Hamilton

Formed December 22, 1856 (94^th county)

Hamilton County (15,039), Webster City (7,825)

The Modern design of the 1976 courthouse is dramatically different from the 1876 classic courthouse.  United States Highway 20 is two blocks south of the courthouse, which is situated at Fair Meadows and Superior streets.  Smith-Voorhees-Jensen Associates designed this courthouse of stone and tan brick.  The facility is built into the hillside.  Hamilton County was created on December 22, 1856 from Webster County as the 94^th county with Webster City as the only county seat.  It is named for Iowa State Senator William Hamilton.  The county seat is named for American Statesman Daniel Webster.  He is also the namesake of Webster County. 

Hamilton 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 Hamilton, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Mitchell, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, Winnebago, Worth, and Wright counties (judicial.) The county is in central Iowa.  Waterloo, Iowa is east and Des Moines, Iowa in south of the county.  The county center is 11.6 miles Southeast of Webster City nearer Kamrar.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wright, Franklin, Hardin, Story, Boone, and Webster counties. 

The county has an area of 577 square miles.  It is 36 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 51 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 26.1 persons per square mile making it 52 out of 99 in the state.  Hamilton County has 75.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 goes north to south through the county from Wright County to Story County.  United States Highway 20 travels east to west from Hardin County to Webster County.  United States Highway 69 parallels Interstate Highway 35 from Wright to Story counties.  The county is a rectangle with the top shifted toward the west.  Webster City is located in the northwest corner of the county.  Webster City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 52.0% of the county population.