Cerro Gordo

Formed December 15, 1853 (86^th county)

Cerro Gordo County (43,132), Mason City (27,339)

A tan brick and concrete Modern style structure was erected in 1937 and bought for the county courthouse in 1959.  The courthouse is at Washington Avenue and 3^rd Street.  United States Highway 65 is Washington Avenue heading south.  The architect of the courthouse is Liebenberg & Kaplan.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1978.  The grounds feature a soldier statue and Liberty Bell.  There was a very nice courthouse in Mason City built in 1901 and an earlier one from 1866.  The county was established on December 15, 1853 from Floyd County as the 86^th county.  Mason City, Livonia, and Mason City again have been the county seat.  The Mexican War Battle of Cerro Gordo inspired the county’s name.  The county seat name was given by the settlers who were free masons. 

Cerro Gordo County government consists of a sheriff, a recorder, an attorney, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Supervisors (legislative.)  Thirty-one District Court Judges and Thirty-three Magistrates serve Cerro Gordo, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Mitchell, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, Winnebago, Worth, and Wright counties (judicial.) The county is in northern Iowa.  Waterloo, Iowa is southeast and Des Moines, Iowa is southwest of the county.  The county center is in Mason City 3.7 miles Southwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Worth, Mitchell, Floyd, Franklin, and Hancock counties. 

The county has an area of 568 square miles.  It is 55 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 14 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 75.9 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 99 in the state.  Cerro Gordo County has 88.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 travels north to south in the county from Worth County to Franklin County.  United States Highway 18 goes east to west from Floyd County to Hancock County.  United States Highway 65 parallels Interstate Highway 35 from Worth to Franklin counties.  The county is a square.  Mason City is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Mason City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 63.4% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SEER-ROE GOER-DOE.  This county is in the Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area.