Polk

Formed January 13, 1846 (37^th county)

Polk County (492,411), Des Moines (214,125)

The Federalist courthouse in Polk County was erected in 1906 on a square at Cherry, 5^th, Mulberry, and 6^th streets.  The site is eight blocks to the south of Interstate Highway 235.  This masonry structure replaced an 1858 facility.  There was an 1846 courthouse before that.  Proudfoot and Bird were the designers.  An Administration Center was added in 1974 by converting a former Post Office and a Justice Center also augments.  The working clock tower is on top while memorial benches are on the grounds.  The county was established on January 13, 1846 from Native American Territory as the 37^th county with Des Moines as the only county seat.  It is named for United States President James K. Polk.  The county seat is named for the river which is named for a Native American tribe.  It is the same source as for Des Moines County.  Polk County was the birthplace of 1 Iowa Governor, Robert D. Ray.  The Iowa state capitol is located in this county. 

Polk County government consists of a sheriff, a recorder, an attorney, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Fifty-nine District Court Judges and Twenty-one Magistrates serve Polk, Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Warren, and Wayne counties (judicial.) The county is in south central Iowa.  Cedar Rapids, Iowa is northeast and Council Bluffs, Iowa is southwest of the county.  The county center is in Des Moines 2.8 miles Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Story, Jasper, Marion, Warren, Madison, Dallas, and Boone counties. 

The county has an area of 570 square miles.  It is 49 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 1 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 863.9 persons per square mile making it 1 out of 99 in the state.  Polk County has 94.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 goes north to south through the county from Story County to Warren County.  Interstate Highway 80 passes east to west from Jasper County to Dallas County.  United States Highway 6 is joined with Interstate Highway 80 from Jasper County, east, splits and goes west into Dallas County.  United States Highway 65 enters from the northeast, Jasper County, and exits to the south, Warren County.  United States Highway 69 parallels Interstate Highway 35 from Story County and joins United States Highway 65 into Warren County.  The county is rectangular except for its southern quarter which shifts to the east.  Des Moines is located on the southern border and occupies a large portion of the southern third of the county.  It extends into Warren County.  Des Moines is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 43.5% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced DEE MOIN.  This county is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.