Pottawattamie County, Iowa

Pottawattamie County, Iowa
County
The Pottawattamie County Courthouse in Council Bluffs
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Coordinates: 41°20′25″N 95°32′42″W / 41.340184°N 95.544905°W / 41.340184; -95.544905
Country United States
State Iowa
FoundedFebruary 24, 1847 (created)
September 21, 1848 (organized)
Named afterPotawatomi tribe
SeatCouncil Bluffs
Largest cityCouncil Bluffs
Area
 • Total
959.144 sq mi (2,484.17 km2)
 • Land951.284 sq mi (2,463.81 km2)
 • Water7.860 sq mi (20.36 km2)  0.82%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
93,667
 • Estimate 
(2024)
93,529
 • Density98.464/sq mi (38.017/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code712
Congressional district4th
Websitepottcounty-ia.gov
  • Iowa county number 78[1]

Pottawattamie County (/ˌpɑːtəˈwɑːtəmiː/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. At the 2020 census, its population was 93,667,[2] and was estimated to be 93,529 in 2024,[3] making it the tenth-most populous county in Iowa. The county takes its name from the Potawatomi Native American tribe. The county seat and the largest city is Council Bluffs.[4]

Pottawattamie County is included in the Omaha–Council Bluffs, NE–IA metropolitan statistical area.

History

Pottawattamie County was formed on January 15, 1851 and organized on September 21, 1848.[5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 959.144 square miles (2,484.17 km2), of which 951.284 square miles (2,463.81 km2) is land and 7.860 square miles (20.36 km2) (0.82%) is water.[6] It is the second-largest county in Iowa by total area[7] after Kossuth County. Pottawattamie County is located within Iowa's Loess Hills and was the site of Kanesville along the Mormon Trail.[8]

In 2023, Pottawattamie County had the highest corn production in Iowa and the U.S., with over 47 million bushels produced.[9]

Due to movement of the Missouri River and a Supreme Court ruling, part of the county, Carter Lake, actually lies on the far side of the Missouri River. This part of the county cannot be reached by road without entering Nebraska; no direct bridge exists.[10]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18507,828—
18604,968−36.5%
187016,893240.0%
188039,850135.9%
189047,43019.0%
190054,33614.6%
191055,8322.8%
192061,55010.2%
193069,88813.5%
194066,756−4.5%
195069,6824.4%
196083,10219.3%
197086,9914.7%
198086,561−0.5%
199082,628−4.5%
200087,7046.1%
201093,1586.2%
202093,6670.5%
2024 (est.)93,529[11] −0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14]
1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[3]

As of the second quarter of 2025, the median home value in Pottawattamie County was $236,314.[16]

As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 37,530 estimated households in Pottawattamie County with an average of 2.44 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $73,074. Approximately 17.4% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Pottawattamie County has an estimated 59.5% employment rate, with 21.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 89.7% holding a high school diploma.[3] There were 40,327 housing units at an average density of 42.39 per square mile (16.4/km2).

The median age in the county was 39.7 years.

Pottawattamie County, Iowa – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1980[17] Pop. 1990[18] Pop. 2000[19] Pop. 2010[20] Pop. 2020[21]
White alone (NH) 84,419
(97.53%)		 80,148
(97.00%)		 82,667
(94.26%)		 83,609
(89.75%)		 79,181
(84.53%)
Black or African American alone (NH) 438
(0.51%)		 453
(0.55%)		 658
(0.75%)		 1,216
(1.31%)		 1,836
(1.96%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 171
(0.20%)		 222
(0.27%)		 280
(0.32%)		 334
(0.36%)		 391
(0.42%)
Asian alone (NH) 227
(0.26%)		 272
(0.33%)		 421
(0.48%)		 549
(0.59%)		 773
(0.83%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 14
(0.02%)		 25
(0.03%)		 76
(0.08%)
Other race alone (NH) 99
(0.11%)		 17
(0.02%)		 33
(0.04%)		 36
(0.04%)		 278
(0.30%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — — 739
(0.84%)		 1,238
(1.33%)		 3,472
(3.71%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,207
(1.39%)		 1,516
(1.83%)		 2,892
(3.30%)		 6,151
(6.60%)		 7,660
(8.18%)
Total 86,561
(100.00%)		 82,628
(100.00%)		 87,704
(100.00%)		 93,158
(100.00%)		 93,667
(100.00%)

2024 estimate

As of the 2024 estimate, there were 93,529 people, 37,530 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 98.32 inhabitants per square mile (38.0/km2). There were 40,327 housing units at an average density of 42.39 per square mile (16.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.3% White (84.4% NH White), 2.1% African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10.1% of the population.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 93,667 people, 37,284 households, and 24,169 families residing in the county.[22] The population density was 98.46 inhabitants per square mile (38.0/km2). There were 39,852 housing units at an average density of 41.89 per square mile (16.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.83% White, 2.02% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 3.62% from some other races and 5.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.18% of the population.[23][24]

The median age was 40.1 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males age 18 and over.[25]

73.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 26.9% lived in rural areas.[26]

There were 37,284 households in the county, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.0% were married-couple households, 19.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[25]

Of the county's 39,852 housing units, 6.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.6% were owner-occupied and 32.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%.[25]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 93,158 people, 36,775 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 97.93 inhabitants per square mile (37.8/km2). There were 39,330 housing units at an average density of 41.34 per square mile (16.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.92% White, 1.36% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.71% from some other races and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.60% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 87,704 people, 33,844 households and 23,623 families residing in the county. The population density was 92.20 inhabitants per square mile (35.6/km2). There were 35,761 housing units at an average density of 37.59 per square mile (14.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.98% White, 0.77% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.27% from some other races and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.30% of the population.

