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 ...

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, 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: Wiscon ...

. 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 The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

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 ...

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 Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest c ...

–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 Kossuth County () is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,828. The county seat is Algona. History Kossuth County was founded on January 15, 1851. It was named after Lajos Kossuth, Regent-Presiden ...

. 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 ...

, 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 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...

Interstate 480 * I-680

Interstate 680 * I-880

Interstate 880 * US 6

U.S. Highway 6 * US 59

U.S. Highway 59 U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA Corridor Highway Sy ...

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 * Elongated circle 92

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 () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, 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: Wiscon ...

Iowa Highway 191 Iowa Highway 191 (Iowa 191) is a highway in western Iowa. It runs for in a north–south direction. For its entire length, Iowa 191 closely parallels Mosquito Creek and a line of the BNSF Railway. Iowa 191 begins at Interstate 880 north ...

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 overlapp ...

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 inc ...

, there were 87,704 people, 33,844 households and 23,623 families residing 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 RosenberPopu ...

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 ...

, 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 ha ...

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, 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 for ...

or Latino 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 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

, including 11.00% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

USA Pottawattamie County, Iowa age pyramid

Cities

* Avoca * Carson * Carter Lake *

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 Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of De ...

* Neola *

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...

* 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 *Underw ...

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 Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, Nort ...

* 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 Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western world, Western demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during ...

* 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 ...

* Garner * Grove * Hardin * Hazel Dell * James * 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 *

* 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 (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

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 *

AHSTW Community School District A-H-S-T-W Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Avoca, Iowa. The district, with about of area, serves sections of Cass, Harrison, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties. It serves Avoca, Hancock, Shelby ...

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. ...

Glenwood Community School District The Glenwood Community School District is a rural public school district based in Glenwood, Iowa. The district is mainly in western Mills County, on the western border of Iowa, with a very small area in southern Pottawattamie County. The d ...

Griswold Community School District Griswold Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Griswold, Iowa, serving sections of Cass, Montgomery, and Pottawattamie counties. Communities in its service area are Griswold, Elliott, Grant, and Lewis ...

Lewis Central Community School District The Lewis Central Community School District is a public school district headquartered in Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. The district is located primarily in southwestern Council Bluffs. It serves the southern portion of the Council Bluffs as wel ...

Missouri Valley Community School District Missouri Valley Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Missouri Valley, Iowa. The distract spans areas in Harrison County and Pottawattamie County. Total per pupil expenditures in the Missouri Valley C ...

Red Oak Community School District The Red Oak Community School District is a rural public school district based in Red Oak, Iowa. The district is mainly in Montgomery County, with small areas in Page and Pottawattamie counties. The district serves the towns of Red Oak and ...

Riverside Community School District Riverside Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Carson, Iowa, within the district's grade 3-5 facility. - The name "Riverside Intermediate School" appears in the image. The district, entirely in Pottawatt ...

Treynor Community School District The Treynor Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Treynor, Iowa. The majority of the district is in Pottawattamie County, with a small area in Mills County. It serves Treynor and the surrounding rural ...

Tri-Center Community School District The Tri-Center Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Neola, Iowa. The district spans northern Pottawattamie County and southern Harrison County. It serves Neola, Minden, Persia, and the surrounding r ...

Underwood Community School District The Underwood Community School District is a rural public school district located in Underwood, Iowa. The first school in the district was built in 1863, in Downsville, IA. The school was moved to Underwood, IA in 1903 following the incorpora ...

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 A-H-S-T Community School District was a school district headquartered in Avoca, Iowa. The district served sections of Harrison, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties. It served Avoca, Hancock, Shelby, and much of Tennant. History It was formed ...

Text list
/ref> *

Walnut Community School District Walnut Community School District was a school district headquartered in Walnut, Iowa. History The first school in Walnut began operations in 1872. In 1875 the school had 25 students; that year its first permanent building, with a cost of $5,000, o ...

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