Hardin County, Iowa

Hardin County, Iowa
Location in the state of Iowa
Iowa's location in the U.S.
Founded	1851
Named for	John J. Hardin
Seat	Eldora
Largest city	Iowa Falls
Area
• Total	570 sq mi (1,476 km2)
• Land	569 sq mi (1,474 km2)
• Water	0.7 sq mi (2 km2), 0.1%
Population
• (2010)	17,534
• Density	31/sq mi (12/km²)
Congressional district	4th
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	.us.ia.hardin.cowww

Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,534.^[1] The county seat is Eldora.^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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.^[5]

Major highways

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

Adjacent counties

• Franklin County (north)
• Butler County (northeast)
• Grundy County (east)
• Marshall County (southeast)
• Story County (southwest)
• Hamilton County (west)

Demographics

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.^[11]

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Hardin County

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 18,812 people, 7,628 households, and 5,087 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 8,318 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.14% White, 0.62% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.24% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. 2.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,628 households out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were married couples living together, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 29.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 20.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,429, and the median income for a family was $41,891. Males had a median income of $30,515 versus $21,068 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,537. About 5.50% of families and 8.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.90% of those under age 18 and 6.20% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

• Cleves
• Garden City
• Gifford

Townships

See also

• Homer D. Calkins
• Ellsworth Community College
• Folkert Mound Group
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hardin County, Iowa
• Hardin County Courthouse

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2014. 
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 149. 
4. ^ Hardin County, Iowa
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".  
6. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015. 
7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2014. 
8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 17, 2014. 
9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2014. 
10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2014. 
11. ^ "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010".  
12. ^ "American FactFinder".  

External links

• Official Website of Hardin County
• Hardin County Development Council's website
• Travel ItineraryDiscover Our Shared HeritageWelcome to Hardin County, Iowa, a National Park Service