Guthrie

Formed July 8, 1851 (67^th county)

Guthrie County (10,623), Guthrie Center (1,589), Stuart (1,786)

The Modern red brick and concrete courthouse in Guthrie Center was built in 1963.  Built at 5^th, Grand, 6^th, and Main streets, this replaced an 1883 facility.  Iowa State Highway 25 is 5^th Street in the town.  Dougher-Frevert-Ramsey are the architects.  The grounds feature veteran memorials.  The county was created on July 8, 1851 from Jackson County as the 67^th county.  Panora (1851) and Guthrie Center (1859) have served as county seat.  The county and county seat are named for Mexican War hero Captain Edwin B. Guthrie.  Guthrie County was the birthplace of 1 Iowa Governor, George A. Wilson. 

Guthrie County government consists of a sheriff, a recorder, an attorney, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Fifty-nine District Court Judges and Twenty-one Magistrates serve Guthrie, Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Polk, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Warren, and Wayne counties (judicial.) The county is in western Iowa.  Des Moines, Iowa is east and Sioux City, Iowa is northwest of the county.  The county center is 3.4 miles East of Guthrie Center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Greene, Dallas, Madison, Adair, Cass, Audubon, and Carroll counties. 

The county has an area of 591 square miles.  It is 22 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 70 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 18.0 persons per square mile making it 78 out of 99 in the state.  Guthrie County has 52.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is a rectangle with the southern part shifted east.  Guthrie Center is located near the county’s center.  Stuart is on the southeast border and extends into Adair County.  Guthrie Center is the county seat and Stuart is the largest city.  Guthrie Center is 15.0% of the county population while Stuart is 16.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.