Story County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers 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 sover ...

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 the ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,537, making it the ninth-most populous county in Iowa. The

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 ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

; the largest city is

Ames Ames may refer to: Places United States * Ames, Arkansas, a place in Arkansas * Ames, Colorado * Ames, Illinois * Ames, Indiana * Ames, Iowa, the most populous city bearing this name * Ames, Kansas * Ames, Nebraska * Ames, New York * Ames, Ok ...

. The

geographical center In geography, the centroid of the two-dimensional shape of a region of the Earth's surface (projected radially to sea level or onto a geoid surface) is known as its geographic centre or geographical centre or (less commonly) gravitational centre. I ...

of Iowa lies in Story County, northeast of Ames. Story County comprises the

, IA

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

, which is included in the

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

West Des Moines West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the ...

, IA

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

. The county is home to

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

in Ames.

History

The land that today is known as Story County was originally prairie with the exception of some groves along the larger streams in the area. In 1846 the boundaries of Story County were established. The county has an area of and is square in shape.

The county was named after

Joseph Story Joseph Story (September 18, 1779 – September 10, 1845) was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1812 to 1845. He is most remembered for his opinions in ''Martin v. Hunter's Lessee'' and ''United States ...

, a preeminent

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

Justice, in 1853. The first settlers to the area came from Indiana, then from the New England states of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Later, many

Norwegians Norwegians ( no, nordmenn) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegians are descended from the N ...

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

and

Danes Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. Danes generally regard t ...

came directly from overseas and inhabited the area. The first large population influx occurred during the 1850s. Story County was not mentioned in the Federal

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 incl ...

in 1850, but figures from the State of

put the population at 214 in 1852. By 1860 the population had increased to 4,501. Three commissioners were appointed by the Iowa legislature to determine the county seat location. On June 27, 1853, they announced

as their choice. Nevada (pronounced ''Nuh-VAY-Dah'') was named after the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

mountain range in California. Like many Midwestern towns, cities and counties, many prominent locations from the newly explored West and

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

of the late 1840s inspired the naming of towns and counties in Iowa during this period. Railroad construction did more to develop Story County than any other single factor. The first railroad came to the county in 1864. Railroads were such a decisive factor in determining the location of towns that several communities in Story County moved to be closer to the rail line. Some flourishing little towns that were bypassed by the railroad soon disappeared. Although Nevada was long the population center of the county,

was the most widely known of the towns because of the busy railroad depot where travelers would transfer to their next train. Story County has had five courthouses. The first, a two-level frame building, was erected in 1856. Fire destroyed it in 1863, and it was replaced by a similar structure, which was replaced by a larger three-level building in 1877, situated on the town square. This building's tower served as a vantage point to view the countryside; it was eventually removed for safety reasons. The fourth courthouse was built in 1967 and placed in service on May 18, 1968. That building is still in use as offices for the Board of Supervisors, Auditor, Treasurer, Recorder, Assessor, Information Technology, Facilities Management, Health and Planning & Development Offices. A cannon from the Civil War rests on the lawn. The current courthouse, the Story County Justice Center, opened in 2002. The Justice Center, comprising the law enforcement and judicial aspects of Story County Government. The Justice Center houses the Sheriff's Office & Jail, Attorney, and Clerk of Court. Story County consists of 16 townships and 15 incorporated cities, and 4 unincorporated towns. The population of 79,981 in the 2000 census consisted of 71,114 in urban areas and 8867 in rural areas.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.1%) is water. The

of Iowa lies in Story County, northeast of Ames.

Adjacent counties

* Hamilton County (northwest) * Hardin County (northeast) * Marshall County (east) * Jasper County (southeast) *

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

(south) * Boone County (west)

Transportation

Transit

* CyRide *

List of intercity bus stops in Iowa The following is a list of presently operating intercity bus stops in Iowa with regular service. The list excludes charter buses, local transit buses, paratransit systems, and trolleybus systems. The following companies provide intercity bus servic ...

Major highways

* * * * * * * *

Airports

Story County is home to the

Ames Municipal Airport James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport is southeast of Ames, in Story County, Iowa. Originally consisting of two turf runways, the airport was created after a 1943 vote by the city of Ames. A new terminal and hangar were constructed in 20 ...

, on the south side of Ames. The nearest large airport is the

Des Moines International Airport Des Moines International Airport is a commercial service airport 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines, the capital of Iowa. The airport's 2,600 acre campus includes two runways, 46 buildings, 7 parking facilities, and ...

, on the south side of Des Moines, some 30 miles from Story County.

Rail lines

Story County contains three rail lines, all controlled by the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

Company. The Overland Route runs east–west on its route from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

to California, passing near Ames, Colo and Nevada in Story County. The Spine Line runs north–south on its route from

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, passing near McCallsburg, Nevada and Cambridge. The third line in Story County begins at Ames and runs near Gilbert and Story City.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 98,537 in the county, with a population density of . 93.90% of the population reported being of one race. There were 41,361 housing units, of which 38,273 were occupied.

