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Washington County, Iowa facts for kids

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Washington County
Washington County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse
Map of Iowa highlighting Washington 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 January 18, 1838
Named for George Washington
Seat Washington
Largest city Washington
Area
 • Total 571 sq mi (1,480 km2)
 • Land 569 sq mi (1,470 km2)
 • Water 2.1 sq mi (5 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 22,565
 • Estimate 
(2023)
22,560 Decrease
 • Density 39.52/sq mi (15.258/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Washington County is a county located in the state of Iowa. In 2020, about 22,565 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Washington. Washington County is part of the Iowa City area.

History of Washington County

Washington County started in 1838. It was first called Slaughter County. This name honored William B. Slaughter, who was a secretary for the Wisconsin Territory.

On July 4, 1838, the county became part of the new Iowa Territory. A year later, on January 25, 1839, the county changed its name. They chose to honor George Washington, a very important leader.

The first European American settlers came to Washington County in 1835. They started building homes in 1836. A small town called Astoria was the first county seat. It had the first courthouse. But in 1839, the county seat moved to the city of Washington.

The first church group was started in 1839 by Reverend J.L. Kirkpatrick. The first newspaper began in 1853. It was printed for two years. Another newspaper started in 1856 and is still printed today!

Important rivers in Washington County are the Skunk River and English River. There is also Crooked Creek. Lots of trees grow near these waterways. This helped a timber (wood) industry grow. In 1855, the county's first bank opened in Washington. The number of people living in the county grew a lot after 1858. This was when a railway line was built through the area.

Geography of Washington County

Washington County covers about 571 square miles. Most of this area, 569 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 2.1 square miles, is water.

Main Roads

  • US 218.svg U.S. Highway 218
  • Circle sign 1.svg Iowa Highway 1
  • Elongated circle 22.svg Iowa Highway 22
  • Elongated circle 27.svg Iowa Highway 27
  • Elongated circle 78.svg Iowa Highway 78
  • Elongated circle 92.svg Iowa Highway 92

Neighboring Counties

Population of Washington County

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 4,957
1860 14,235 187.2%
1870 18,952 33.1%
1880 20,374 7.5%
1890 18,468 −9.4%
1900 20,718 12.2%
1910 19,925 −3.8%
1920 20,421 2.5%
1930 19,822 −2.9%
1940 20,055 1.2%
1950 19,557 −2.5%
1960 19,406 −0.8%
1970 18,967 −2.3%
1980 20,141 6.2%
1990 19,612 −2.6%
2000 20,670 5.4%
2010 21,704 5.0%
2020 22,565 4.0%
2023 (est.) 22,560 3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
WashingtonCountyIA2022PopPyr
This chart shows the age groups of people in Washington County in 2022.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, the county had 21,704 people. There were about 9,516 homes, and 8,741 of them were lived in.

2020 Census Information

In 2020, the population grew to 22,565 people. Most people, about 83%, were non-Hispanic White. About 7% were Hispanic. There were 9,573 homes, and 8,916 of them were lived in.

Schools in Washington County

There are three main school districts that serve the county:

  • Highland Community School District
  • Mid-Prairie Community School District
  • Washington Community School District

Highland Community School District includes:

  • Highland Elementary School
  • Highland Middle School
  • Highland High School

Towns and Communities

Cities

Small Communities (Unincorporated)

Townships

  • Brighton
  • Cedar
  • Clay
  • Crawford
  • Dutch Creek
  • English River
  • Franklin
  • Highland
  • Iowa
  • Jackson
  • Lime Creek
  • Marion
  • Oregon
  • Seventy-Six
  • Washington

City Population Ranking

This table shows how many people live in each city in Washington County, based on the 2020 census.

This symbol means it's the county seat (main city).

Rank City/Town/etc. Type Population (2020 Census)
1 Washington City 7,352
2 Kalona City 2,630
3 Wellman City 1,524
4 Riverside City 1,060
5 Brighton City 600
6 Ainsworth City 511
7 Crawfordsville City 277
8 West Chester City 144
9 Coppock (partly in Henry and Jefferson Counties) City 36

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Washington (Iowa) para niños

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Washington County, Iowa Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.