Dakota

Formed March 7, 1855 (77^th county)

Dakota County (21,587), Dakota City (2,085), South Sioux City (14,040)                

The masonry and concrete courthouse was built in 1940 and sits on Broadway between 16^th and 17^th streets.  Broadway Street is Nebraska State Highway 35 in this part of the town.  R. F. Reynolds provided the Art Deco designs.  The current courthouse was remodeled and enlarged in 1975 adding the Jail.  There was also an 1871 version in Dakota City, the only county seat.  Dakota County was created on March 7, 1855 from Burt County as the 77^th county.  The county and county seat are named for the Native American tribe. 

Dakota County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three District Court Judges and Four County Court Judges serve Dakota, Burt, Cedar, Dixon, Dodge, Thurston and Washington counties (judicial.)  The county is in the northeast corner of the state on the border with both South Dakota and Iowa.  Sioux City, Iowa is directly north of the county.  The county center is 6.4 miles West-Southwest of Dakota City nearer Hubbard.  The county is surrounded clockwise by South Dakota and Iowa and Thurston and Dixon counties. 

The area of the county is 264 square miles.  It is 92 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 16 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 81.8 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 93 in the state.  Dakota County has 80.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 20 crosses the county east to west from Iowa to Dixon County   United States Highway 75 enters joined with United States Highway 20 from Iowa, splits and exits south into Thurston County.  The county looks like a box with a bubble coming out northeast.  Dakota City is on the northeast border of the county.  South Sioux City is on the northern border just below Sioux City, Iowa.  Dakota City is the county seat and South Sioux City is the largest city.  Dakota City is 9.7% of the county population while South Sioux City is 65.0% of the county population.  This county is in the Sioux City Metropolitan Statistical Area.