Webster County, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 Thecourthouse in Fort Dodge is on theNRHP. | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIowa | |
| Coordinates:42°25′34″N94°11′19″W / 42.426111111111°N 94.188611111111°W /42.426111111111; -94.188611111111 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Founded | January 15, 1851 |
| Named after | Daniel Webster |
| Seat | Fort Dodge |
| Largest city | Fort Dodge |
| Area | |
• Total | 718 sq mi (1,860 km2) |
| • Land | 716 sq mi (1,850 km2) |
| • Water | 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) 0.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 36,999 |
• Estimate (2024) | 36,909 |
| • Density | 51.7/sq mi (20.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | www |
Webster County is acounty in theU.S. state ofIowa. As of the2020 census, the population was 36,999.[1] Thecounty seat isFort Dodge.[2] The county was established in January 1851, one of 43 counties established by a legislative package. This county was named afterDaniel Webster, an American statesman noted for his moving oratory.
Webster County comprises the Fort Dodge, IAMicropolitan Statistical Area.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 718 square miles (1,860 km2), of which 716 square miles (1,850 km2) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (0.4%) is water.[3]
U.S. Highway 20 – runs east–west across central Webster County, throughMoorland andCoalville.
U.S. Highway 169 – enters northern Webster County at mid-county and runs south toHarcourt. It runs four miles east, then turns south to exit the county.
Iowa Highway 7 – enters western Webster County running east fromManson. It runs east to its terminus at US Highway 169 atFort Dodge.
Iowa Highway 175 – enters southeastern Webster County, running west fromStratford. It runs west and south–north to its connection to US Highway 169, four miles east of Harcourt.
Iowa Highway 144 – enters southern Webster County near its midpoint. It runs north to its connection to Iowa Highway 175, three miles west of Harcourt.[4]TheFort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD) is located just north of Fort Dodge. It is primarily a general aviation airport. Daily direct flights are operated toLambert-St. Louis International Airport andMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, with connecting service through Mason City toChicago O'Hare International Airport.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 2,504 | — | |
| 1870 | 10,484 | 318.7% | |
| 1880 | 15,951 | 52.1% | |
| 1890 | 21,582 | 35.3% | |
| 1900 | 31,757 | 47.1% | |
| 1910 | 34,629 | 9.0% | |
| 1920 | 37,611 | 8.6% | |
| 1930 | 40,425 | 7.5% | |
| 1940 | 41,521 | 2.7% | |
| 1950 | 44,241 | 6.6% | |
| 1960 | 47,810 | 8.1% | |
| 1970 | 48,391 | 1.2% | |
| 1980 | 45,953 | −5.0% | |
| 1990 | 40,342 | −12.2% | |
| 2000 | 40,235 | −0.3% | |
| 2010 | 38,013 | −5.5% | |
| 2020 | 36,999 | −2.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 36,909 | [5] | −0.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010–2018[10] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 36,999 and a population density of51.5/sq mi (19.9/km2). The median age was 40.2 years, with 21.1% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.8% 65 years of age or older.[11]
For every 100 females there were 107.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 107.1 males age 18 and over.[11]
The racial makeup was 86.8%White, 4.9%Black or African American, 0.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.8% from some other race, and 5.1% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.6% of the population.[12]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 31,372 | 84.8% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,773 | 4.8% |
| Native American (NH) | 112 | 0.3% |
| Asian (NH) | 295 | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 16 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 1,368 | 3.7% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 2,063 | 5.6% |
The county's DHC data show that 66.8% of residents lived in urban areas while 33.2% lived in rural areas, and 94.86% reported being of one race.[14]
There were 15,046 households in the county, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.7% were married-couple households, 21.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 16,937 housing units, of which 11.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.0% were owner-occupied and 30.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.6%.[11]
The 2010 census recorded a population of 38,013 in the county, with a population density of53.1/sq mi (20.5/km2). There were 17,035 housing units, of which 15,580 were occupied.[15]
As of thecensus[16] of 2000, there were 40,235 people, 15,878 households, and 10,304 families in the county. The population density was 56 people per square mile (22 people/km2). There were 16,969 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9.3/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 93.39% White, 3.39% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 2.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 15,878 households 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 30.30% of households were one person and 13.10% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.
The age distribution was 24.50% under the age of 18, 11.10% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.20 males.
The median household income was $35,334 and the median family income was $43,772. Males had a median income of $31,047 versus $23,042 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,857. About 6.70% of families and 10.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over.
