in Story County. By 1860, the population had jumped to 4,501.
Choosing the County Seat
Three special people were chosen to pick the county seat. On June 27, 1853, they decided on Nevada. The town was named after the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Many towns in Iowa were named after famous places from the American West.
The Impact of Railroads
Railroads helped Story County grow more than anything else. The first train tracks came in 1863. The first train station was built in Colo. Railroads were so important that some towns even moved closer to the tracks. Towns that the railroad bypassed often disappeared.
Nevada was the main town for a long time. But Ames became well-known because of its busy train station. Travelers would often switch trains there.
Story County Courthouses
Story County has had five courthouses over the years. The first one was a two-story wooden building built in 1856. It burned down in 1863. A similar building replaced it, which was then replaced by a bigger one in 1877.
The fourth courthouse was built in 1967. It opened in 1968 and is still used for many county offices. A cannon from the Civil War sits on its lawn. The newest courthouse, called the Story County Justice Center, opened in 2002. This building holds the Sheriff's Office, jail, and court offices.
How Many Towns Are in Story County?
Story County has 16 townships and 15 cities. It also has 4 smaller, unincorporated towns. In 2000, about 71,114 people lived in urban areas. About 8,867 people lived in rural areas.
Geography of Story County
What is the Size of Story County?
Story County covers about 574 square miles. Most of this area, 573 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 0.8 square miles, is water.
As mentioned, the exact middle of Iowa is located in Story County. It is about 5 miles northeast of Ames.
Neighboring Counties
Story County shares its borders with several other counties:
- Hamilton County (to the northwest)
- Hardin County (to the northeast)
- Marshall County (to the east)
- Jasper County (to the southeast)
- Polk County (to the south)
- Boone County (to the west)
Transportation in Story County
Public Transportation and Buses
- CyRide is a local bus service.
- Jefferson Lines offers longer-distance bus travel.
Main Roads and Highways
Several major highways run through Story County, making travel easy:
I-35
I-35 Business Loop
US 30
US 65
US 69
Iowa 210
Iowa 330
Iowa 930
Airports in the Area
The Ames Municipal Airport is located in Ames. For bigger flights, the Des Moines International Airport is about 30 miles away.
Train Lines
Story County has three main train lines. All of them are managed by the Union Pacific Railroad Company.
- The Overland Route goes east to west. It connects Chicago to California and passes near Ames, Colo, and Nevada.
- The Spine Line goes north to south. It connects Minneapolis to Kansas City, Missouri and passes near McCallsburg, Nevada, and Cambridge.
- A third line starts in Ames and goes near Gilbert and Story City.
People and Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 4,051 | — | |
| 1870 | 11,651 | 187.6% | |
| 1880 | 16,906 | 45.1% | |
| 1890 | 18,127 | 7.2% | |
| 1900 | 23,159 | 27.8% | |
| 1910 | 24,083 | 4.0% | |
| 1920 | 26,185 | 8.7% | |
| 1930 | 31,141 | 18.9% | |
| 1940 | 33,434 | 7.4% | |
| 1950 | 44,294 | 32.5% | |
| 1960 | 49,327 | 11.4% | |
| 1970 | 62,783 | 27.3% | |
| 1980 | 72,326 | 15.2% | |
| 1990 | 74,252 | 2.7% | |
| 2000 | 79,981 | 7.7% | |
| 2010 | 89,542 | 12.0% | |
| 2020 | 98,537 | 10.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 98,566 | 10.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018 |
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What the 2020 Census Shows
In 2020, Story County had 98,537 people. This means there were about 171 people per square mile. Most people, about 93.90%, reported being of one race. There were 41,361 homes, and 38,273 of them were lived in.
| Race | Number of People | Percentage |
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| White (not Hispanic) | 79,944 | 81.13% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 2,980 | 3.02% |
| Native American (not Hispanic) | 226 | 0.23% |
| Asian (not Hispanic) | 5,444 | 5.52% |
| Pacific Islander (not Hispanic) | 29 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed (not Hispanic) | 4,882 | 5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,032 | 5.11% |
What the 2010 Census Shows
In 2010, Story County had 89,542 people. This was a 12% increase from 2000.
- About 17.8% of the people were under 18 years old.
- About 10% were over 65 years old.
- Most adults (95.1% of those 25 and older) had finished high school.
- Many adults (45.4% of those 25 and older) had a college degree.
How Long Do People Commute?
Workers in Story County spent about 16.6 minutes traveling to work. This was the average time between 2005 and 2009.
Where Do People Work?
In Story County, 45,010 people had jobs. Most of them (81.5%) also lived in Story County.
- 6.8% lived in Boone County.
- 4.2% lived in Polk County.
- 2.1% lived in Hamilton County.
- 1.2% lived in Hardin County.
- 1.1% lived in Marshall County.
About 43,839 people lived in Story County and worked somewhere. Most of them (83.7%) worked right in Story County.
Household Income and Size
In 2009, the average household income was $48,165. There were about 2.41 people living in each household. The average income per person was $24,202.
Law Enforcement in Story County
| Story County Sheriff's Office | |
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| Abbreviation | SCSO |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
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| Headquarters | Story County Justice Center Nevada, Iowa |
| Sheriff responsible |
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| Story County Sheriff | |
The main police force for Story County is the Story County Sheriff's Office. They help keep the peace in towns that have contracts with them. They also patrol areas outside of cities. The Sheriff's Office is in charge of courthouse security. They also run the county jail and handle civil paperwork. Paul H. Fitzgerald has been the Sheriff since 1993.
Other police groups in Story County include:
- Ames Police Department
- Iowa State University Police Division
- Nevada Police Department
- Huxley Police Department
- Story City Police Department
Communities in Story County
Cities in Story County
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller places that are not officially cities:
- Fernald
- Iowa Center
- Shipley
Townships in Story County
- Collins
- Franklin
- Grant
- Howard
- Indian Creek
- Lafayette
- Lincoln
- Milford
- Nevada
- New Albany
- Palestine
- Richland
- Sherman
- Union
- Warren
- Washington
Largest Cities by Population (2020)
The table below shows the cities in Story County from largest to smallest population, based on the 2020 census.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town | Type | Population (2020 Census) |
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| 1 | Ames | City | 66,427 |
| 2 | † Nevada | City | 6,925 |
| 3 | Huxley | City | 4,244 |
| 4 | Story City | City | 3,352 |
| 5 | Slater | City | 1,543 |
| 6 | Roland | City | 1,362 |
| 7 | Gilbert | City | 1,211 |
| 8 | Maxwell | City | 859 |
| 9 | Colo | City | 845 |
| 10 | Cambridge | City | 827 |
| 11 | Zearing | City | 528 |
| 12 | Collins | City | 495 |
| 13 | McCallsburg | City | 353 |
| 14 | Kelley | City | 304 |
| 15 | Sheldahl (partially in Boone and Polk Counties) | City | 297 |
Education in Story County
Story County has several school districts. These districts manage the public schools in different areas:
- Ames Community School District
- Ballard Community School District
- Collins-Maxwell Community School District
- Colo-Nesco Community School District
- Gilbert Community School District
- Nevada Community School District
- North Polk Community School District
- Roland-Story Community School District
- United Community School District
- West Marshall Community School District
Images for kids
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Bales of hay on a farm near Ames, Story County, Iowa
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Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story
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2022 US Census population pyramid for Story County
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Story para niños
