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Winneshiek County, Iowa facts for kids

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Winneshiek County
Courthouse and Civil War Monument located in Decorah
Courthouse and Civil War Monument located in Decorah
Flag of Winneshiek County
Flag
Map of Iowa highlighting Winneshiek 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 1847
Named for Chief Winneshiek
Seat Decorah
Largest city Decorah
Area
 • Total 690 sq mi (1,800 km2)
 • Land 690 sq mi (1,800 km2)
 • Water 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)  0.04%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 20,070
 • Density 29.09/sq mi (11.23/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st

Winneshiek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,070. The county seat is Decorah.

History

A largely rural and agricultural county, Winneshiek County has a rich cultural history from Czech, Slovak, English, Irish, German, Swiss, and Norwegian immigrants that have settled within its boundaries.

The county was originally settled in 1848 in present-day Bloomfield Township (near Castalia, Iowa) and in Washington Township (near Fort Atkinson, Iowa). It was organized in 1847, and named after a chief of the Winnebago tribe.

In 1980, Winneshiek County reported a population of 21,842. Like much of Iowa during the 1980s it witnessed a population loss, plummeting to 20,847 according to the 1990 United States Census. However, during the 1990s the county experienced some mild growth and was able to rise above the 21,000 mark once again.And as of year of 2010,they have a total of 785 employees and staff.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 690 square miles (1,800 km2), of which 690 square miles (1,800 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.04%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 52.svg U.S. Highway 52
  • Iowa 9.svg Iowa Highway 9
  • Iowa 24.svg Iowa Highway 24
  • Iowa 139.svg Iowa Highway 139
  • Iowa 150.svg Iowa Highway 150

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 546
1860 13,942 2,453.5%
1870 23,570 69.1%
1880 23,938 1.6%
1890 22,528 −5.9%
1900 23,731 5.3%
1910 21,729 −8.4%
1920 22,091 1.7%
1930 21,630 −2.1%
1940 22,263 2.9%
1950 21,639 −2.8%
1960 21,651 0.1%
1970 21,758 0.5%
1980 21,876 0.5%
1990 20,847 −4.7%
2000 21,310 2.2%
2010 21,056 −1.2%
2020 20,070 −4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
WinneshiekCountyIowaPop2020
Population of Winneshiek County from US census data

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 20,070 in the county, with a population density of 28.878/sq mi (11.150/km2). 97.20% of the population reported being of one race. 91.02% were non-Hispanic White, 0.65% were Black, 2.91% were Hispanic, 0.17% were Native American, 0.89% were Asian, 0.06% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.30% were some other race or more than one race. There were 8,916 housing units, of which 8,170 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 21,056 in the county, with a population density of 30.5332/sq mi (11.7889/km2). There were 8,721 housing units, of which 7,997 were occupied.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Bloomfield
  • Bluffton
  • Burr Oak
  • Calmar
  • Canoe
  • Decorah
  • Frankville
  • Fremont
  • Glenwood
  • Hesper
  • Highland
  • Jackson
  • Lincoln
  • Madison
  • Military
  • Orleans
  • Pleasant
  • Springfield
  • Sumner
  • Washington

Ghost towns

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Winneshiek County.

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Decorah City 8,127
2 Calmar City 978
3 Ossian City 845
4 Spillville City 367
5 Fort Atkinson City 349
6 Ridgeway City 315
7 Castalia City 173
8 Burr Oak CDP 166
9 Jackson Junction City 58

Education

The following school districts have their administrative headquarters in the county:

  • Decorah Community School District
  • South Winneshiek Community School District
  • Turkey Valley Community School District

North Winneshiek Community School District was in the county until it merged with Decorah CSD on July 1, 2018.

The following school districts have their administrative headquarters outside of the county but serve sections of Winneshiek County:

  • Allamakee Community School District
  • Howard–Winneshiek Community School District
  • Postville Community School District

See also

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

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