Iowa Counties

Western Iowa’s Ida County is about as rectangular as counties come. The county seat, Ida Grove, has lots castle-like architecture.

Right in the middle of eastern Iowa, Iowa County shares its name with the state. It’s a spot where small towns and rolling farmland meet.

Jackson County is in eastern Iowa and hugs the Mississippi River. Maquoketa, the county seat, is named after the river that runs through it.

Jasper County is where the city meets the country. Newton is the county seat. It was once the “Washing Machine Capital of the World”.

Jefferson County is in southeastern Iowa. It’s home to Fairfield, a unique city that’s located in the center of the county.

Johnson County is in east-central Iowa. It’s where cornfields give way to college town vibes. Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa.

Jones County sits in eastern Iowa, not far from the Mississippi River. The county seat is Anamosa, at Buffalo Creek and Wapsipinicon River.

Keokuk County, located in southeastern Iowa, is a place where history and agriculture intertwine. It has rolling hills and fertile plains.

Kossuth County holds the distinction of being Iowa’s largest county by land area. It sprawls across north-central Iowa at 974 square miles.

Lee County occupies Iowa’s southeastern tip, forming part of the state’s border with Illinois and Missouri. Iowa county has two county seats.

Linn County, in east-central Iowa, is the state’s second most populous county. Cedar Rapids, the county seat, is Iowa’s second-largest city.

Louisa County, in southeastern Iowa, is where the Iowa and Mississippi Rivers meet. It’s one of Iowa’s smaller counties for population.

Lucas County lies in south-central Iowa, about an hour southeast of Des Moines. Chariton, the county seat, was laid out in 1849.

Lyon County occupies the northwestern corner of Iowa, bordering both South Dakota and Minnesota. The county seat is Rock Rapids.

Madison County is probably most famous for its covered bridges, the kind that inspired the novel and movie “The Bridges of Madison County”.