Editing Woodbury County, Iowa

{{short description|County in Iowa, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Woodbury County
 | state                = Iowa
 | seal                 = Woodbury County, Iowa Seal.png
 | founded year         = 1851
 | founded date         = 
 | seat wl              = Sioux City
 | largest city wl      = Sioux City
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 878
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 872.59
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 4.79
 | area percentage      = 0.55
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 105941
 | population_density_sq_mi = auto
 | time zone            = Central
 | footnotes            = 
 | web                  = www.woodburycountyiowa.gov
 | ex image             = Woodbury County Courthouse from NW 1.JPG
 | ex image cap         = [[Woodbury County Courthouse]] in Sioux City
 | district             = 4th
 | named for            = [[Levi Woodbury]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company|title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA165|year=1908|page=165}}</ref>
}}

'''Woodbury County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Iowa]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 105,941,<ref name=cen2020>{{cite web |title=2020 Census State Redistricting Data |url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/01-Redistricting_File--PL_94-171/Iowa/ |website=census.gov |publisher=United states Census Bureau |access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref> making it the sixth-most populous county in Iowa. The [[county seat]] is [[Sioux City, Iowa|Sioux City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>

Woodbury County is included in the [[Sioux City metropolitan area]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2006/b06-01.pdf|title=Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses|access-date=July 21, 2006|author=United States Office of Management and Budget|author-link=United States Office of Management and Budget|pages=5, 36|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514003222/http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2006/b06-01.pdf|archive-date=May 14, 2006}}</ref>

==History==
Originally established in 1851 as Wahkaw County, the Iowa [[Legislature]] in 1853 changed the name to Woodbury County in honor of [[Levi Woodbury]] (1789–1851), a [[New Hampshire Senate|senator]] and [[governor of New Hampshire]] who served as a [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] justice from 1844 until his death.

The first county seat of Wahkaw County was the now-extinct village of Thompsonville; when the Legislature changed the county name to Woodbury, the new county seat became Sergeant's Bluff (now [[Sergeant Bluff, Iowa|Sergeant Bluff]]). The county seat was moved to Sioux City in 1856.

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska ([[Ho-Chunk]]) owns reservation land in Woodbury County.

==Geography==
The county is on the western edge of Iowa, with its western border being the [[Missouri River]].

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|878|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|873|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|4.9|sqmi}} (0.6%) is water.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It is the third-largest county by area in Iowa.

===Major highways===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[File:I-29.svg|x20px]] [[Interstate 29 in Iowa|Interstate 29]]
*[[File:I-129.svg|x20px]] [[Interstate 129 in Iowa|Interstate 129]]
*[[File:US 20.svg|x20px]] [[U.S. Route 20 in Iowa|U.S. Highway 20]]
*[[File:US 75.svg|x20px]] [[U.S. Route 75 in Iowa|U.S. Highway 75]]
*[[File:US 77.svg|x20px]] [[U.S. Route 77 in Iowa|U.S. Highway 77]]
*[[File:Elongated circle 12.svg|x20px]] [[Iowa Highway 12]]
*[[File:Elongated circle 31.svg|x20px]] [[Iowa Highway 31]]
*[[File:Elongated circle 140.svg|x20px]] [[Iowa Highway 140]]
*[[File:Elongated circle 141.svg|x20px]] [[Iowa Highway 141]]
*[[File:Elongated circle 175.svg|x20px]] [[Iowa Highway 175]]
{{div col end}}

===Transit===
* [[Sioux City Transit]]
* [[List of intercity bus stops in Iowa]]

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Plymouth County, Iowa|Plymouth County]] (north)
*[[Cherokee County, Iowa|Cherokee County]] (northeast)
*[[Ida County, Iowa|Ida County]] (east)
*[[Monona County, Iowa|Monona County]] (south)
*[[Thurston County, Nebraska]] (southwest)
*[[Dakota County, Nebraska]] (west)
*[[Union County, South Dakota]] (northwest)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1860 = 1119
| 1870 = 6172
| 1880 = 14996
| 1890 = 55632
| 1900 = 54610
| 1910 = 67616
| 1920 = 92171
| 1930 = 101669
| 1940 = 103627
| 1950 = 103917
| 1960 = 107849
| 1970 = 103052
| 1980 = 100884
| 1990 = 98276
| 2000 = 103877
| 2010 = 102172
| 2020 = 105941
|estyear=2023
|estimate=105951
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 2, 2024}}</ref>
| align-fn = center
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 20, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=July 20, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ia190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 20, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 20, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2018<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/19/19193.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 20, 2014|archive-date=June 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607073804/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/19/19193.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Woodbury County, Iowa |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/woodburycountyiowa/PST045222 |website=www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=June 3, 2023 |language=en |date=July 1, 2022}}</ref> 2022<ref name=QF/>
}}
[[File:WoodburyCountyIowaPop2020.png|thumb|Population of Woodbury County from US census data]]

