Poweshiek

Formed February 17, 1843 (27^th county)

Poweshiek County (18,658), Montezuma (1,446), Grinnell (9,554)

A red brick courthouse serving the county, located on a square at Main, 3^rd, Liberty and 4^th streets, was built in 1856.  Iowa State Highway 85 is Main Street.  This Greek Classical Revival courthouse was designed by Drake & Dryden.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1890 and 1982 and remodeled in 1933.  The structure features a bell tower.  The grounds have memorials, canons, the Bill of Rights, and a Freedom Rock.  The county was created on February 17, 1843 from Native American Territory as the 27^th county with Montezuma as the only county seat.  It is named for a Native American chief.  The county seat is named for the Aztec emperor. 

Poweshiek County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Supervisors.  Fifteen District Court Judges and Thirteen Magistrates serve Poweshiek, Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Mahaska, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington counties.  The county is in central Iowa.  Des Moines, Iowa is west and Cedar Rapids, Iowa is east of the county.  The county center is 8.9 miles North of Montezuma nearer Malcom.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tama, Benton, Iowa, Keokuk, Mahaska, Jasper, and Marshall counties. 

The county has an area of 585 square miles.  It is 27 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 37 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 31.9 persons per square mile making it 36 out of 99 in the state.  Poweshiek County has 71.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 80 goes east to west in the county from Iowa County to Jasper County.  United States Highway 6 parallels Interstate Highway 80 from Iowa to Jasper counties.  United States Highway 63 travels north to south in the county from Tama County to Mahaska County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Montezuma is in the southern quarter of the county.  Grinnell is located near the northwest border of the county.  Montezuma is the county seat and Grinnell is the largest city.  Montezuma is 7.8% of the county population while Grinnell is 51.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced POW-I-SHIK.  The county seat is pronounced MON-TE-ZOO-MA.  The largest city is pronounced GRIN-NEL.