Polk County, Iowa
Polk County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, 492,401 people lived there.[1] It the most populous county in Iowa.[2][3] The county seat is Des Moines,[4]. Des Moines is also the capital city of Iowa. Polk County is one of the five counties that make up the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.[5]
| Polk County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
 Iowa's location in the U.S. | |
| Statistics | |
| Founded | January 13, 1846 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Des Moines |
| Largest City | Des Moines |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
592 sq mi (1,533 km²) 574 sq mi (1,487 km²) 18 sq mi (47 km²), 3.0 |
| Population - Density |
|
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website: https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/ | |
| Named for: James K. Polk | |
| County flag | 
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History
Polk County was formed on January 13, 1846. It was named after President James K. Polk. The first courthouse was built in 1846. Construction of a second courthouse was begun in 1858. It was finished in 1866.
Geography
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 4,513 | ||
| 1860 | 11,625 | 157.6% | |
| 1870 | 27,857 | 139.6% | |
| 1880 | 42,395 | 52.2% | |
| 1890 | 65,410 | 54.3% | |
| 1900 | 82,624 | 26.3% | |
| 1910 | 110,438 | 33.7% | |
| 1920 | 154,029 | 39.5% | |
| 1930 | 172,837 | 12.2% | |
| 1940 | 195,835 | 13.3% | |
| 1950 | 226,010 | 15.4% | |
| 1960 | 266,315 | 17.8% | |
| 1970 | 286,101 | 7.4% | |
| 1980 | 303,170 | 6.0% | |
| 1990 | 327,140 | 7.9% | |
| 2000 | 374,601 | 14.5% | |
| 2010 | 430,640 | 15.0% | |
| Iowa Data Center[3] | |||
The county has a total area of 591.90 square miles (1,533.0 km2). Of this, 569.35 square miles (1,474.6 km2) (or 96.19%) is land and 22.55 square miles (58.4 km2) (or 3.81%) is water.[6] The county is bisected by the Des Moines River
Adjacent counties
- Boone County (northwest)
- Story County (north)
- Jasper County (east)
- Marion County (southeast)
- Warren County (south)
- Madison County (southwest)
- Dallas County (west)
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
Polk County, Iowa Media
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600 mm by 600 mm (24 in by 24 in) Interstate shield, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs (sign M1-1). Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.) Colors are from
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600 mm by 600 mm (24 in by 24 in) Interstate shield, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs (sign M1-1). Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.) Colors are from
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- I
600 mm × 600 mm (24 in × 24 in) U.S. Highway shield, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs. (Note that there is a missing "J" label on the left side of the diagram.) Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.)
600 mm × 600 mm (24 in × 24 in) U.S. Highway shield, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs. (Note that there is a missing "J" label on the left side of the diagram.) Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.)
600 mm × 600 mm (24 in × 24 in) U.S. Highway shield, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs. (Note that there is a missing "J" label on the left side of the diagram.) Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.)
- Circlesign
Elongated circular route shield
References
- ↑ "QuickFacts: Polk County, Iowa". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ↑ "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010". United States Census Bureau American FactFinder. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Data from the 2010 Census". State Data Center of Iowa. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ United States Office of Management and Budget. "Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses" (PDF). pp. 5, 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-05-14. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ↑ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
Other websites
- Polk County government's website
- [Historic Polk County Church: Ankeny Christian Church, Dave Clark pastor]
Coordinates: 41°41′06″N 93°34′13″W / 41.68500°N 93.57028°W