Polk County, Iowa
| Polk County, Iowa | ||
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Polk County Court House
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 Location in the U.S. state of Iowa |
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 Iowa's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1846 | |
| Named for | James K. Polk | |
| Seat | Des Moines | |
| Largest city | Des Moines | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 592 sq mi (1,533 km2) | |
| • Land | 574 sq mi (1,487 km2) | |
| • Water | 18 sq mi (47 km2), 3.0% | |
| Population | ||
| • (2010) | 430,640 | |
| • Density | 751/sq mi (290/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 3rd | |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 | |
| Website | www |
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Polk County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 430,640, making it Iowa's most populous county. The county seat is Des Moines, which is also the capital city of Iowa.
Polk County is included the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Polk County was formed on January 13, 1846. It was named after President James K. Polk.
The first courthouse, a two-story structure, was built in 1846. Construction of a second courthouse was begun in 1858. Due to construction delays and the onset of the Civil War, the structure was not completed until 1866. The present courthouse was erected in 1906 in the Beaux Arts style. It was dedicated on October 31, 1906. In 1962, an extensive renovation was undertaken.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 592 square miles (1,530 km2), of which 574 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 18 square miles (47 km2) (3.0%) is water. The county is bisected by the Des Moines River.
The 2010 census recorded a population of 430,640 in the county, with a population density of 756.371/sq mi (292.037/km2). There were 182,262 housing units, of which 170,197 were occupied.
As of the census of 2000, there were 374,601 people, 149,112 households, and 96,624 families residing in the county. The population density was 658 people per square mile (254/km²). There were 156,447 housing units at an average density of 275 per square mile (106/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.34% White, 4.84% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 2.63% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.22% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. 4.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.9% were of German, 10.6% Irish, 9.0% English and 8.4% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
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