Hancock

Formed December 31, 1857 (99^th county)

Hancock County (10,794), Garner (3,062)                

A stone and tan brick structure was built in 1899 and sited on State Street between 8^th and 9^th streets.  This is eight blocks east of United States Highway 69.  F. W. Kinney is the architect of this Romanesque courthouse.  The building was renovated in 2000.  The structure features wooden stairs and stain glass windows.  The grounds have memorial walls and benches and a fountain.  An annex is located across the street.  Hancock County was formed on December 31, 1857 from Wright County as the 99^th and final county.  It is named for John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Concord was the first county seat until 1890 when Garner assumed the role.  The county seat is named for an official of the railroad. 

Hancock County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Supervisors.  Thirty-one District Court Judges and Thirty-three Magistrates serve Hancock, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Mitchell, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, Winnebago, Worth, and Wright counties.  The county is in northern Iowa immediately west of Mason City, Iowa.  The county center is 6.6 miles West of Garner nearer Britt.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Winnebago, Worth, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Wright, Humboldt, and Kossuth counties. 

The county has an area of 571 square miles.  It is 46 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 68 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 18.9 persons per square mile making it 75 out of 99 in the state.  Hancock County has 68.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 18 crosses east to west through the county from Cerro Gordo County to Kossuth County.  United States Highway 69 goes north to south from Winnebago County to Wright County.  The county is a rectangle.  Garner is in the eastern third of the county.  Garner is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 28.4% of the county population.