Muscatine 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 43,235. 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 ...

is Muscatine. The southeastern border is formed by the Mississippi River. Muscatine County comprises the Muscatine, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Davenport- Moline, IA- IL Combined Statistical Area.

History

Muscatine County was formed in December 1836 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 ...

, partitioned from Des Moines County, which had been organized two years previously. One history suggests that the county was named for Muscatine Island in the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. The island lies opposite Muscatine County and was believed to be named after the

Mascouten The Mascouten (also ''Mascoutin'', ''Mathkoutench'', ''Muscoden,'' or ''Musketoon'') were a tribe of Algonquian-speaking Native Americans located in the Midwest. They are believed to have dwelt on both sides of the Mississippi River, adjacent to ...

tribe, Algonquian-speaking Native Americans who lived in the area before being driven west by settler encroachment and other tribes. Colonel George Davenport of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

sent three representatives into the territory in 1833 to establish a trade post. They were the first European Americans to settle there. In the same year, James W. Casey and John Vanatta came to the area. They opened a supply depot for

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

s on June 1, 1833, and named it Casey's Woodpile (since steamboats used wood as fuel). Muscatine County became part of Iowa Territory on July 4, 1838, when it was established by partitioning the area from

. The first public land sale was held in November 1838. One year later, officials began construction of the first courthouse and associated jail. A second jail, known as the "Old Jail", was built in 1857. The first courthouse was destroyed by fire on December 23, 1864. By 1866 a replacement stood on the same site. The present courthouse opened on September 26, 1907.

Geography

According to the

US 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 (2.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Cedar County (north) * Johnson County (northwest) * Louisa County (south, southwest) *

Rock Island County, Illinois Rock Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, bounded on the west by the Mississippi River. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 144,672. Its county seat is Rock Island; its largest city is neighborin ...

(east), across the

* Scott County (northeast)

Transportation

Transit

* MuscaBus

Major highways

U.S. Highway 6 – enters from Cedar County, west of Wilton, runs south two miles, then continues west and west-northwest to the northwest corner of the county, exiting into Johnson County. * US 61

U.S. Highway 61 – enters from Louisa County, southwest of Fruitland. Runs northeast through the county, passing Muscatine, before turning east to enter Scott County at Blue Grass. * Elongated circle 22

Iowa Highway 22 – begins at an intersection with Iowa 70, three miles east of Nichols. Runs east and southeast to an intersection with US 61, west of Muscatine. * Elongated circle 38

Iowa Highway 38 – begins at an intersection with US 6, three miles south of Wilton. Runs south to an intersection with US 61, north of Muscatine. * Elongated circle 70

Iowa Highway 70 – enters from Louisa County at the southwest corner of Muscatine County. Runs north, northeast and east to Cedar County, passing Nichols and West Liberty. * Elongated circle 92

Iowa Highway 92 - enters Muscatine County (and state of Iowa), running northwest across the historic Norbert F. Beckey Bridge into central Muscatine. Runs southwest along the

to intersection with US 61, southwest of Muscatine.

Other roadway designations

Great River Road The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States. They are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Miss ...

- system of roadways marking north–south routes across the conterminous US, and generally passing through Iowa.

County highways

*County Highway F58 (formerly Hwy 927) *County Highway F62 *County Highway F65 *County Highway F70 (155th St) *County Highway G14 (180th St) *County Highway G28 (230th/231st Sts) *County Highway G34 (275th St) *County Highway G38 (Fruitland Rd) *County Highway X34 (Davis Ave) *County Highway X40 (Garfield Ave) *County Highway X46 (Kelly Ave/170th St) *County Highway X61 (Stewart Rd) *County Highway Y14 (Taylor Ave) *County Highway Y26 (Vail Ave) *County Highway Y30 (Western Ave) *County Highway Y36 (Zachary Ave)

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 43,235 in the county, with a population density of . 92.12% of the population reported being of one race. There were 18,366 housing units, of which 16,908 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 42,745 in the county, with a population density of . There were 17,910 housing units, of which 16,412 were occupied.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 41,722 people, 15,847 households, and 11,283 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 16,786 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.72%

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 ...

, 0.70%

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 ...

, 0.31% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 6.05% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 11.92% of the population 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. There were 15,847 households, out of which 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.90% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $41,803, and the median income for a family was $48,373. Males had a median income of $36,329 versus $24,793 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $19,625. About 6.30% of families and 8.90% 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 10.70% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over. Barclay barn 1875

Communities

Cities

* Atalissa * Blue Grass (part) * Conesville * Durant (part) * Fruitland * Muscatine * Nichols * Stockton * Walcott (part) * West Liberty * Wilton

Census-designated places

* Fairport * Kent Estates * Montpelier *

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Other unincorporated communities

* Ardon * Cranston * Hinkeyville * Midway Beach * Petersburg * Port Allen

Townships

* Bloomington * Cedar * Fruitland * Fulton * Goshen *

Lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

* Montpelier *

* Orono * Pike * Seventy-Six * Sweetland * Wapsinonoc * Wilton

Population ranking

The population ranking of the table is based on the 2020 census of Muscatine County. † ''

Politics

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> * Columbus Community School District * Davenport Community School District * Durant Community School District * Louisa-Muscatine Community School District *

Muscatine Community School District The Muscatine Community School District (MCSD) is a state school, public school district located in Muscatine, Iowa, Muscatine, Iowa, serving almost all of the city and the surrounding rural areas, including the census-designated places of Fair ...

* West Liberty Community School District * Wilton Community School District

References

External links

Muscatine County website
{{Coord, 41, 28, 52, N, 91, 07, 11, W, region:US-IA_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title Iowa placenames of Native American origin 1836 establishments in Wisconsin Territory Populated places established in 1836 Muscatine, Iowa micropolitan area Iowa counties on the Mississippi River