===2020 census===
[[File:WoodburyCountyIA2022PopPyr.png|thumb|2022 US Census [[population pyramid]] for Woodbury County from [[American Community Survey|ACS]] 5-year estimates]]
The 2020 census recorded a population of 105,941 in the county, with a population density of {{Pop density|105941|876.451260|sqmi|km2}}. 90.93% of the population reported being of one race. There were 42,701 housing units, of which 39,904 were occupied.<ref name=cen2020/>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Woodbury County Racial Composition<ref>{{Cite web|title =P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Woodbury County, Iowa|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Woodbury%20County,%20Iowa&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (NH)
|72,237
|68.2%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (NH)
|5,076
|4.8%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]] (NH)
|1,893
|1.8%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]] (NH)
|2,957
|2.8%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|651
|0.61%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]] (NH)
|4,381
|4.14%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|18,746
|17.7%
|}

===2010 census===
The 2010 census recorded a population of 102,172 in the county, with a population density of {{Pop density|102172|872.8|sqmi|km2}}. There were 41,454 housing units, of which 39,052 were occupied.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-17.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016010401/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-17.pdf |archive-date=October 16, 2020 |url-status=live|title=Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] American FactFinder|access-date=August 15, 2022}}</ref>

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 103,877 people, 39,151 households, and 26,426 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|119|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 41,394 housing units at an average density of {{convert|47|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 87.48% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 2.02% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.69% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 2.41% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 4.37% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 9.11% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

Of the 39,151 households, 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.90% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 26.60% of households were one person and 11.20% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.13.

The age distribution was 27.30% under the age of 18, 10.20% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.

The median household income was $38,509 and the median family income was $46,499. Males had a median income of $31,664 versus $22,599 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,771. About 7.20% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

==Politics==
For much of the second half of the 20th century, Woodbury County tilted Republican, albeit not as overwhelmingly as most of western Iowa. Between 1988 and 2012 Woodbury County was the quintessential swing county in Iowa. No candidate won it by more than 3.5% over that quarter-century. This was the only county in Iowa that [[Barack Obama]] won in 2012 that he failed to carry in 2008. However, in 2016, Woodbury County swung over dramatically to [[Donald Trump]], who carried it by a 19 percent margin, the largest margin of victory since [[Lyndon Johnson]]'s landslide election in 1964.

{{PresHead|place=Woodbury County, Iowa|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org |access-date=April 28, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|25,969|16,145|807|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|25,736|18,704|922|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|24,727|16,210|2,781|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|21,841|22,302|876|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|22,219|21,983|613|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|22,451|21,455|289|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|18,864|17,691|1,341|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|16,368|17,224|3,872|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|18,148|17,398|7,318|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|18,790|20,153|282|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|23,002|18,951|397|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|23,553|15,930|3,792|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|22,853|19,664|770|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|23,757|16,974|699|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|21,159|18,281|2,363|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|17,347|26,841|30|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|26,832|21,906|6|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|25,399|19,997|49|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|27,518|19,474|159|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|16,655|22,056|373|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|18,544|20,448|104|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|22,832|24,457|89|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|14,157|26,847|1,998|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|12,764|26,397|761|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|20,587|16,831|166|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|16,639|5,676|12,804|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|17,603|9,815|944|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|5,735|8,819|299|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|2,441|4,564|6,077|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|6,587|5,222|498|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|7,597|2,809|958|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|7,045|4,796|402|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|6,204|4,876|229|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|4,620|4,156|1,040|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|4,169|3,588|129|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|2,789|2,380|17|Iowa}}
{{PresFoot|1880|Republican|1,453|995|135|Iowa}}

==Communities==
[[File:TerracesBuffers.JPG|thumb|Terraces, conservation tillage and buffers save soil and improve water quality on this Woodbury County farm in 1999.]]

