Winnebago

Formed December 15, 1853 (90^th county)

Winnebago County (10,683), Forest City (4,281)

A tan brick and stone courthouse was erected in 1894 to replace a smaller 1877 building.  It is on a square at Clark, J, 6^th, and I streets.  United States Highway 69 is four blocks to the east of the site.  The building was enlarged in 2002.  Kinney & Orth designed this Romanesque structure.  The building has a tower with a working clock.  The grounds feature a tank, memorial walls, a gazebo, and fountain.  Winnebago County was formed on December 15, 1853 from Kossuth County as the 90^th county with Forest City as the only county seat.  It is named for the Native American tribe.  The county seat is named as the city was established in the forest.  Winnebago County was the birthplace of 1 Iowa Governor, Terry E. Branstad. 

Winnebago County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Supervisors.  Thirty-one District Court Judges and Thirty-three Magistrates serve Winnebago, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Mitchell, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, Worth, and Wright counties.  The county is located on the northern border with Minnesota.  Mason City, Iowa is directly to the southeast.  The county center is 6.8 miles North-Northwest of Forest City nearer Leland.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Minnesota and Worth, Cerro Gordo, Hancock, and Kossuth counties. 

The county has an area of 400 square miles.  It is 95 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 69 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 26.7 persons per square mile making it 50 out of 99 in the state.  Winnebago County has 74.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 69 travels through the county north to south from Minnesota to Hancock County.  The county is a square.  Forest City is on the southern border and extends into Hancock County.  Forest City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 40.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced WIN-I-BAE-GOE.

Forest City