Louisa

Formed December 7, 1836 (5^th county)

Louisa County (10,837), Wapello (2,080)                

The tan brick and masonry Art Deco building was constructed in 1928 on a square at Main, Franklin, 4^th, and Washington streets.  United States Highway 61 is six blocks west of the site.  Keiffer, Jones, and Thomas are the architects.  The grounds feature a canon, memorial wall, and a Liberty Bell replica.  There were 1840 and 1854 courthouses also in Wapello, the only county seat.  The county was created on December 7, 1836 from Des Moines County as the 5^th county.  The county is named for Louisa Massey who revenged her brother’s murder during the time when the county was established.  Wapello is named for a Native American chief. 

Louisa County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Supervisors.  Fifteen District Court Judges and Thirteen Magistrates serve Louisa, Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington counties.  The county is on the eastern border with Illinois on the Mississippi River.  Davenport, Iowa is northeast and Cedar Rapids, Iowa is northwest of the county.  The county center is 5.9 miles West of Wapello nearer Cairo.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Muscatine County and Illinois and Des Moines, Henry, Washington, and Johnson counties. 

The county has an area of 402 square miles.  It is 94 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 67 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 27.0 persons per square mile making it 49 out of 99 in the state.  Louisa County has 58.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 61 goes north to south in the county from Muscatine County to Des Moines County.  This county is shaped like a seat.  Wapello is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Wapello is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 19.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area.