Keokuk 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 ...
located 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 ...
of
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 United States Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, the population was 10,033.
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 ...
is
Sigourney.
History
Keokuk County was formed in 1837. It was named for the eponymous chief of the Sac Indians, who advocated peace with the white settlers. In May 1843, the county opened for public settlement, with its judicial and regulatory duties assigned to the existing
Washington County. Its governing structure was created in 1844, although the seat was not decided (for Sigourney) until 1856.
Keokuk County is unusual in that it has two county fairs. The Keokuk County Fair is held in
What Cheer
What Cheer (pronounced 'WOT-cheer') is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. It is a former coal town, and from the 1870s to the early 1900s was one of the major coal-producing centers of Iowa. Its greatest recorded population was 3,246, ...
and immediately followed by the Keokuk County Expo which is held in
Sigourney.
The
Keokuk County Courthouse
The Keokuk County Courthouse located in Sigourney, Iowa, United States, was built in 1911. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 1999 it was ...
was built in 1911, in Sigourney's
Public Square Historic District. It has been 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 v ...
since 1981.
Geography
According to the
United States 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
South Branch of the Skunk River drains the topography, flowing eastward through the lower portion of the county.
Major highways
*
Iowa Highway 1
Iowa Highway 1 (Iowa 1) is a state highway (Iowa), state highway in the U.S. state of Iowa that extends from Keosauqua, Iowa, Keosauqua to Anamosa, Iowa, Anamosa. It travels nearly , mainly through rich farmland and small communities. Iowa ...
*
Iowa Highway 21
Iowa Highway 21 (Iowa 21) is a state highway that runs from north to south in central Iowa. It has a length of . Iowa 21 begins at Iowa 149 west of Hedrick and ends at a freeway interchange with U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) in Wa ...
*
Iowa Highway 22
Iowa Highway 22 (Iowa 22) is a west–east state highway that traverses primarily rural areas in east-central Iowa. The highway begins near Thornburg at an intersection with Iowa Highway 21 and ends in southwestern Davenport, at U.S. High ...
*
Iowa Highway 78
Iowa Highway 78 (Iowa 78) is a state highway which runs from east to west in southeastern Iowa. The route begins east of Martinsburg at Iowa Highway 149, and ends at U.S. Highway 61 east of Morning Sun. The route has existed since the 1920s, w ...
*
Iowa Highway 92
Iowa Highway 92 (Iowa 92) is a state highway that runs from east to west across the state of Iowa. Iowa 92 is long. It begins at the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, where it is a continuation of Nebraska Highway 92. It stretches across ...
*
Iowa Highway 149
Iowa Highway 149 is a highway which runs from south to north in Iowa. It has a length of . Iowa 149 begins at U.S. Highway 34 in Ottumwa and ends at Williamsburg at Interstate 80. The first of Iowa 149 are overlapped by U.S. Highway 63 Busi ...
Adjacent counties
*
Poweshiek County − northwest
*
Iowa County − north
*
Washington County − east
*
Jefferson County − southeast
*
Wapello County
Wapello County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,437. The county seat is Ottumwa. The county was formed on February 17, 1843, and named for Wapello, a Meskwaki chief.
Wapello County ...
− southwest
*
Mahaska County − west
Demographics
2020 census
The 2020 census recorded a population of 10,033 in the county, with a population density of . 96.81% of the population reported being of one race. 93.01% were non-Hispanic White, 0.51% were Black, 2.14% were Hispanic, 0.15% were Native American, 0.16% were Asian, 0.00% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.03% were some other race or more than one race. There were 4,654 housing units, of which 4,174 were occupied.
[
]
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,511 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,931 housing units, of which 4,408 were occupied.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
, there were 11,400 people, 4,586 households, and 3,155 families 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 20 people per square mile (8/km2). There were 5,013 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 99.00% 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 ...
, 0.07% 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 ...
or 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 ...
, 0.11% Native American, 0.23% 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 ...
, 0.02% 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 ...
, 0.21% 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 0.36% from two or more races. 0.54% 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 ...
or 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 4,586 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% 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, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.
The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 20.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,025, and the median income for a family was $41,818. Males had a median income of $28,306 versus $22,083 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 $17,120. About 7.50% of families and 10.10% 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 12.90% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
* Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also re ...
