Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cerro Gordo County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa |
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 Iowa's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1851 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Mason City |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
575 sq mi (1,490 km²) 568 sq mi (1,472 km²) 7 sq mi (18 km²), 1.18% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
46,447 82/sq mi (32/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website: www.co.cerro-gordo.ia.us | |
Cerro Gordo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of 2000, the population was 46,447. Its county seat is Mason City.[1] The county is named for the Battle of Cerro Gordo, which took place during the Mexican-American War.
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 575 square miles (1,490 km²), of which, 568 square miles (1,472 km²) of it is land and 7 square miles (18 km²) of it (1.18%) is water.
[edit] Major highways
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Worth County (north)
- Mitchell County (northeast)
- Floyd County (east)
- Franklin County (south)
- Hancock County (west)
[edit] History
Cerro Gordo County was formed in 1851 and named after a battlefield in the Mexican War, where General Winfield Scott defeated the Mexican General Santa Anna on April 18, 1847.
In 1851 the first white settlers came into the area of the present county and settled on Clear Lake. Four years later, on August 7, 1855, the first elections were held and the first legal proceedings occurred in 1857. In the summer of the same year, Livonia was chosen as the new county seat. In 1858, the seat was returned to Mason City. In 1866, the first courthouse was erected from stone at the cost of $600, which was used until 1900. The courthouse still used today was opened on November 17, 1960.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 20,672 |
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| 1910 | 25,011 | 21.0% | |
| 1920 | 34,675 | 38.6% | |
| 1930 | 38,476 | 11.0% | |
| 1940 | 43,845 | 14.0% | |
| 1950 | 46,053 | 5.0% | |
| 1960 | 49,894 | 8.3% | |
| 1970 | 49,335 | -1.1% | |
| 1980 | 48,458 | -1.8% | |
| 1990 | 46,733 | -3.6% | |
| 2000 | 46,447 | -0.6% | |
| Est. 2006 | 44,384 | -4.4% | |
| IA Counties 1900-1990 | |||
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 46,447 people, 19,374 households, and 12,399 families residing in the county. The population density was 82 people per square mile (32/km²). There were 21,488 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.26% White, 0.80% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. 2.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 19,374 households out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.90% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.00% were non-families. 30.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,867, and the median income for a family was $46,099. Males had a median income of $31,790 versus $21,781 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,184. About 5.90% of families and 8.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Townships
Cerro Gordo County is divided into sixteen townships:
[edit] External links
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