2010 census

The following Story County statistics were gathered by the 2010 U.S. Census.''2010 Census''
/ref> Population Story County had a population of 89,542, a 12% increase from the 2000 Census. Of that number, 17.8% of those people are under the age of 18, and 10% are over the age of 65, 95.1% of those people (age 25+) are high school graduates, and 45.4% (age 25+) hold at least a bachelor's degree. Commuting time Story County workers age 16 and older spent an average of 16.6 minutes traveling to work between 2005 and 2009. Workforce data There were 45,010 individuals working in Story County and 81.5% of those people live in Story County. The remaining percentages break down as follows: 6.8% live in Boone County (directly west) 4.2% live in Polk County (directly south) 2.1% live in Hamilton County (directly north) 1.2% live in Hardin County (directly north) 1.1% live in Marshal County (directly east). There were 43,839 working individuals who lived in Story County and worked anywhere, and 83.7% of those people worked in Story County. Household data According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the median household income in 2009 was $48,165, with an average of 2.41 people per household between 2005 and 2009. The per capita income in the past 12 months (2009 dollars) between 2005 and 2009 was $24,202.

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 79,981 people, 29,383 households, and 17,042 families in the county. The population density was 140 people per square mile (54/km²). There were 30,630 housing units at an average density of 54 per square mile (21/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 91.14%

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 on ...

, 1.83%

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 have o ...

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 ...

, 0.16% Native American, 5.10%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.60% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.55% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. Of the 29,383 households 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.60% were married couples living together, 5.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.00% were non-families. 26.70% of households were one person and 7.60% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.94. Age spread: 19.10% under the age of 18, 28.30% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 17.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% 65 or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 104.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.40 males. The median household income was $40,442 and the median family income was $55,472. Males had a median income of $36,756 versus $26,941 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,949. About 5.50% of families and 14.10% 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 6.80% of those under age 18 and 4.30% of those age 65 or over.

Story County laborshed

Total potential labor force According to the Story County Laborshed Analysis, which was analyzed and compiled by the Iowa Workforce Development in August 2011, Story County has a total potential labor force of 424,702 people, which breaks down as follows: * Employed – 75.3% * Unemployed – 8.37% * Homemakers – 7.8% * Retired – 8.2% Likelihood to accept / change employment The estimated number of individuals who are very likely or somewhat likely to change or accept employment is 106,383, or 25%. * Employed – 87.6% * Unemployed – 3% * Homemakers – 5.2% * Retired – 4.2% Unemployment Of those unemployed and willing to enter / re-enter employment: * Average age – 45 * Male – 50% * Female – 50% * Have Education Beyond High School – 67.5% Wages The estimated wage range to attract the upper 66-75% of qualified hourly wage applicants is $10 to $10.44 per hour, with a median of the lowest wage at $10 per hour. Commute Those unemployed and willing to enter / re-enter employment are willing to commute an average of 24 miles one way for the right opportunity.

Law enforcement

Primary law enforcement for the county rests with the Story County Sheriff's Office. The department provides law enforcement services for the contract towns and unincorporated areas of Story County, as well as providing for courthouse security, operating the county jail, and performing civil procedures. Paul H. Fitzgerald has served as Sheriff since 1993. Other law enforcement agencies in the county include: * Ames Police Department * Iowa State University Police Division * Nevada Police Department * Huxley Police Department * Story City Police Department

Communities

Cities

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

Collins Collins may refer to: People Surname Given name * Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat * Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration * Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middle- ...

* Colo *

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South ...

* Huxley *

Kelley Kelley may refer to: * Kelley (name), a given name and surname Places ;United States * Kelley, Iowa * Kelley Hill in Fort Benning, Georgia * Kelley Park, in San Jose, California * Kelley Square, in Worcester, Massachusetts * Kelley Township, ...

* Maxwell * McCallsburg *

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

* Sheldahl *

Slater A slater, or slate mason, is a tradesman, tradesperson who covers buildings with slate. Tools of the trade The various hand tool, tools of the slater's trade are all drop-forged. The slater's hammer is forged in one single piece, from crucib ...

* Story City * Zearing

Unincorporated communities

* Fernald * Iowa Center * Shipley

Townships

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

Grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

* Indian Creek *

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� ...

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

* New Albany *

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

* Richland *

Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name) ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a tank Sherman may also refer to: Places United St ...

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

Population ranking

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

Politics

Prior to 1988, Story County was primarily Republican in presidential elections, only failing to back the Republican Party candidate three times between 1896 and 1984. Since 1988 Story County has voted reliably Democratic.

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

's 2016 election performance in the county was over 3 points worse than

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...

in 2012, despite Trump outperforming Romney statewide by nearly 5 percent and winning Iowa's electoral votes.

Education

School districts in the county include:
Text list
/ref> *

Ames Community School District The Ames Community School District is the public school district for most of the city of Ames, Iowa. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges

Ballard Community School District Ballard Community School District is a rural public K-12 school district in Story County, Iowa. It includes areas in Story, Boone, and Polk counties, and the towns of Huxley, Slater, Cambridge and Kelley. The School mascot is The Bomber Pla ...

* Collins-Maxwell Community School District * Colo-Nesco Community School District *

Gilbert Community School District Gilbert Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Gilbert, Iowa. The district is mostly in Story County but has a portion in Boone County. The district serves Gilbert and sections of northern Ames. The dis ...

* Nevada Community School District *

North Polk Community School District The North Polk Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Alleman, Iowa. Almost all of the district is in Polk County, with small sections in Boone and Story counties. It includes the municipalities of Allem ...

* Roland-Story Community School District * United Community School District * West Marshall Community School District

References

External links

Story County government's website

Ames Historical Society
Includes reference materials, early maps and many historical images
ISU Extension - Story County

Story County Foundation
{{Coord, 42, 02, 16, N, 93, 27, 59, W, region:US-IA_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title 1846 establishments in Iowa Territory Populated places established in 1846