Webster

Formed December 31, 1851 (77^th county)

Webster County (36,996), Fort Dodge (24,871)

A masonry Beaux Arts governmental courthouse was built in 1902 at Central and 7^th streets.  United States Highway 20 Business is two blocks south of the location.  H. C. Koch and Company are the architects.  The building features columns and a working clock tower.  Internally are marble walls, veteran lists and a rotunda.  Webster County was created on December 31, 1851 as the 77^th county from Risley and Yell counties, which no longer exist.  Homer was the county seat until 1856 when Fort Dodge assumed that position.  It is named for American statesman Daniel Webster.  He is also the namesake of Hamilton County seat.  Fort Dodge is named for the fort which is named for Wisconsin Senator Henry Dodge.  He is also the namesake for Henry County. 

Webster County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Supervisors.  Thirty-one District Court Judges and Thirty-three Magistrates serve Webster, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Mitchell, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Winnebago, Worth, and Wright counties.  Webster County is in northern Iowa.  Des Moines, Iowa is south and Mason City, Iowa is northeast of the county.  The county center is 10.2 miles South of Fort Dodge nearer Otho.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Humboldt, Wright, Hamilton, Boone, Greene, Calhoun, and Pocahontas counties. 

The county has an area of 715 square miles.  It is 12 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 18 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 51.7 persons per square mile making it 22 out of 99 in the state.  Webster County has 80.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 20 crosses the county east to west from Hamilton County to Calhoun County.  United States Highway 169 goes north to south from Humboldt County to Boone County.  The county is a rectangle with the northern part shifted west.  Fort Dodge is located in the northern third of the county.  Fort Dodge is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 67.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Fort Dodge Micropolitan Statistical Area.