Cedar County
County
Cedar County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°46′05″N 91°07′43″W / 41.768055555556°N 91.128611111111°W / 41.768055555556; -91.128611111111
Country	United States
State	Iowa
Founded	1837
Named for	Cedar River
Seat	Tipton
Largest city	Tipton
Area
• Total	582 sq mi (1,510 km2)
• Land	579 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Water	2.5 sq mi (6 km2)  0.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,505
• Density	32/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	cedarcounty.iowa.gov

Cedar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,505.^[1] Its county seat is Tipton.^[2] The county is named for the Cedar River, which runs through the county.

Cedar County is located between the Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities and Iowa City metropolitan areas, areas also known as the "Tri-Metro" county. It is the only Iowa county which shares the name of a tree. Cedar County was the focus of the Iowa Cow War of 1931.

History

Cedar County was formed on December 21, 1837, from sections of Dubuque County. It was named for the Cedar River.

In 1840, the City of Tipton, the current county seat, was established.

Before the Civil War, the area around West Branch was an active focal point of the Underground Railroad, a network for the freeing of slaves from the southern states.

The former US President Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) was born in West Branch in Cedar County.^[3]

The Cedar County Sheriff's House and Jail is believed to be the last jail and residence combination still in use when it closed in 2001.^[4] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 582 square miles (1,510 km²), of which 579 square miles (1,500 km²) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) (0.4%) is water.^[5] Rock Creek flows through Cedar County.

Major highways

• Interstate 80
• U.S. Highway 6
• U.S. Highway 30
• Iowa Highway 38
• Iowa Highway 130

Adjacent counties

• Jones County (north)
• Clinton County (northeast)
• Scott County (southeast)
• Muscatine County (south)
• Johnson County (west)
• Linn County (northwest)

National protected area

• Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 18,505 in the county, with a population density of 31.7402/sq mi (12.2550/km²). 96.29% of the population reported being of one race. 91.92% were non-Hispanic White, 0.45% were Black, 2.50% were Hispanic, 0.28% were Native American, 0.34% were Asian, 0.01% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.51% were some other race or more than one race. There were 8,190 housing units of which 7,594 were occupied.^[1]

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,956 in the county, with a population density of 31.89/sq mi (12.31/km²). There were 8,064 housing units, of which 7,511 were occupied.^[11]

2000 census

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 18,187 people, 7,147 households, and 5,138 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile (12 people/km²). There were 7,570 housing units at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.47% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 0.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,147 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.60% were married couples living together, 6.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,198, and the median income for a family was $48,850. Males had a median income of $32,008 versus $23,260 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,200. About 4.00% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.00% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

• Rochester

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Cedar County is divided into seventeen townships:

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Cedar County.^[1] † county seat

Notable people

• Herbert Hoover (1874–1964), the 31st President of the United States (1929–1933) and the first president born west of the Mississippi River (born in West Branch in 1874).
• John Brown (1800–1859), abolitionist, maintained his headquarters at William Maxson's house near the small community of Springdale in Cedar County while planning his Harpers Ferry raid; Edwin and Barclay Coppock of Springdale participated in the raid.
• Lawrie Tatum (1822–1900), an Indian Agent to the Kiowa and Comanche tribes and, beginning in 1884, guardian to future President Herbert Hoover.

Politics

Cedar County, like nearby Louisa County, is a reliable bellwether for the state of Iowa, having voted for the statewide winner in every presidential election since 1952.