kids encyclopedia robot

Osceola County, Iowa facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Osceola County
Osceola County Courthouse, July 2014
Osceola County Courthouse, July 2014
Map of Iowa highlighting Osceola 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 1871
Named for Osceola
Seat Sibley
Largest city Sibley
Area
 • Total 399 sq mi (1,030 km2)
 • Land 399 sq mi (1,030 km2)
 • Water 0.7 sq mi (2 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 6,192
 • Density 15.519/sq mi (5.992/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census the population was 6,192, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. It is named for Seminole war chief Osceola. The county seat is Sibley, named for H. H. Sibley of Minnesota.

History

Osceola County was formed in 1871. It was named after the eponymous chief of the Seminole. It is the smallest and most recent county in Iowa. In the same year the first settler arrived, Captain Eldred Huff, and laid his claim. On January 1, 1872, the county government conferred for the first time. The first courthouse, constructed of wood, was built in November of the following year and simultaneously served as the conference chamber, school and church. In September 1903, the second courthouse was finished and was wired for electricity in October, 1915.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 399 square miles (1,030 km2), of which 399 square miles (1,030 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.2%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Iowa by land area and smallest by total area. The highest natural point in Iowa, Hawkeye Point at 1,670 feet (509 m), is located in Osceola County.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 2,219
1890 5,574 151.2%
1900 8,725 56.5%
1910 8,956 2.6%
1920 10,223 14.1%
1930 10,182 −0.4%
1940 10,607 4.2%
1950 10,181 −4.0%
1960 10,064 −1.1%
1970 8,555 −15.0%
1980 8,371 −2.2%
1990 7,267 −13.2%
2000 7,003 −3.6%
2010 6,462 −7.7%
2020 6,192 −4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
OsceolaCountyIowaPop2020
Population of Osceola County from US census data

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 6,192 in the county, with a population density of 15.5701/sq mi (6.0116/km2). 94.95% of the population reported being of one race. 78.84% were non-Hispanic White, 0.48% were Black, 9.74% were Hispanic, 0.52% were Native American, 0.34% were Asian, 0.58% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 9.50% were some other race or more than one race. There were 2,878 housing units, of which 2,599 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 6,462 in the county, with a population density of 16.2048/sq mi (6.2567/km2). There were 2,990 housing units, of which 2,682 were occupied.

Communities

Cities

Townships

  • Allison
  • Baker
  • East Holman
  • Fairview
  • Gilman
  • Goewey
  • Harrison
  • Horton
  • Ocheyedan
  • Viola
  • West Holman
  • Wilson

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

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

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Sibley City 2,798
2 Ocheyedan City 490
3 Ashton City 458
4 Melvin City 214
5 Harris City 170

See also

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

kids search engine
Osceola County, Iowa Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.