Wright County, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wright 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 | January 15, 1851 |
| Named for | Silas Wright |
| Seat | Clarion |
| Largest city | Eagle Grove |
| Area | |
| • Total | 582 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
| • Land | 580 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Water | 1.8 sq mi (5 km2) 0.3% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,943 |
| • Density | 22.239/sq mi (8.586/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Wright County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,943. The county seat is Clarion. The county organization became effective in January 1851, and is believed to be named either after Silas Wright, a governor of New York, or Joseph Albert Wright, a governor of Indiana.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 582 square miles (1,510 km2), of which 580 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) (0.3%) is covered by water. The terrain is generally undulating. The county is intersected by the Boone and Iowa Rivers
Major highways
Interstate 35
U.S. Highway 69
Iowa Highway 3
Iowa Highway 17
Adjacent counties
- Hancock County - north
- Cerro Gordo County - northeast
- Franklin County - east
- Hardin County - southeast
- Hamilton County - south
- Webster County - southwest
- Humboldt County - west
- Kossuth County - northwest
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 2,392 | — | |
| 1880 | 5,062 | 111.6% | |
| 1890 | 12,057 | 138.2% | |
| 1900 | 18,227 | 51.2% | |
| 1910 | 17,951 | −1.5% | |
| 1920 | 20,348 | 13.4% | |
| 1930 | 20,216 | −0.6% | |
| 1940 | 20,038 | −0.9% | |
| 1950 | 19,652 | −1.9% | |
| 1960 | 19,447 | −1.0% | |
| 1970 | 17,294 | −11.1% | |
| 1980 | 16,319 | −5.6% | |
| 1990 | 14,269 | −12.6% | |
| 2000 | 14,334 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 13,229 | −7.7% | |
| 2020 | 12,943 | −2.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 12,656 | −4.3% | |
| 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 12,943 in the county, with a population density of 22.2002/sq mi (8.5715/km2). 93.48% of the population reported being of one race. There were 6,260 housing units, of which 5,404 were occupied.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 10,107 | 78.1% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 73 | 0.6% |
| Native American (NH) | 15 | 0.12% |
| Asian (NH) | 67 | 0.52% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 8 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 279 | 2.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,394 | 18.5% |
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of 22.7803/sq mi (8.7955/km2). There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied.
Education
Primary and secondary
School districts include:
- Belmond-Klemme Community School District
- Cal Community School District
- Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Community School District
- Eagle Grove Community School District
- Humboldt Community School District
- West Fork Community School District
- West Hancock Community School District
- Webster City Community School District
Former school districts:
- Clarion-Goldfield Community School District
- Corwith-Wesley Community School District
- Dows Community School District
- Northeast Hamilton Community School District
- Sheffield Chapin Meservey Thornton Community School District
These three school districts in Wright County have or had high schools in the county: Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Community School District K-12 Enrollment 954 Eagle Grove Community School District K-12 Enrollment 836 Belmond-Klemme Community School District K-12 Enrollment 793
Tertiary
Iowa State University maintains an extension office in Clarion. Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, and Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls are all within driving distance of Wright County. Iowa Central Community College began offering ICN Polycom classes in Clarion and Eagle Grove in 2015.
Media
Several small newspapers are published in Wright County, including the Wright County Monitor, serving Clarion and Dows, the Eagle Grove Eagle, and the Belmond Independent.
Wright County Fair
The first Wright County Fair was held in Clarion. The old fairgrounds were located where Clarion's USA Healthcare Center stands today. the Clarion Fair ran until 1924; it was held in Goldfield in 1925, and moved to its present location in Eagle Grove in 1926; it was later retitled as the Wright County District Junior Fair. Entries are open to children in Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster, Hardin, Franklin, and Wright Counties.
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
- Holmes, Iowa
Townships
- Belmond
- Blaine
- Boone
- Dayton
- Eagle Grove
- Grant
- Iowa
- Lake
- Liberty
- Lincoln
- Norway
- Pleasant
- Troy
- Vernon
- Wall Lake
- Woolstock
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Wright County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagle Grove | City | 3,601 |
| 2 | † Clarion | City | 2,810 |
| 3 | Belmond | City | 2,463 |
| 4 | Goldfield | City | 634 |
| 5 | Dows (partially in Franklin County) | City | 521 |
| 6 | Woolstock | City | 144 |
| 7 | Rowan | City | 123 |
| 8 | Galt | City | 26 |
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Wright (Iowa) para niños