The population ranking of the following table is based on the2020 census of Webster County.[1]
†county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Fort Dodge | City | 24,871 |
| 2 | Gowrie | City | 952 |
| 3 | Dayton | City | 772 |
| 4 | Coalville | CDP | 651 |
| 5 | Badger | City | 522 |
| 6 | Otho | City | 429 |
| 7 | Lehigh | City | 395 |
| 8 | Duncombe | City | 381 |
| 9 | Callender | City | 368 |
| 10 | Harcourt | City | 264 |
| 11 | Barnum | City | 175 |
| 12 | Moorland | City | 168 |
| 13 | Clare | City | 136 |
| 14 | Vincent | City | 130 |
| 15 | Stratford (mostly inHamilton County) | City | 22 (707 total) |
| 16 | Farnhamville (mostly inCalhoun County) | City | 0 (383 total) |
Townships include:[17]
School districts include:[18]
In everyU.S. presidential election from 1984 to 2012, the Democratic candidate has won a majority in Webster County, but in 2016 the county voted for RepublicanDonald Trump by a wide margin, a nearly 27 point swing from 2012.[20] In 2020, Trump received a larger percentage of the county's vote (over 61%) than any presidential candidate sinceLyndon Johnson in 1964.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 3,691 | 58.08% | 2,557 | 40.24% | 107 | 1.68% |
| 1900 | 4,221 | 63.31% | 2,266 | 33.99% | 180 | 2.70% |
| 1904 | 4,358 | 66.87% | 1,714 | 26.30% | 445 | 6.83% |
| 1908 | 3,658 | 56.52% | 2,374 | 36.68% | 440 | 6.80% |
| 1912 | 2,123 | 29.79% | 2,370 | 33.25% | 2,634 | 36.96% |
| 1916 | 3,917 | 53.50% | 3,196 | 43.66% | 208 | 2.84% |
| 1920 | 8,312 | 64.00% | 2,804 | 21.59% | 1,872 | 14.41% |
| 1924 | 6,641 | 46.00% | 2,076 | 14.38% | 5,721 | 39.62% |
| 1928 | 8,525 | 56.39% | 6,497 | 42.97% | 97 | 0.64% |
| 1932 | 5,243 | 34.68% | 8,957 | 59.25% | 917 | 6.07% |
| 1936 | 6,494 | 37.81% | 9,885 | 57.56% | 795 | 4.63% |
| 1940 | 7,583 | 41.29% | 10,731 | 58.43% | 52 | 0.28% |
| 1944 | 6,935 | 42.11% | 9,477 | 57.55% | 56 | 0.34% |
| 1948 | 6,951 | 40.73% | 9,508 | 55.71% | 607 | 3.56% |
| 1952 | 12,336 | 57.69% | 8,681 | 40.59% | 368 | 1.72% |
| 1956 | 11,097 | 52.72% | 9,901 | 47.04% | 51 | 0.24% |
| 1960 | 10,741 | 50.11% | 10,680 | 49.83% | 14 | 0.07% |
| 1964 | 6,576 | 33.49% | 13,005 | 66.23% | 54 | 0.28% |
| 1968 | 9,349 | 48.96% | 8,572 | 44.89% | 1,176 | 6.16% |
| 1972 | 11,133 | 55.96% | 8,358 | 42.01% | 402 | 2.02% |
| 1976 | 9,068 | 45.35% | 10,543 | 52.73% | 384 | 1.92% |
| 1980 | 10,438 | 49.63% | 9,001 | 42.80% | 1,591 | 7.57% |
| 1984 | 9,619 | 48.58% | 9,930 | 50.15% | 253 | 1.28% |
| 1988 | 6,926 | 39.82% | 10,267 | 59.03% | 200 | 1.15% |
| 1992 | 6,992 | 36.95% | 8,562 | 45.25% | 3,367 | 17.80% |
| 1996 | 6,275 | 38.43% | 8,380 | 51.32% | 1,673 | 10.25% |
| 2000 | 8,172 | 47.94% | 8,479 | 49.74% | 397 | 2.33% |
| 2004 | 8,959 | 48.09% | 9,561 | 51.32% | 111 | 0.60% |
| 2008 | 8,337 | 44.93% | 9,917 | 53.44% | 302 | 1.63% |
| 2012 | 8,469 | 46.30% | 9,537 | 52.14% | 286 | 1.56% |
| 2016 | 10,056 | 57.69% | 6,305 | 36.17% | 1,069 | 6.13% |
| 2020 | 10,938 | 61.37% | 6,613 | 37.11% | 271 | 1.52% |
| 2024 | 10,850 | 64.78% | 5,641 | 33.68% | 257 | 1.53% |
Places adjacent to Webster County, Iowa | |
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Municipalities and communities ofWebster County, Iowa,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
42°25′34″N94°11′19″W / 42.42611°N 94.18861°W /42.42611; -94.18861
