Linn County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 230,299, making it the second-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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in u ...

. Linn County is named in honor of Senator Lewis F. Linn of

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. Linn County is included in the Cedar Rapids, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The earliest inhabitants of Linn County, prior to Anglo settlement, were the

Sac and Fox The Sac and Fox Nation (Sauk language: Thâkîwaki) is the largest of three federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribes of Sauk people, Sauk and Meskwaki, Meskwaki (Fox) American Indians in the United States, Indian peoples. They are ...

tribes. Relations were described by 20th century historians as amicable. Native Americans provided food and furs to whites in exchange for merchandise. Linn County was created as a named but unorganized area on December 21, 1837, as a part of

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belm ...

. It became part of Iowa Territory on July 4, 1838, when the territory was organized. Linn County was organized by the first legislative assembly of the

Iowa Territory The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remai ...

on January 15, 1839. A site was selected for its first county seat along Indian Creek, and was named Marion, after the Revolutionary War general

Francis Marion Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served during the French and Indian War and t ...

. As early as 1855, there were debates over moving the county seat to the fast-growing

, southwest of Marion, but it was not until November 6, 1919, that there were enough votes in favor of the move (9,960 to 4,823). The first rail line was built through Cedar Rapids in 1859, and made the town (and the county) a major commercial hub in eastern Iowa. Many areas of the county were damaged by the

flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant concern in agriculture, civi ...

of Cedar River in June 2008, and again during the

August 2020 Midwest derecho On August 10 and 11, 2020, an extremely powerful progressive derecho devastated much of the Midwestern United States, primarily eastern Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. It caused high winds and spawned an outbreak of weak torna ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate 380 * Elongated circle 27

Iowa Highway 27 * US 30

U.S. Highway 30 * US 151

U.S. Highway 151 * US 218

U.S. Highway 218 * Circle sign 1

Iowa Highway 1 * Elongated circle 13

Iowa Highway 13 Iowa Highway 13 (Iowa 13) is a north–south highway in eastern Iowa. It has a length of . The southern terminus of Iowa Highway 13 is at U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) south of Bertram and southeast of Cedar Rapids. The northern terminus is a ...

Transit

* 380 Express *

Cedar Rapids Transit Cedar Rapids Transit, stylized as CR Transit, is the primary provider of mass transportation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Prior to 2008, the Cedar Rapids public transportation system was known as Environmental Alternative for a Greater Lifestyle (EAGL) ...

Adjacent counties

* Benton County (west) * Buchanan County (northwest) * Cedar County (southeast) * Delaware County (northeast) * Iowa County (southwest) * Johnson County (south) * Jones County (east)

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 230,299 in the county, with a population density of . 94.04% of the population reported being of one race. 78.91% were non-Hispanic White, 7.14% were Black, 3.87% were Hispanic, 0.24% were Native American, 2.33% were Asian, 0.23% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 7.28% were some other race or more than one race. There were 101,230 housing units, of which 94,751 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 211,226 in the county, with a population density of . There were 92,251 housing units, of which 86,134 were occupied.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 191,701 people, 76,753 households, and 50,349 families in the county. The population density was . There were 80,551 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the county was 93.90%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.57%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.22% Native American, 1.37% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.46% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 1.42%. were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. Of the 76,753 households 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.20% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 27.50% of households were one person and 8.90% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99. Age spread: 25.30% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.40 males. The median household income was $46,206 and the median family income was $56,494. Males had a median income of $38,525 versus $26,403 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,977. About 4.30% of families and 6.50% 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 ...

, including 7.60% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Linn County Board of Supervisors consists of three members elected by district to overlapping four-year terms. The Board of Supervisors serves as both the executive branch and legislative branch of Linn County government. It oversees Communications, Community Services, Engineering/Secondary Road, Facilities, Finance & Budget, Human Resources, Information Technology, LIFTS (para-transit transportation), Planning & Development, Policy & Administration, Purchasing, Risk Management, Soil & Water Conservation, Sustainability, and Veteran Services. Conservation and Public Health report to independent boards appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The County Attorney, Auditor, Recorder, Sheriff, and Treasurer are elected independently and oversee their respective departments. Attorney - Nick Maybanks Auditor - Todd Taylor Recorder - Caroyln Siebrecht Sheriff - Brian Gardner Treasurer - Brent Oolson While Iowa shifted from competitive to firmly Republican during the

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

era in the mid-to-late 2010s, Linn County remained as one of the state's few Democratic strongholds. The County last voted for a Republican for president in 1984 when

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

won a landslide re-election. In every presidential election since 1984, the Democratic candidate won Linn County by at least 9 percent.

Communities

Cities

* Alburnett * Bertram *

* Center Point * Central City * Coggon * Ely * Fairfax *

Hiawatha Hiawatha ( , also : ), also known as Ayenwatha or Aiionwatha, was a precolonial Native American leader and cofounder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some accounts, he ...

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

* Marion *

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

Palo Palo may refer to: Places * Palo, Estonia, village in Meremäe Parish, Võru County, Estonia * Palo, Huesca, municipality in the province of Huesca, Spain * Palo, Iowa, United States, a town located within Linn County * Palo Laziale, a location ...

* Prairieburg * Robins * Springville *

Walford Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location wor ...

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

Unincorporated communities

* Covington * Lafayette *

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

* Toddville * Troy Mills * Waubeek *

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

* Whittier *

Viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

Ghost towns

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...

Townships

* Bertram *

Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black. In the ...

* Buffalo * Clinton *

College A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

* Fairfax * Fayette * Franklin * Grant *

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

* Linn *

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

* Marion *

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...

* Otter Creek * Putnam * Spring Grove *

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

Population ranking

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

References

External links

Linn County government's websiteThe History of Linn county, Iowa

History of Linn County Iowa
by Luther A. Brewer and Barthinius L. Wick {{Coord, 42, 04, 43, N, 91, 35, 59, W, region:US-IA_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title 1839 establishments in Iowa Territory Populated places established in 1839 Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area