Boone 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 26,715. 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 Boone. Boone County comprises the Boone, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area, 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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

History

The land that now forms Boone and several other Iowa counties was ceded by the Sac and Fox nation to the United States in a treaty signed on October 11, 1842. On January 13, 1846, the legislative body of the

Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by a United States Congress, congressional act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the U ...

authorized creation of twelve counties in the Iowa Territory, with general descriptions of their boundaries. Boone County's name referred to Captain

Nathan Boone Nathan Boone (1780–1856) was a veteran of the War of 1812, a delegate to the Missouri constitutional convention in 1820, and a captain in the 1st United States Regiment of Dragoons at the time of its founding, eventually rising to the rank of lie ...

, son of

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

, an American pioneer who formed the

Wilderness Trail The Wilderness Road was one of two principal routes used by colonial and early national era settlers to reach Kentucky from the East. Although this road goes through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, the other (mo ...

and founded the settlement of

Boonesborough, Kentucky Boonesborough is an unincorporated community in Madison County, Kentucky, United States. Founded by famed frontiersman Daniel Boone in 1778 as one of the first English-speaking settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains, Boonesborough lies in ...

. County residents selected Boonesboro as the county seat in 1851. The first building erected in the new settlement was a double log house, to be used as interim county office and courthouse. It was supplemented by a two–story building erected in 1856, then replaced by a three-story building in 1868. The nearby settlement of Montana was incorporated in 1866, when a railway station was built there. It was renamed to Boone in 1871. It continued to grow, and it annexed the settlement of Boonesboro (which had also been incorporated in 1866) in 1887, thus becoming the county seat. After the second courthouse became too small for the county's expanding populace, a new building (the present courthouse) replaced it. It was completed in 1917.

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 (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...

– runs east–west through center of county. Passes Beaver, Ogden, and Jordan. * US 169

U.S. Highway 169 – runs south from Webster County through the west-central portion of Boone County. At its intersection with US 30, U.S. 169 runs east three miles to Ogden, then runs south to

Dallas County Dallas County may refer to: Places in the USA: * Dallas County, Alabama, founded in 1818, the first county in the United States by that name * Dallas County, Arkansas * Dallas County, Iowa * Dallas County, Missouri * Dallas County, Texas, the nin ...

. *

Iowa Highway 17 Iowa Highway 17 (Iowa 17) is a north–south state highway that traverses primarily rural areas in central and north-central Iowa. Iowa 17's southern end is near Granger in Dallas County at a freeway interchange with Iowa Highway 141, and its nor ...

– runs south through eastern Boone County to Jordan, west one mile, then south to the boundary line between Dallas and

Polk Polk may refer to: People * James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States * Polk (name), other people with the name Places *Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois * Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Polk, Missouri ...

counties. * Elongated circle 144

Iowa Highway 144 Iowa Highway 144 (Iowa 144) is a state highway in central Iowa. The highway has a length of and runs in a north–south direction. It begins in Perry at an intersection with Iowa Highway 141, while it ends at an intersection with Iowa Highway 1 ...

– runs across the southwest tip of the county from northwest to southeast. * Elongated circle 210

Iowa Highway 210 Iowa Highway 210 (Iowa 210) is an east–west highway in central Iowa covering . It begins at Iowa Highway 141 south of Woodward and ends at U.S. Highway 65 south of Collins. The routing closely parallels and crosses the former ...

– enters south line of county at Woodward, then runs east and east-northeast across the southern portion of county to Story County.

Adjacent counties

– south * Greene County – west * Hamilton County – north and northeast *

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 and southeast * Story County – east * Webster County – north and northwest

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 26,715 in the county, with a population density of . 96.05% of the population reported being of one race. 90.71% were non-Hispanic White, 1.13% were Black, 2.65% were Hispanic, 0.24% were Native American, 0.37% were Asian, 0.01% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.88% were some other race or more than one race. There were 11,921 housing units of which 10,981 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 26,306 in the county, with a population density of . There were 11,756 housing units, of which 10,728 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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 26,224 people, 10,374 households, and 7,137 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 46 people per square mile (18/km²). There were 10,968 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.53%

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 ...

, 0.36%

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 ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.22%

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 ...

, 0.26% 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 0.43% from two or more races. 0.83% 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. There were 10,374 households, out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $40,763, and the median income for a family was $49,346. Males had a median income of $32,504 versus $23,838 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 $19,943. About 4.50% of families and 7.60% 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 8.00% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

* Berkley * Boone (county seat) *

Boxholm Boxholm (, , traditionally also , ) is a locality and the seat of Boxholm Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 3,194 inhabitants in 2010. Economy Steel production company Ovako has a production site in Boxholm with approximately 200 e ...

Fraser Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ele ...

Luther Luther may refer to: People * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation * Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement * Luther (give ...

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

* Ogden * Woodward (partial) * Pilot Mound * Sheldahl (partial)

Unincorporated communities

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

* Logansport * Mackey *

Moingona The Moingona or Moingwena ( mia, mooyiinkweena) were a historic Miami-Illinois tribe. They may have been close allies of or perhaps part of the Peoria (tribe), Peoria. They were assimilated by that tribe and lost their separate identity about 1700. ...

* Zenorsville

Townships

* Amaqua *

Cass Cass may refer to: People and fictional characters * Cass (surname), a list of people * Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey * Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie * Cass, ...

* Colfax *

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

Garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...

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 ...

Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or "Po ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Q ...

* Marcy *

Peoples A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of property, ...

* Pilot Mound *

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 ...

* Worth *

Yell A yell is a loud vocalization; see screaming. Yell may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Yell, Shetland, one of the North Isles of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland * Yell Sound, Shetland, Scotland United States * Yell, Tennessee, an unin ...

Population ranking

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

Politics

Prior to 1932, Boone County was primarily Republican in presidential elections, aside from 1912 when the county backed Bull Moose candidate & former Republican President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. From 1932 to 1980, the county was a swing county, voting for the national winner in all elections in that period aside from 1960. From 1984 to 2012, the county was consistently Democratic in presidential elections, but swung hard in 2016 by 20.7 points to back Republican

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 ...

similar to many other counties in Iowa.

References

External links

''Boone County'' on state government portal

Boone County government's website

''Boone County Republican,''
Google news archive. —PDFs of 1,242 issues, dating from 1873 to 1897. {{Coord, 42, 02, 11, N, 93, 55, 56, W, region:US-IA_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title 1846 establishments in Iowa Territory Populated places established in 1846