* Gibson
Gibson may refer to:
People
* Gibson (surname)
Businesses
* Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment
* Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based
* Gi ...
* Harper
Harper may refer to:
Names
* Harper (name), a surname and given name
Places
;in Canada
* Harper Islands, Nunavut
*Harper, Prince Edward Island
;In the United States
*Harper, former name of Costa Mesa, California in Orange County
* Harper, Il ...
* Hayesville
* Hedrick Hedrick may refer to:
* Hedrick, Indiana
* Hedrick, Iowa
* Hedrick, Missouri
Hedrick is an unincorporated community in Dent County, Missouri, Dent County, in the U.S. state of Missouri.
History
A post office called Hedrick was established in 18 ...
* Keota
* Keswick
* Kinross
Kinross (, gd, Ceann Rois) is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, around south of Perth and around northwest of Edinburgh. It is the traditional county town of the historic county of Kinross-shire.
History
Kinross's origins are connect ...
* Martinsburg
* North English (partial)[
* ]Ollie
Ollie is a given name and a nickname, often as a shortened form of Oliver, Olive, Olympia, Olga or Olivia. Variants include Olie, Oli, Oly and Olly.
People Given name
* Ollie Marie Adams (1925–1998), American gospel and R&B singer
* Ollie B ...
* Richland
* Sigourney
* South English
* Thornburg
* Webster
Webster may refer to:
People
*Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname
*Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name
Places Canada
*Webster, Alberta
*Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario
United State ...
* What Cheer
What Cheer (pronounced 'WOT-cheer') is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. It is a former coal town, and from the 1870s to the early 1900s was one of the major coal-producing centers of Iowa. Its greatest recorded population was 3,246, ...
Unincorporated communities
* Atwood[
* Coal Creek][
* Pekin (partial)][
* Talleyrand][
]
Townships
* Adams
* Benton
* Clear Creek
* East Lancaster
* English River
* 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 ...
* 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 (1757â ...
* Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
* Plank
Plank may refer to:
*Plank (wood), flat, elongated, and rectangular timber with parallel faces
*Plank (exercise), an isometric exercise for the abdominal muscles
* Martins Creek (Kentucky), the location of Plank post office
* ''The Plank'' (1967 fi ...
* Prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
* Richland
* Sigourney
* Steady Run
* Van Buren
* 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 ...
* West Lancaster
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Keokuk County.[
†''county seat''
]
Politics
For most of its history, Keokuk County has backed Republican Party candidates in presidential elections, with Democratic Party candidates only winning the county in eight presidential elections from 1896 on. Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
is the most recent Democratic presidential candidate to win the county (1996), while in 2016 his wife, Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
, had the worst performance by a Democrat since 1924, only winning 26.9 percent of the vote. 2016 Republican candidate 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 ...
made a significant gain compared to his party's 2012 candidate 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 ...
.
Education
School districts include:
* Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District
* English Valleys Community School District
* Keota Community School District
The Keota Community School District, or Keota Community Schools, is a rural state school, public school district serving the towns of Keota, Iowa, Keota and Harper, Iowa, Harper and surrounding areas in eastern Keokuk County, Iowa, Keokuk and wes ...
* Pekin Community School District
* Sigourney Community School District
Sigourney Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Sigourney, Iowa. The district is completely within Keokuk County and serves Sigourney, Delta, and Hayesville. It operates a preschool/elementary school an ...
* Tri-County Community School District
Former school districts:
* Fremont Community School District
Fremont Community School District was a school district headquartered in Fremont, Iowa. It operated a single K-8 school in that town, while, since around the 1990s, it sent its high school students to Eddyville–Blakesburg Community School Distr ...
[ ]
Text list
/ref>
* Hedrick Community School District
See also
*
* Keokuk County Courthouse
The Keokuk County Courthouse located in Sigourney, Iowa, United States, was built in 1911. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 1999 it was ...
References
External links
Keokuk County government's website
{{Coord, 41, 20, 10, N, 92, 10, 47, W, region:US-IA_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title
Iowa placenames of Native American origin
1843 establishments in Iowa Territory
Populated places established in 1843