Winneshiek

Formed February 20, 1847 (46^th county)

Winneshiek County (20,061), Decorah (7,581)

A Classical Revival stone and masonry structure was built in 1904.  It is at Main, Court, Broadway and Winnebago streets.  Iowa State Highway 9 is 3 blocks to the west of the site.  Kinney & Detweiler provided the designs.  The building features a tower.  The grounds have memorials and a replica Statue of Liberty.  The county was formed on February 20, 1847 from Native American Territory as the 46^th county.  There was an 1858 courthouse also in Decorah, the only county seat.  The county is named for a Native American chief.  The county seat is named for a Native American chief.  He is also the namesake of the county seat of Allamakee County. 

Winneshiek County government consists of a sheriff, a recorder, an attorney, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Twenty-seven District Court Judges and Sixteen Magistrates serve Winneshiek, Allamakee, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, and Howard counties (judicial.) The county is located in the northeast part of Iowa on the border with Minnesota.  Waterloo, Iowa is southwest and Mason City, Iowa is west of the county.  The county center is 9.1 miles Southwest of Decorah nearer Calmar.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Minnesota and Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Chickasaw, and Howard counties. 

The county has an area of 690 square miles.  It is 17 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 34 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 29.1 persons per square mile making it 44 out of 99 in the state.  Winneshiek County has 53.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 52 goes north to south in the county from Minnesota to Allamakee County.  The county is a rectangle.  Decorah is located east of center in the county.  Decorah is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 37.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced WIN-I-SHIK.  The county seat is pronounced DEE-KOER-A.