Humboldt

Formed February 26, 1857 (95^th county)

Humboldt County (9,598), Dakota City (759), Humboldt (4,786)                

An Art Deco tan brick and masonry building for Humboldt County was erected in 1938.  The courthouse is on a square at Main Avenue, 2^nd Street, 1^st Avenue, and 3^rd Street.  Iowa State Highway 3 is nine blocks north of the site.  Dougher, Rich & Woodburn are the architects.  The site features veteran memorials and a military gun.  There was an 1873 courthouse also in Dakota City the only county seat.  Humboldt County was created on February 26, 1857 from Webster County as the 95^th county.  It is named for explorer Baron Alexander von Humboldt.  The county seat is named for the Native American tribe. 

Humboldt County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Supervisors.  Thirty-one District Court Judges and Thirty-three Magistrates serve Humboldt, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Marshall, Mitchell, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, Winnebago, Worth, and Wright counties.  The county is in northwest Iowa northwest of Des Moines, Iowa and northeast of Sioux City, Iowa.  The county center is 2 miles North of Dakota City.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Kossuth, Hancock, Wright, Webster, Pocahontas, and Palo Alto counties. 

The county has an area of 434 square miles.  It is 83 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 78 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 22.1 persons per square mile making it 66 out of 99 in the state.  Humboldt County has 75.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 169 travels north to south through the county from Kossuth County to Webster County.  The county is a rectangle.  Dakota City is located in the southern quarter of the county.  The largest city is directly to the west of the county seat.  Dakota City is the county seat and Humboldt is the largest city.  Dakota City is 7.9% of the county population while Humboldt is 49.9% of the county population.

Lu Verne