Jefferson

Formed January 21, 1839 (21^st county)

Jefferson County (16,843), Fairfield (9,464)

A dominating tower with working clock sits on the red brick and stone building built in 1893 and remodeled in 1948.  It is sited on a square at Briggs Avenue, Main Street, Hempstead Avenue, and Court Street.  United States Highway 34 is two blocks south of the site.  H. C. Koch and Company provided for the Romanesque Revival designs.  The grounds feature memorials and a Statue of Liberty replica.  The county was organized on January 21, 1839 as the 21^st county and named for United States President Thomas Jefferson.  He is also the namesake for the county seat of Greene County.  The county was taken from Native American Territory.  Fairfield is a descriptive name for the area suggested by one of the settlers.  Fairfield has always been the county seat. 

Jefferson County government consists of a sheriff, a recorder, an attorney, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Supervisors (legislative.)  Fifteen District Court Judges and Thirteen Magistrates serve Jefferson, Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington counties (judicial.) The county is in the southeast part of the state.  Cedar Rapids, Iowa is north and Des Moines, Iowa is northwest.  The county center is 3.5 miles East-Northeast of Fairfield.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Washington, Henry, Van Buren, Davis, Wapello, and Keokuk counties. 

The county has an area of 437 square miles.  It is 83 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 44 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 38.28 persons per square mile making it 28 out of 99 in the state.  Jefferson County has 65.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 34 goes east to west in the county from Henry County to Wapello County.  The county is a rectangle.  Fairfield is located to the south and west of center in the county.  Fairfield is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 56.2% of the county population.