Pottawattamie County is a
countyIn the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. The population was 93,158 in the 2010 census, an increase from 87,704 in the 2000 census and is the second largest county by area in Iowa. The Pottawattamie
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is located at
Council BluffsCouncil Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
. It is one of three Iowa counties in the eight-county
Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area is a metropolitan area comprising the cities of Omaha, Nebraska, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and surrounding areas. The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area has a population of 865,350 . The metropolitan area, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget,...
. The county takes its name from the
PotawatomiThe Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
Native American tribeNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 959.94 square miles (2,486.2 km²), of which 954.26 square miles (2,471.5 km²) (or 99.41%) is land and 5.68 square miles (14.7 km²) (or 0.59%) is water.
Due to movement of the Missouri River and a Supreme Court ruling, part of the county,
Carter LakeCarter Lake is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,248 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Carter Lake is located at ....
, actually lies on the far side of the Missouri River. This part of the county cannot be reached by road without entering Nebraska; no direct bridge exists.
Major highways
 Interstate 29Interstate 29 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with Interstate 35 and Interstate 70 to the Canadian border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba Highway 75 via the short Manitoba Highway 29.-Route...
 Interstate 80Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
.svg.png) Interstate 480Interstate 480 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, a mere long, that connects Interstate 80 in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, with Interstate 29 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The portion of I-480 in Nebraska has been named the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, named in honor of the former President, who was a...
.svg.png) Interstate 680Interstate 680 in Nebraska and Iowa is the northern bypass freeway for the Omaha, Nebraska-Council Bluffs, Iowa metropolitan area. I-680 spans from its western terminus in western Omaha to its eastern terminus near Neola, Iowa. For a stretch, I-680 is co-signed with Interstate 29...
 U.S. Highway 6 U.S. Highway 59
|
|
Adjacent counties
- Harrison County
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,928 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,731 housing units, of which 5,987 were occupied.-2000 census:...
(north)
- Shelby County
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 12,167 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,542 housing units, of which 5,085 were occupied.-2000 census:...
(northeast)
- Cass County
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,956 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,591 housing units, of which 5,980 were occupied.-2000 census:...
(east)
- Montgomery County
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,740 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,239 housing units, of which 4,558 were occupied.-2000 census:...
(southeast)
- Mills County
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,059 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,109 housing units, of which 5,605 were occupied.-2000 census:...
(south)
- Sarpy County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 122,595 people, 43,426 households, and 33,220 families residing in the county. The population density was 510 people per square mile . There were 44,981 housing units at an average density of 187 per square mile...
(southwest)
- Douglas County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 463,585 people, 182,194 households, and 115,146 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,401 people per square mile . There were 192,672 housing units at an average density of 582 per square mile...
(west)
- Washington County, Nebraska
-National protected areas:*Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge*DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,780 people, 6,940 households, and 5,149 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile . There were 7,408...
(northwest)
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 93,158 in the county, with a population density of . There were 39,330 housing units, of which 36,775 were occupied.
2000 census
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 87,704 people, 33,844 households, and 23,623 families residing in the county. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 92 people per square mile (35/km²). There were 35,761 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.98%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.77%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.37%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.48%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.02%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.27% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.11% from two or more races. 3.30% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 33,844 households out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.60% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.00% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,089, and the median income for a family was $47,105. Males had a median income of $31,642 versus $24,243 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $19,275. About 6.40% of families and 8.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.00% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- Avoca
Avoca is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,610 at the 2000 census.-History:Avoca was founded in 1869 in connection with the construction of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad through the area. It quickly developed as a regional service center for...
- Carson
Carson is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 668 at the 2000 census.-History:Carson was formed in 1881 as a result of the establishment of a depot on the Burlington and Rock Island Railroad at this location during the previous year.-Geography:Carson's longitude...
- Carter Lake
Carter Lake is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,248 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Carter Lake is located at ....
- Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
|
- Crescent
Crescent is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 537 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crescent is located at ....
- Hancock
Hancock is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States, along the West Nishnabotna River. The population was 207 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hancock is located at ....
- Macedonia
Macedonia is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 325 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Macedonia is located at ....
- McClelland
McClelland is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 129 at the 2000 census.-Geography:McClelland is located at ....
|
- Minden
Minden is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 564 at the 2000 census. It has possessed a post office since 1875.-Geography:Minden is located at ....
- Neola
Neola is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 845 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Neola is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- Oakland
Oakland is a city located along the West Nishnabotna River in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,487. Formerly named Big Grove, Oakland is home to Nishna Heritage Museum...
|
- Treynor
Treynor is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 950 at the 2000 census.-History:Treynor appeared east of Council Bluffs in the late 1880s with the establishment of Fritz Eyberg's General Store, August Olderog's dance hall and saloon, and St Paul's German...
- Underwood
Underwood is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 688 at the 2000 census.-History:Underwood is located in Norwalk Township, so the early history of the township is also of the town. The historical information provided here was taken from a book on Pottawattamie...
- Walnut
Walnut is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 778 at the 2000 census. Walnut is located on Interstate 80 and is famous for its many antique stores...
|
Unincorporated communities
External links