Lee

Formed December 7, 1836 (4^th county)

Lee County (33,548), Fort Madison (10,324), Keokuk (9,905)

The Keokuk dark red brick converted federal courthouse was built in 1889 at 7^th and Blondeau streets.  United States Highway 218 is one block west of the site.  Mifflin Emien Bell is the architect for this Victorian courthouse.  This facility was being renovated in 2018.  The structure features a clock tower.  The Fort Madison columned, red brick courthouse was built in 1841 and remodeled in 1911.  It is located on Avenue F at 7^th Street.  Avenue H is United States Highway 61 Business in the city as is two blocks to the south.  Father Samuel Mazzuchelli provided the designs for this Greek Revival building.  The facility is the oldest continual used county courthouse in Iowa.  Since the county’s December 7, 1836 organizing as the 4^th county, there have been courthouses in West Point (1841), Keokuk (1859 and 1889), and Fort Madison (1842).  Keokuk and Fort Madison have the dual county seats since in 1847.  The county was taken from Des Moines County.  Lee County is named for a family of settlers or for General Robert E. Lee.  Fort Madison is named for the fort which is named United States President James Madison.  He is also the namesake for Madison County.  Keokuk is named for the Native American chief.  He is also the namesake of Keokuk County. 

Lee County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Supervisors.  Fifteen District Court Judges and Thirteen Magistrates serve Lee, Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Louisa, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington counties.  The county is in the southeast corner of the state on the Mississippi River.  Illinois borders it to the east and Missouri borders it to the south.  The county center is 11 miles Northwest of Fort Madison nearer West Point.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Henry and Des Moines counties and Illinois and Missouri and Van Buren County. 

The county has an area of 517 square miles.  It is 67 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 21 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 64.9 persons per square mile making it 18 out of 99 in the state.  Lee County has 69.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 61 travels north to south in the county from Des Moines County to Missouri.  United States Highway 218 comes from the north, Henry County, and terminates.  The county looks like a pistol pointing east.  Keokuk is in the southeast corner of the county.  Fort Madison is on the central eastern border.  Fort Madison is one of the county seats and the largest city.  Keokuk is the other county seat.  Fort Madison is 30.8% of the county population while Keokuk is 29.5% of the county population.  The smaller county seat is pronounced KEE-OE-KUK.  This county is in the Fort Madison-Keokuk Micropolitan Statistical Area.