Palo Alto

Formed December 15, 1853 (88^th county)

Palo Alto County (8,999), Emmetsburg (3,698)

The dark red/brown brick courthouse, located at Broadway and 10^th streets, was built in 1880.  United States Highway 18 is one block north of the location.  B. J. Bartlet provided the Victorian designs.  The courthouse was remodeled in 1960 and 1969.  The facility features a tower.  Palo Alto County was formed on December 15, 1853 from Kossuth County as the 88^th county.  Paoli was the first county seat until 1875 when Emmetsburg assumed the position.  The county’s name comes from the battle during the Mexican War.  The county seat is named for Irish patriot Robert Emmet.  He is also the namesake for Emmet County. 

Palo Alto County government consists of a sheriff, a recorder, an attorney, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Twenty District Court Judges and Fourteen Magistrates serve Palo Alto, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dickinson, Emmet, Ida, Lyon, Kossuth, Monona, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Sioux, and Woodbury counties (judicial.) The county is in the northwest part of the state.  Des Moines, Iowa is southeast and Mason City, Iowa is east of the county.  The county center is 1.6 miles South of Emmetsburg.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Emmet, Kossuth, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Buena Vista, Clay, and Dickinson counties. 

The county has an area of 564 square miles.  It is 59 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 82 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 16.0 persons per square mile making it 85 out of 99 in the state.  Palo Alto County has 73.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 18 crosses the county east to west from Kossuth County to Clay County.  The county is a rectangle.  Emmetsburg is located in the northern half of the county.  Emmetsburg is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 41.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced PAL-OE AL-TOE.