Pottawattamie County () is a
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 ...
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 sove ...
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 th ...
. At the
2020 census, the population was 93,667,
making it the tenth-most populous county in Iowa. The county takes its name from the
Potawatomi Native American tribe
In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, tribal nation, or similar concept is any extant or historical clan, tribe, band, nation, or other group or community of Native Americans in the Unit ...
. 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
Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...
.
Pottawattamie County is included in the
Omaha–Council Bluffs,
NE–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 as a city or tow ...
.
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 (0.9%) is water.
It is the second-largest county in Iowa by area after
Kossuth County. Pottawattamie County is located within Iowa's
Loess Hills
The Loess Hills are a formation of wind-deposited loess soil in the westernmost parts of Iowa and Missouri, and the easternmost parts of Nebraska and Kansas, along the Missouri River.
Geology
The Loess (, , or ) Hills are generally located bet ...
, and was the site of Kanesville along
The Mormon Trail
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.
Major highways
*
Interstate 29
Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...
*
Interstate 80
*
Interstate 480
*
Interstate 680
*
Interstate 880
*
U.S. Highway 6
*
U.S. Highway 59
*
U.S. Highway 275
U.S. Route 275 (US 275) is a north–south United States highway that is a branch of US 75. It originally terminated at US 75 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The highway's northern terminus is in O'Neill, Nebraska, at an intersection with U.S. Highw ...
*
Iowa Highway 83
*
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 acro ...
*
Iowa Highway 165
*
Iowa Highway 191
*
Iowa Highway 192
Iowa Highway 192 (Iowa 192) was a north–south highway within the city limits of Council Bluffs, Iowa. It had a length of . It began and an interchange with Interstate 29 (I-29) and I-80 in the southern part of the city. It briefly overlapped ...
Adjacent counties
*
Harrison County (north)
*
Shelby County (northeast)
*
Cass County (east)
*
Montgomery County (southeast)
*
Mills County (south)
*
Sarpy County, Nebraska
Sarpy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 190,604, making it the third-most populous county in Nebraska. Its county seat is Papillion.
Sarpy County is part of the O ...
(southwest)
*
Douglas County, Nebraska
Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population is 584,526. It is the state's most populous county, home to well over one-fourth of Nebraska's residents. Its county seat is O ...
(west)
*
Washington County, Nebraska
Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 20,234. Its county seat is Blair.
Washington County is part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE- IA Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
(northwest)
National protected area
*
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Demographics
2020 census
The 2020 census recorded a population of 93,667 in the county, with a population density of . 94.09% of the population reported being of one race. There were 39,852 housing units, of which 37,284 were occupied.
[
]
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 93,158 in the county, with a population density of . There were 39,330 housing units, of which 36,775 were occupied.
2000 census
At the 2000 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 ...
, there were 87,704 people, 33,844 households and 23,623 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 92 per square mile (35/km2). There were 35,761 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (14/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.98% 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 ...
, 0.77% 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 ...
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 ...
, 0.37% Native American, 0.48% 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 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 ...
, 1.27% 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 1.11% from two or more races. 3.30% 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
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 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
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...
was $40,089 and the median family income was $47,105. Males had a median income of $31,642 vand females $24,243. 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 ...
was $19,275. About 6.40% of families and 8.40% 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 11.00% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
* Avoca
* Carson
* Carter Lake
*Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...
*Crescent
A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself.
In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...
*Hancock Hancock may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Hancock, Iowa
* Hancock, Maine
* Hancock, Maryland
* Hancock, Massachusetts
* Hancock, Michigan
* Hancock, Minnesota
* Hancock, Missouri
* Hancock, New Hampshire
** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...
* Macedonia
*McClelland McClelland is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Alyssa McClelland, Australian actress
* Charles A. McClelland (1917–2006), American political systems analyst
* Charles P. McClelland (1854–1944), New York politician, and US ...
* Minden
* Neola
* Oakland
* Treynor
*Underwood Underwood may refer to:
People
*Underwood (surname), people with the surname
Places
United States
* Underwood, Shelby County, Alabama
* Underwood, Indiana
* Underwood, Iowa
* Underwood, Minnesota
* Underwood, New York
* Underwood, North Dakota
* ...
*Walnut
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''.
Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...
Unincorporated community
* Honey Creek
Census-designated places
* Bentley
* Loveland
*Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* ...
Townships
* Belknap
* Boomer
* Carson
*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 ...
*Crescent
A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself.
In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...
* Garner
* Grove
* Hardin
* Hazel Dell
*James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
* Kane
* Keg Creek
* Knox
*Lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
* Layton
*Lewis
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
*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.
* Lincol ...
* Macedonia
* Minden
* Neola
* Norwalk
* Pleasant
* Rockford
* Silver Creek
*Valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...
*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 o ...
* Waveland
*Wright
Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...
*York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Pottawattamie County.[
† ''county seat''
]
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.
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, & only voted Democratic in four other elections prior to that. Some recent elections were more competitive, with Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
losing the county in 2008 by less than 1,000 votes. However, 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 P ...
won the county by 21% in 2016 and by 17% in 2020.
Education
School districts include:[ ]
Text list
/ref>
* Atlantic Community School District
Atlantic Community School District (ACSD) is a public school district headquartered in Atlantic, Iowa. The district is mostly in Cass County and also occupies parts of Audubon and Pottawattamie counties. The district serves Atlantic and Marn ...
* AHSTW Community School District
* Council Bluffs Community School District
The Council Bluffs Community School District is a public school district headquartered in the city of Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States.
The district serves most of the city of Council Bluffs and the cities of Carter Lake and Crescent.
Sc ...
* Glenwood Community School District
* Griswold Community School District
* Lewis Central Community School District
* Missouri Valley Community School District
* Red Oak Community School District
* Riverside Community School District
* Treynor Community School District
* Tri-Center Community School District
* Underwood Community School District
There is also a state-operated school, Iowa School for the Deaf
Iowa School for the Deaf is a pre-K to 12th grade school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It serves students who live in Iowa and Nebraska.
History
The founders of Iowa School for the Deaf were Edmund Boot ...
.
Former school districts:
* A-H-S-T Community School District[ ]
Text list
/ref>
* Walnut Community School District[
]
See also
*
Notes
References
External links
Pottawattamie County Government's website
Pottawattamie County Assessor's website
{{Authority control
Iowa placenames of Native American origin
1848 establishments in Iowa
Iowa counties on the Missouri River
Populated places established in 1848