Adams

Formed January 15, 1851 (53^rd county)

Adams County (3,708), Corning (1,569)

The Modern style concrete building was built in 1955 and remodeled in 1999.  It is located on a square at 9^th Street, Davis Avenue, 10^th Street, and Benton Avenue.  The location is two blocks west of Iowa State Highway 148.  The building designers are Thomas W. Williamson and Victor H. Loebsack.  Across the street is a gazebo/stage and a fountain.  Adams County was organized on January 15, 1851 with a courthouse being built in 1890 in Corning.  Quincy was the first county seat until 1872 when Corning assumed that role.  The county was created from Pottawattamie County as the 53^rd county.  Montgomery and Union counties were later cut from the county.  The county is named for either President John Adams or President John Quincy Adams.  Corning is named for Railroad President Erastus Corning.  Adams County is the birthplace for 1 Iowa Governor, Daniel W. Turner. 

Adams County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Supervisors.  Fifty-nine District Court Judges and Twenty-one Magistrates serve Adams, Adair, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Polk, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Warren, and Wayne counties.  The county is in the southwest part of the state.  Council Bluffs, Iowa is west and Des Moines, Iowa is northeast.  The county center is 7 miles Northeast of Corning.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Adair, Union, Taylor, Montgomery, and Cass counties. 

The county has an area of 424 square miles.  It is 90 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 99 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 8.7 persons per square mile making it 98 out of 99 in the state.  Adams County has 50.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 34 crosses the county east to west from Union County to Montgomery County.  The county is a rectangle with Corning in the southwest quarter of the county.  Corning is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 42.3% of the county population.