Jasper

Formed January 13, 1846 (34^th county)

Jasper County (37,809), Newton (15,757)

The domed masonry Neo-Classical/Beaux Arts courthouse in Jasper County was erected in 1909.  It is on a square at 1^st Street, 1^st Avenue, 2^nd Street, and 2^nd Avenue.  United States Highway 6 is 1^st Avenue.  Proudfoot & Bird are the architects.  The building was renovated in 1986.  The facility features veteran walls, memorials and a Freedom Rock.  Flags fly from all four corners of the square.  There was an 1857 courthouse in Newton since Jasper County was formed on January 13, 1846 as the 34^th county.  Newton has always been the county seat.  The county was taken from Mahaska County.  The county is named for Revolutionary War hero Sergeant William Jasper.  The county seat is named for Revolutionary War hero Sergeant John Newton. 

Jasper County government consists of a sheriff, a recorder, an attorney, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Supervisors (legislative.)  Fifty-nine District Court Judges and Twenty-one Magistrates serve Jasper, Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Polk, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Warren, and Wayne counties (judicial.) The county is in central Iowa directly east of Des Moines, Iowa.  The county center is 6.2 miles South-Southeast of Newton nearer Reasnor.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marshall, Tama, Poweshiek, Mahaska, Marion, Polk, and Story counties. 

The county has an area of 730 square miles.  It is 8 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 17 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 51.8 persons per square mile making it 21 out of 99 in the state.  Jasper County has 67.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 80 crosses east to west in the county from Poweshiek County to Polk County.  United States Highway 6 parallels Interstate Highway 80 from Poweshiek County then joins it into Polk County.  United States Highway 65 clips the northwest corner from Story County, north, to Polk County, west.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Newton is located near the center of the county.  Newton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 41.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Newton Micropolitan Statistical Area.