===Cities===
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
*[[Anthon, Iowa|Anthon]]
*[[Bronson, Iowa|Bronson]]
*[[Correctionville, Iowa|Correctionville]]
*[[Cushing, Iowa|Cushing]]
*[[Danbury, Iowa|Danbury]]
*[[Hornick, Iowa|Hornick]]
*[[Lawton, Iowa|Lawton]]
*[[Moville, Iowa|Moville]]
*[[Oto, Iowa|Oto]]
*[[Pierson, Iowa|Pierson]]
*[[Salix, Iowa|Salix]]
*[[Sergeant Bluff, Iowa|Sergeant Bluff]]
*[[Sioux City, Iowa|Sioux City]]
*[[Sloan, Iowa|Sloan]]
*[[Smithland, Iowa|Smithland]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
*[[Climbing Hill, Iowa|Climbing Hill]] (a [[census-designated place]])
*[[Discord, Iowa|Discord]]
*[[Holly Springs, Woodbury County, Iowa|Holly Springs]]
*[[Luton, Iowa|Luton]]
*[[Midway, Woodbury County, Iowa|Midway]]
*Owego<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Owego,+IA+51026/@42.2869928,-96.1532746,13z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x87920e9d1644f37b:0x9dc6b26254b3905d!8m2!3d42.2794356!4d-96.1544648 '''Owego''' - google maps]</ref>

===Townships===
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Arlington Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Arlington]]
* [[Banner Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Banner]]
* [[Concord Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Concord]]
* [[Floyd Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Floyd]]
* [[Grange Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Grange]]
* [[Grant Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Grant]]
* [[Kedron Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Kedron]]
* [[Lakeport Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Lakeport]]
* [[Liberty Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Liberty]]
* [[Liston Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Liston]]
* [[Little Sioux Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Little Sioux]]
* [[Miller Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Miller]]
* [[Morgan Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Morgan]]
* [[Moville Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Moville]]
* [[Oto Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Oto]]
* [[Rock Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Rock]]
* [[Rutland Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Rutland]]
* [[Sioux City Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Sioux City]]
* [[Sloan Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Sloan]]
* [[Union Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Union]]
* [[West Fork Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|West Fork]]
* [[Willow Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Willow]]
* [[Wolf Creek Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Wolf Creek]]
* [[Woodbury Township, Woodbury County, Iowa|Woodbury]]
{{div col end}}

===Population ranking===
The population ranking of the following table is based on the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] of Woodbury County.<ref name=cen2020/>

'''†''' ''county seat''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Rank
!City/Town/etc.
!Municipal type
!Population (2020 Census)
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 1
|'''†''' '''[[Sioux City, Iowa|Sioux City]]''' (''partially in [[Plymouth County, Iowa|Plymouth County]]'')
| City
| 85,791 (85,797 total)
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 2
|'''[[Sergeant Bluff, Iowa|Sergeant Bluff]]'''
| City
| 5,015
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 3
|'''[[Moville, Iowa|Moville]]'''
| City
| 1,687
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 4
|'''[[Sloan, Iowa|Sloan]]'''
| City
| 1,042
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 5
|'''[[Lawton, Iowa|Lawton]]'''
| City
| 943
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 6
|'''[[Correctionville, Iowa|Correctionville]]'''
| City
| 766
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 7
|'''[[Anthon, Iowa|Anthon]]'''
| City
| 545
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 8
|'''[[Pierson, Iowa|Pierson]]'''
| City
| 337
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 9
|'''[[Danbury, Iowa|Danbury]]'''
| City
| 320
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 10
|'''[[Salix, Iowa|Salix]]'''
| City
| 295
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 11
|'''[[Bronson, Iowa|Bronson]]'''
| City
| 294
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 12
|'''[[Hornick, Iowa|Hornick]]'''
| City
| 255
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 13
|'''[[Cushing, Iowa|Cushing]]'''
| City
| 230
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 14
|'''[[Smithland, Iowa|Smithland]]'''
| City
| 181
|- style="background:#F0FFF0;"
| 15
|'''[[Climbing Hill, Iowa|Climbing Hill]]'''
| CDP
| 97
|- style="background:#FFFACD"
| 16
|'''[[Oto, Iowa|Oto]]'''
| City
| 72
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Iowa}}
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Woodbury County, Iowa]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Lensch, R.A. (2006). ''Soil survey of Woodbury County, Iowa.'' Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

==External links==
{{Commons}}<!-- for current and future use if material is uploaded -->
*{{official website|https://www.woodburycountyiowa.gov/}}

{{Geographic Location
| Centre    = Woodbury County, Iowa
| North     = [[Plymouth County, Iowa|Plymouth County]]
| Northeast = [[Cherokee County, Iowa|Cherokee County]]
| East      = [[Ida County, Iowa|Ida County]]
| Southeast =
| South     = [[Monona County, Iowa|Monona County]]
| Southwest = [[Thurston County, Nebraska]]
| West      = [[Dakota County, Nebraska]]
| Northwest = [[Union County, South Dakota]]
}}

{{Woodbury County, Iowa}}
{{Iowa}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|42|23|29|N|96|03|03|W|region:US-IA_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Woodbury County, Iowa| ]]
[[Category:1851 establishments in Iowa]]
[[Category:Sioux City metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Iowa counties on the Missouri River]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1851]]