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Clayton County, Iowa facts for kids

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Clayton County
U.S. county
Winter scene near Elkader
Winter scene near Elkader
Map of Iowa highlighting Clayton County
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Map of the United States highlighting Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Iowa
Founded 1837
Named for John M. Clayton
Seat Elkader
Largest city Guttenberg
Area
 • Total 793 sq mi (2,050 km2)
 • Land 779 sq mi (2,020 km2)
 • Water 14 sq mi (40 km2)  1.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 17,043
 • Density 21.492/sq mi (8.298/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st

Clayton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,043. Its county seat is Elkader. The county was established in 1837 and was named in honor of John M. Clayton, United States Senator from Delaware and later Secretary of State under President Zachary Taylor.

Geography

Clayton County Route W68 IA
Route W68 shield

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 793 square miles (2,050 km2), of which 779 square miles (2,020 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (1.8%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Iowa by area.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • US 18 (IA).svg U.S. Highway 18
  • US 52 (IA).svg U.S. Highway 52
  • Iowa 3.svg Iowa Highway 3
  • Iowa 13.svg Iowa Highway 13
  • Iowa 56.svg Iowa Highway 56
  • Iowa 76.svg Iowa Highway 76
  • Iowa 128.svg Iowa Highway 128

National protected areas

Geology

Clayton County is part of the Driftless Area, a region that completely missed being ice-covered during the last ice age. Streams have deeply carved valleys, while the Mississippi River has spectacular bluffs.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 3,873 —
1860 20,728 435.2%
1870 27,771 34.0%
1880 28,829 3.8%
1890 26,733 −7.3%
1900 27,750 3.8%
1910 25,576 −7.8%
1920 25,032 −2.1%
1930 24,559 −1.9%
1940 24,334 −0.9%
1950 22,522 −7.4%
1960 21,962 −2.5%
1970 20,606 −6.2%
1980 21,098 2.4%
1990 19,054 −9.7%
2000 18,678 −2.0%
2010 18,129 −2.9%
2020 17,043 −6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
ClaytonCountyIowaPop2020
Population of Clayton County from US census data

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 17,043 in the county, with a population density of 21.5323/sq mi (8.3137/km2). 97.51% of the population reported being of one race. 93.21% were non-Hispanic White, 0.93% were Black, 2.01% were Hispanic, 0.25% were Native American, 0.28% were Asian, 0.04% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 3.29% were some other race or more than one race. There were 8,758 housing units of which 7,315 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 18,130 in the county, with a population density of 23.272/sq mi (8.985/km2). There were 8,999 housing units, of which 7,599 were occupied.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Clayton County is divided into these townships:

  • Boardman
  • Buena Vista
  • Cass
  • Clayton
  • Cox Creek
  • Elk
  • Farmersburg
  • Garnavillo
  • Giard
  • Grand Meadow
  • Highland
  • Jefferson
  • Lodomillo
  • Mallory
  • Marion
  • Mendon
  • Millville
  • Monona
  • Read
  • Sperry
  • Volga
  • Wagner

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Clayton County.

† county seat

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Clayton (Iowa) para niños

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