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Hardin County, Iowa facts for kids

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Hardin County
Hardin County Courthouse
Map of Iowa highlighting Hardin 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 1851
Named for John J. Hardin
Seat Eldora
Largest city Iowa Falls
Area
 • Total 570 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Land 569 sq mi (1,470 km2)
 • Water 0.7 sq mi (2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 16,878
 • Density 29.61/sq mi (11.43/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,878. The county seat is Eldora. The county was named in honor of Col. John J. Hardin, of Illinois, who was killed in the Mexican–American War.

History

Hardin County was formed in 1851. It was named after Colonel John J. Hardin, who died in the Mexican–American War.

In its history the county has had three courthouses. The first was a small wood framed building, which burned down in the 1850s. The second courthouse was a two-story building and stood on the site of the current office of the county sheriff. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1892 and opened on September 19, 1893. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Hardin County, along with Story County, was also a primary filming location for the 1996 movie Twister, starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 570 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 569 square miles (1,470 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.1%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 20.svg U.S. Highway 20
  • US 65.svg U.S. Highway 65
  • Iowa 57.svg Iowa Highway 57
  • Iowa 175.svg Iowa Highway 175

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 5,440
1870 13,684 151.5%
1880 17,807 30.1%
1890 19,003 6.7%
1900 22,794 19.9%
1910 20,921 −8.2%
1920 23,337 11.5%
1930 22,947 −1.7%
1940 22,530 −1.8%
1950 22,218 −1.4%
1960 22,533 1.4%
1970 22,248 −1.3%
1980 21,776 −2.1%
1990 19,094 −12.3%
2000 18,812 −1.5%
2010 17,534 −6.8%
2020 16,878 −3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
HardinCountyIowaPop2020
Population of Hardin County from US census data

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 16,878 in the county, with a population density of 29.1426/sq mi (11.2520/km2). 95.71% of the population reported being of one race. 86.78% were non-Hispanic White, 0.87% were Black, 4.85% were Hispanic, 0.19% were Native American, 0.54% were Asian, 0.04% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 6.74% were some other race or more than one race. There were 8,032 housing units, of which 7,070 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,534 in the county, with a population density of 30.8014/sq mi (11.8925/km2). There were 8,224 housing units, of which 7,296 were occupied.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Alden
  • Buckeye
  • Clay
  • Concord
  • Eldora
  • Ellis
  • Etna
  • Grant
  • Hardin
  • Jackson
  • Pleasant
  • Providence
  • Sherman
  • Tipton
  • Union

Population ranking

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

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Iowa Falls City 5,238
2 Eldora City 2,732
3 Ackley (partially in Franklin County) City 1,589
4 Hubbard City 845
5 Alden City 787
6 Radcliffe City 545
7 Union City 397
8 Steamboat Rock City 310
9 New Providence City 228
10 Whitten City 149
11 Buckeye City 108
12 Garden City CDP 89
13 Owasa City 43

See also

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

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