Wright County, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wright County
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Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
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Iowa's location within the U.S. |
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Country | United States |
State | Iowa |
Founded | January 15, 1851 |
Named for | Silas Wright |
Seat | Clarion |
Largest city | Eagle Grove |
Area | |
• Total | 582 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
• Land | 580 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
• Water | 1.8 sq mi (5 km2) 0.3% |
Population
(2020)
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• Total | 12,943 |
• Density | 22.239/sq mi (8.586/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 4th |
Wright County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,943. The county seat is Clarion. The county organization became effective in January 1851, and is believed to be named either after Silas Wright, a governor of New York, or Joseph Albert Wright, a governor of Indiana.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 582 square miles (1,510 km2), of which 580 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) (0.3%) is covered by water. The terrain is generally undulating. The county is intersected by the Boone and Iowa Rivers
Major highways
- Interstate 35
- U.S. Highway 69
- Iowa Highway 3
- Iowa Highway 17
Adjacent counties
- Hancock County - north
- Franklin County - east
- Hardin County - southeast
- Hamilton County - south
- Webster County - southwest
- Humboldt County - west
Demographics
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1870 | 2,392 | — | |
1880 | 5,062 | 111.6% | |
1890 | 12,057 | 138.2% | |
1900 | 18,227 | 51.2% | |
1910 | 17,951 | −1.5% | |
1920 | 20,348 | 13.4% | |
1930 | 20,216 | −0.6% | |
1940 | 20,038 | −0.9% | |
1950 | 19,652 | −1.9% | |
1960 | 19,447 | −1.0% | |
1970 | 17,294 | −11.1% | |
1980 | 16,319 | −5.6% | |
1990 | 14,269 | −12.6% | |
2000 | 14,334 | 0.5% | |
2010 | 13,229 | −7.7% | |
2020 | 12,943 | −2.2% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018 |
2020 census
The 2020 census recorded a population of 12,943 in the county, with a population density of 22.2002/sq mi (8.5715/km2). 93.48% of the population reported being of one race. 62.95% were non-Hispanic White, 0.58% were Black, 18.50% were Hispanic, 0.66% were Native American, 0.53% were Asian, 0.06% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 16.71% were some other race or more than one race. There were 6,260 housing units, of which 5,404 were occupied.
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of 22.7803/sq mi (8.7955/km2). There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied.
Wright County Fair
The first Wright County Fair was held in Clarion. The old fairgrounds were located where Clarion's USA Healthcare Center stands today. For some unknown reason, in 1924, the fair in Clarion closed. It was moved to Goldfield in 1925 and then to its present location in Eagle Grove in 1926. The Wright County Fair was later renamed the Wright County District Junior Fair. Entries are open to children in Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster, Hardin, Franklin, and Wright Counties.
Communities
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Wright County.
† county seat
Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
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1 | Eagle Grove | City | 3,583 |
2 | † Clarion | City | 2,850 |
3 | Belmond | City | 2,376 |
4 | Goldfield | City | 635 |
5 | Dows (partially in Franklin County) | City | 538 |
6 | Woolstock | City | 168 |
7 | Rowan | City | 158 |
8 | Galt | City | 32 |
Education
Primary and secondary
There are three school districts in Wright County with three high schools: Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Community School District K-12 Enrollment 954 Eagle Grove Community School District K-12 Enrollment 836 Belmond-Klemme Community School District K-12 Enrollment 793
Tertiary
Iowa State University maintains an extension office in Clarion. Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, and Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls are all within driving distance of Wright County. Iowa Central Community College began offering ICN Polycom classes in Clarion and Eagle Grove in 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Wright (Iowa) para niños