Howard County, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Howard County
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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 | 1851 |
| Named for | Tilghman Howard |
| Seat | Cresco |
| Largest city | Cresco |
| Area | |
| • Total | 474 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
| • Land | 473 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1 km2) 0.08% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,469 |
| • Density | 19.977/sq mi (7.713/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Howard County is a county located in the US state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,469. The county seat is Cresco. The county was founded in 1851; it was named for General Tilghman Ashurst Howard, a Representative of Indiana.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 474 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 473 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (0.08%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 63
Iowa Highway 9
Iowa Highway 139
Adjacent counties
- Mower County, Minnesota (northwest)
- Fillmore County, Minnesota (north)
- Winneshiek County (east)
- Chickasaw County (south)
- Mitchell County (west)
- Floyd County (southwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 3,168 | — | |
| 1870 | 6,282 | 98.3% | |
| 1880 | 10,837 | 72.5% | |
| 1890 | 11,182 | 3.2% | |
| 1900 | 14,512 | 29.8% | |
| 1910 | 12,920 | −11.0% | |
| 1920 | 13,705 | 6.1% | |
| 1930 | 13,082 | −4.5% | |
| 1940 | 13,531 | 3.4% | |
| 1950 | 13,105 | −3.1% | |
| 1960 | 12,734 | −2.8% | |
| 1970 | 11,442 | −10.1% | |
| 1980 | 11,114 | −2.9% | |
| 1990 | 9,809 | −11.7% | |
| 2000 | 9,932 | 1.3% | |
| 2010 | 9,566 | −3.7% | |
| 2020 | 9,469 | −1.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,376 | −2.0% | |
| 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 9,469 in the county, with a population density of 19.9387/sq mi (7.6984/km2). 96.75% of the population reported being of one race. 91.69% were non-Hispanic White, 0.24% were Black, 2.72% were Hispanic, 0.51% were Native American, 0.29% were Asian, 0.07% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.48% were some other race or more than one race. There were 4,314 housing units, of which 3,945 were occupied.
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,566 in the county, with a population density of 20.207/sq mi (7.802/km2). There were 4,367 housing units, of which 3,944 were occupied.
Events
The Mighty Howard County Fair is held annually in Cresco, in the last full week of June. This celebration originated in 1858, and three fairs were celebrated before being interrupted by the American Civil War. They resumed from 1866 through 1899, and were resumed in 1923 under aegis of the present directorship.
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
- Bonaire
- Florenceville
- Saratoga
- Schley
Townships
- Afton
- Albion
- Chester
- Forest City
- Howard
- Howard Center
- Jamestown
- New Oregon
- Oak Dale
- Paris
- Saratoga
- Vernon Springs
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Howard County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
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| 1 | † Cresco | City | 3,888 |
| 2 | Riceville (partially in Mitchell County) | City | 806 |
| 3 | Elma | City | 505 |
| 4 | Lime Springs | City | 473 |
| 5 | Protivin (partially in Chickasaw County) | City | 269 |
| 6 | Chester | City | 139 |
Notable people
- Norman Borlaug (1914–2009) - Nobel Peace Prize winner who was raised and went to school in the county.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Howard (Iowa) para niños
