Des Moines County, Iowa

Not to be confused with Des Moines, Iowa.

Des Moines County, Iowa
Des Moines County Courthouse
Location in the U.S. state of Iowa
Iowa's location in the U.S.
Founded	1834
Named for	Des Moines River
Seat	Burlington
Largest city	Burlington
Area
• Total	430 sq mi (1,114 km2)
• Land	416 sq mi (1,077 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (36 km2), 3.2%
Population
• (2010)	40,325
• Density	97/sq mi (37/km²)
Congressional district	2nd
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.co.des-moines.ia.us

Des Moines County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 40,325. The county seat is Burlington. It is one of Iowa's two original counties along with Dubuque County; both were organized by the Michigan Territorial legislature in 1834.

Des Moines County is part of the Burlington, IA–IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Des Moines County should not be confused with the city of Des Moines, which is the capital of Iowa. Des Moines County sits on Iowa's eastern border alongside the Mississippi River. The city of Des Moines is in Polk County in south-central Iowa. Both places derive their name from the Des Moines River, which flows through both the city and the county.

History

At an extra session of the Sixth Legislative Assembly of Michigan Territory held in September, 1834, the Iowa District was divided into two counties by running a line due west from the lower end of Rock Island in the Mississippi River. The territory north of this line (which started just south of the present-day Davenport) was named Dubuque County, and all south of it was Demoine County. It was named after the Des Moines River. The current Des Moines County Court House was completed in 1940.

Geography

The U.S. Highway 34 bridge over the Mississippi River in Burlington

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 430 square miles (1,100 km²), of which 416 square miles (1,080 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (3.2%) is water. The Mississippi River forms the east border; Skunk River, the south border; and the county is drained by Flint Creek.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 34
• U.S. Highway 61

Adjacent counties

• Louisa County (north)
• Hancock County, Illinois (southeast)
• Henderson County, Illinois (east)
• Lee County (south)
• Henry County (west)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	12,988		—
1860	19,611		51.0%
1870	27,256		39.0%
1880	33,099		21.4%
1890	35,324		6.7%
1900	35,989		1.9%
1910	36,145		0.4%
1920	35,520		−1.7%
1930	38,162		7.4%
1940	36,804		−3.6%
1950	42,056		14.3%
1960	44,605		6.1%
1970	46,982		5.3%
1980	46,203		−1.7%
1990	42,614		−7.8%
2000	42,351		−0.6%
2010	40,325		−4.8%
Est. 2014	40,255		−0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 40,325 in the county, with a population density of 96.9002/sq mi (37.4134/km²). There were 18,535 housing units, of which 17,003 were occupied.

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Des Moines County

As of the 2000 census, there were 42,351 people, 17,270 households, and 11,536 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile (39/km²). There were 18,643 housing units at an average density of 45 per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.69% White, 3.57% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 1.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 17,270 households out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,790, and the median income for a family was $45,089. Males had a median income of $34,880 versus $22,530 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,701. About 8.20% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Burlington
• Danville
• Mediapolis
• Middletown
• West Burlington

Unincorporated communities

• Augusta
• Kingston
• Sperry
• Yarmouth

Townships

• Benton
• Concordia
• Danville
• Flint River
• Franklin
• Huron
• Jackson
• Pleasant Grove
• Tama
• Union
• Washington
• Yellow Springs

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Des Moines County, Iowa

External links

• County Government website