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Plymouth County, Iowa facts for kids

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Plymouth County
U.S. county
Plymouth County Courthouse
Map of Iowa highlighting Plymouth 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 15, 1851
Named for Plymouth, Massachusetts
Seat Le Mars
Largest city Le Mars
Area
 • Total 864 sq mi (2,240 km2)
 • Land 863 sq mi (2,240 km2)
 • Water 0.8 sq mi (2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 25,698
 • Density 29.743/sq mi (11.484/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Plymouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,698. The county seat is Le Mars. Plymouth County was named after Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Plymouth County is part of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Plymouth County was formed on January 15, 1851. Settlement began in the county in 1856. In October 1859, the first courthouse was built in Melbourne, formerly located in the southeast quarter of section 34, Plymouth Township, about five to six miles due south of Merrill. The first public school opened its doors there with 32 pupils. In 1872 the county seat was moved to Le Mars and a courthouse and jail were built there in 1873. The present Plymouth County Courthouse was built in 1900 of red sandstone.

During the Great Depression, farmers in the county organized the Farmers Holiday Group, to keep farm products off the market until the desired price was met. A radical group among them abducted Judge Bradley from his court chamber and threatened to hang him in the front of the courthouse. Bradley was freed, but the governor ordered the national guard to Plymouth County and declared a state of emergency, which effectively ended the group.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 864 square miles (2,240 km2), of which 863 square miles (2,240 km2) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) (0.1%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county by area in Iowa.

Adjacent counties

Transportation

Major highways

  • US 75.svg U.S. Highway 75
  • Circle sign 3.svg Iowa Highway 3
  • Elongated circle 12.svg Iowa Highway 12
  • Elongated circle 60.svg Iowa Highway 60
  • Elongated circle 140.svg Iowa Highway 140

Airport

Le Mars Municipal Airport is located in Plymouth County, two nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of the central business district of Le Mars.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 148 —
1870 2,199 1,385.8%
1880 8,566 289.5%
1890 19,568 128.4%
1900 22,209 13.5%
1910 23,129 4.1%
1920 23,584 2.0%
1930 24,159 2.4%
1940 23,502 −2.7%
1950 23,252 −1.1%
1960 23,906 2.8%
1970 24,322 1.7%
1980 24,743 1.7%
1990 23,388 −5.5%
2000 24,849 6.2%
2010 24,986 0.6%
2020 25,698 2.8%
2023 (est.) 25,722 2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
PlymouthCountyIowaPop2020
Population of Plymouth County from US census data

2020 census

PlymouthCountyIA2022PopPyr
2022 US Census population pyramid for Plymouth County from ACS 5-year estimates

The 2020 census recorded a population of 25,698 in the county, with a population density of 29.7132/sq mi (11.4723/km2). 95.81% of the population reported being of one race. There were 10,818 housing units, of which 10,171 were occupied.

Plymouth County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 22,941 89.3%
Black or African American (NH) 354 1.4%
Native American (NH) 48 0.2%
Asian (NH) 111 0.43%
Pacific Islander (NH) 117 0.5%
Other/Mixed (NH) 631 2.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1,496 6%

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 24,986 in the county, with a population density of 28.9337/sq mi (11.1714/km2). There were 10,550 housing units, of which 9,875 were occupied.

Points of interest

The Pappas Telecasting Tower, with a height of 603.5 metres (1,980 ft), is one of the tallest masts in the world.

Notable people

  • William G. Kirchner, Minnesota state legislator and banker
  • Ralph Klemme, Iowa state legislator and farmer
  • Jim Nicholson, Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Republican National Chairman and U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican
  • Johnny Niggeling, Major league baseball pitcher
  • Paul Rust, actor and comedian
  • Thomas Starzl, innovator in organ transplant surgery
  • Isaac S. Struble, Congressman (1883–1891) after whom Struble is named
  • William Garner Waddel, South Dakota State Senator

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

  • Adaville
  • Brookdale
  • Crathorne
  • Ellendale
  • James
  • Mammen
  • Melbourne
  • Millnerville
  • Neptune
  • O'Leary
  • Potosia
  • Ruble
  • Seney
  • Union Center
  • West Le Mars
  • Wren
  • Yeomans

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Plymouth County.

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 † Le Mars City 10,571
2 Remsen City 1,678
3 Akron City 1,558
4 Kingsley City 1,396
5 Hinton City 935
6 Merrill City 717
7 Brunsville City 129
8 Westfield City 123
9 Oyens City 92
10 Craig City 79
11 Struble City 67
12 Sioux City (almost entirely in Woodbury County) City 6 (85,797 total)

See also

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

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