Wayne

Formed January 13, 1846 (38^th county)

Wayne County (6,495), Corydon (1,521)

A Modern brown brick and concrete courthouse, built in 1964, is on a square surrounded by Lafayette, Jefferson, Franklin, and Jackson streets.  Jefferson State is Iowa State Highway 2 in the town.  Frankhiser & Hutchens are the building designers.  A working clock is on the building face and the grounds have veteran memorials and a stage.  There was an 1890 courthouse in Corydon, the only county seat, since its January 13, 1846 founding.  The county was taken from Appanoose County as the 38^th county.  The county is named for Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.  The county seat is named for Corydon, Indiana. 

Wayne County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Supervisors.  Fifty-nine District Court Judges and Twenty-one Magistrates serve Wayne, Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Polk, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, and Warren counties.  The county is in southern Iowa on the border with Missouri.  Des Moines, Iowa is north of the county.  The county center is 2.5 miles West of Corydon.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lucas, Monroe, and Appanoose counties and Missouri and Decatur and Clarke counties. 

The county has an area of 526 square miles.  It is 66 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 94 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 12.3 persons per square mile making it 95 out of 99 in the state.  Wayne County has 52.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 65 goes north to south in the county from Lucas County to Missouri.  The county is a square.  Corydon is located near the center of the county.  Corydon is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 23.4% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced KOER-I-DON.