There were 33,844 households, of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.60% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.20% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.03.

26.00% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.

The median household income was $40,089 and the median family income was $47,105. Males had a median income of $31,642 and females $24,243. The per capita income was $19,275. About 6.40% of families and 8.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.00% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Census-designated places

Townships

Population ranking

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

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population
(2020 Census) 		Population
(2024 Estimate)
1 † Council Bluffs City 62,799 62,665
2 Carter Lake City 3,791 3,752
3 Avoca City 1,683 1,685
4 Oakland City 1,524 1,519
5 Treynor City 1,032 1,104
6 Underwood City 954 973
7 Neola City 918 917
8 Carson City 766 772
9 Walnut City 747 728
10 Crescent City 628 626
11 Minden City 600 581
12 Macedonia City 267 266
13 Hancock City 200 199
14 Bentley CDP 93 185
15 Weston CDP 78 167
16 McClelland City 146 147
17 Loveland CDP 36 46
18 Shelby (partially in Shelby County) City 11 (727 total) 11 (730 total)

Law enforcement

Pottawattamie County is served by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office consisting of 51 sworn deputies, 13 reserve deputies, 92 detention officers and eight civilian support staff. Its headquarters is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.[27]

Politics

Pottawattamie County is a strongly Republican county. The county last backed a Democratic presidential candidate in 1964 as the party won nationally by a landslide and only voted Democratic in four other elections prior to that. Some recent elections were more competitive, with Barack Obama losing the county in 2008 by less than 1,000 votes. However, Donald Trump won the county by 21% in 2016, by 17% in 2020, and by 20% in 2024.

United States presidential election results for Pottawattamie County, Iowa[28]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1896 5,810 51.00% 5,468 48.00% 114 1.00%
1900 6,525 54.14% 5,373 44.58% 154 1.28%
1904 6,868 61.14% 3,731 33.21% 634 5.64%
1908 6,137 51.16% 5,520 46.02% 338 2.82%
1912 1,753 14.77% 4,993 42.08% 5,120 43.15%
1916 5,992 47.83% 6,263 49.99% 274 2.19%
1920 13,506 64.66% 6,659 31.88% 722 3.46%
1924 13,380 52.78% 5,305 20.93% 6,667 26.30%
1928 14,354 58.91% 9,905 40.65% 109 0.45%
1932 9,565 35.94% 16,674 62.65% 377 1.42%
1936 12,223 42.28% 16,259 56.23% 431 1.49%
1940 15,929 51.07% 15,221 48.80% 38 0.12%
1944 14,007 54.25% 11,752 45.52% 59 0.23%
1948 12,384 51.40% 11,430 47.44% 281 1.17%
1952 18,894 61.24% 11,897 38.56% 63 0.20%
1956 17,632 57.87% 12,731 41.78% 105 0.34%
1960 19,223 57.79% 14,025 42.17% 13 0.04%
1964 14,208 44.68% 17,569 55.25% 22 0.07%
1968 16,038 56.47% 9,495 33.43% 2,866 10.09%
1972 19,722 69.32% 8,074 28.38% 654 2.30%
1976 17,264 53.09% 14,754 45.37% 501 1.54%
1980 20,222 60.96% 10,709 32.29% 2,239 6.75%
1984 21,527 63.11% 12,329 36.14% 256 0.75%
1988 17,193 53.06% 14,958 46.16% 254 0.78%
1992 15,671 42.22% 13,228 35.64% 8,216 22.14%
1996 15,648 47.68% 13,276 40.45% 3,897 11.87%
2000 18,783 54.50% 14,726 42.72% 958 2.78%
2004 24,558 58.72% 16,906 40.43% 356 0.85%
2008 21,237 50.18% 20,436 48.28% 651 1.54%
2012 21,860 51.68% 19,644 46.44% 797 1.88%
2016 24,447 57.28% 15,355 35.98% 2,878 6.74%
2020 26,247 57.38% 18,575 40.61% 922 2.02%
2024 26,335 59.10% 17,468 39.20% 756 1.70%

Education

School districts include:[29]

There is also a state-operated school, Iowa School for the Deaf.

Former school districts:[30]

Notable people

  • Nina Korgan (1916—2009), women’s fast-pitch softball pitcher

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Iowa County Names and Numbers". Iowa Department of Administrative Services. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  2. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Pottawattamie County, Iowa". www.census.gov. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  5. ^ "Iowa: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  6. ^ "2025 County Gazetteer Files – Iowa". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  7. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Pottawattamie County, Iowa". www.census.gov. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  8. ^ "Pottawattamie". Loess Hills National Scenic Byway. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  9. ^ "Iowa Ag News – 2023 Corn County Estimates" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2024.
  10. ^ "A History of Carter Lake". Adam Fletcher Sasse. September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  11. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  12. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  13. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  14. ^ Forstall, Richard L. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  15. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  16. ^ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  17. ^ "Pottawattamie County, Iowa — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  18. ^ "1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics Iowa" (PDF). www.census.gov. October 6, 2022. p. 30. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  19. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Pottawattamie County, Iowa". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  20. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Pottawattamie County, Iowa". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  21. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Pottawattamie County, Iowa". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  22. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  23. ^ "How many people live in Pottawattamie County, Iowa". USA Today. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  24. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  25. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  26. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  27. ^ "Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office". Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  28. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  29. ^ 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Pottawattamie County, IA (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 15, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2026. - Text list
  30. ^ "2010 Census - School District Reference Map: Pottawattamie County, IA" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022. - Text list
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