Allamakee County () is the northeasternmost

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,061. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Waukon.

History

Allamakee County was formed on February 20, 1847. The derivation of the name is debated, some believing it was the name of an Indian chief, others think it was named for Allen Magee, an early historic trader. The first Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon, built in 1861, now serves as the Allamakee County Historical Museum. The present

Allamakee County Court House The Allamakee County Court House in Waukon, Iowa, United States was built in 1940. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 as a part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA Multiple Properties Submission. The courthouse ...

was built in 1940. Both courthouse buildings are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.0%) is water. In the northern part of the county is the

Upper Iowa River The Upper Iowa River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 13, 2011 tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States. Its headwaters rise ...

. In the southern part is the

Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Ha ...

. The eastern boundary is the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

. All offer scenic and recreational opportunities, particularly in Yellow River State Forest. French Creek flows north of Waukon, outside the city limits. Paint Creek, named after Paint Rock Bluff, flows out of the south of Waukon. Norfolk creek originates in the western outskirts of Waukon and is effluent to the

. Clear Creek flows into Lansing. Village Creek flows through essentially rural terrain. All are tributary to the

. The landforms encountered in the county are very unlike those found in most of Iowa, which is mostly absent Glacial Drift. As part of the

Driftless Area The Driftless Area, a topographical and cultural region in the American Midwest, comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois. Never covered by ice during the las ...

, the county was ice free during the last

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

, and as one progresses to the Mississippi River, the streams and rivers display high-walled canyons carved of Silurian period bedrock. This Driftless Area also includes parts of Clayton, Fayette, Winneshiek, Howard, Dubuque, and Jackson Counties.Iowa DNR site on Yellow River State Forest

Major highways

U.S. Highway 18 * US 52

U.S. Highway 52 * Circle sign 9

Iowa Highway 9 Iowa Highway 9 is the most northern of Iowa's east–west highways, traversing the entire northern tier of counties. It runs from the eastern terminus of South Dakota Highway 42 at the South Dakota border east of Sioux Falls, South Dakota near ...

Iowa Highway 26 Iowa Highway 26 (Iowa 26) is a state highway that runs from south to north in Allamakee County, Iowa. It begins in Lansing at an intersection with Iowa Highway 9 at the Black Hawk Bridge and ends at the Minnesota border at New Albin. It cont ...

Iowa Highway 51 * Elongated circle 76

Iowa Highway 76 Iowa Highway 76 (Iowa 76) is a state highway located in northeastern Iowa, most of which is in Allamakee County. The highway connects McGregor to Eitzen, Minnesota via Waukon. It begins in McGregor at an intersection with U.S. Highway 18; th ...

Adjacent counties

Houston County, Minnesota Houston County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. At the 2020 census, the population was 18,843. Its county seat is Caledonia. Houston County is included in the La Crosse–Onalaska metropolitan statistical area. History The area ...

(north) * Vernon County, Wisconsin (northeast) *

Crawford County, Wisconsin Crawford County is a county in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,113. Its county seat is Prairie du Chien. History Along with Brown County, Crawford County is one of Wisconsin's o ...

(east) * Clayton County (south) * Winneshiek County (west) * Fayette County (southwest)

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 14,061 in the county, with a population density of . 96.88% of the population reported being of one race. 81.08% were non-Hispanic White, 1.10% were Black, 8.68% were Hispanic, 0.65% were Native American, 0.29% were Asian, 0.04% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 8.17% were some other race or more than one race. There were 7,668 housing units of which 5,797 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,330 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,617 housing units, of which 5,845 were occupied.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 14,675 people, 5,722 households, and 3,931 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 23 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 7,142 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.88%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.14%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.18% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.82% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.70% from two or more races. 3.54% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race. There were 5,722 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 18.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 100.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,967, and the median income for a family was $40,589. Males had a median income of $26,122 versus $19,098 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $16,599. About 6.40% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 11.80% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

Notable sites

* Effigy Mounds National Monument is found in the southeast corner of the county. * Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge encompasses the River. * Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge, a collection of small, non-contiguous parcels harboring two endangered species. * Yellow River State Forest is a four-season state park.

Media

*'' The Waukon Standard'' *'' The Postville Herald-Leader''

Communities

Cities

Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The population was 285 at the 2020 census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the U.S. stat ...

* Lansing * New Albin * Postville (part) * Waterville * Waukon

Townships

Allamakee County is divided into eighteen

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

: *

Center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

* Fairview * Franklin * French Creek *

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

* Jefferson *

Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

* Lansing * Linton *

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...

* Makee * Paint Creek *

Post Post or POST commonly refers to: *Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal service **Iraqi Post, Ira ...

* Taylor * Union City * Union Prairie * Waterloo

Unincorporated communities

* Church * Dorchester *

* Lycurgus * Rossville * Volney

Ghost towns

* Columbus * Hardin *

Ion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conve ...

* Myron * Village Creek

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Allamakee County. † ''county seat''

Politics

References

External links

Allamakee County InformationAllamakee County Official SiteAllamakee County Health and Demographic Data''Waukon Standard'' (Newspaper)KNEI/KHPP RadioAllamakee County History Website
{{authority control 1847 establishments in Iowa Iowa placenames of Native American origin Driftless Area Iowa counties on the Mississippi River Populated places established in 1847