List of counties in Iowa
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There are 99 counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The first two counties, Des Moines County and Dubuque County, were formed in 1834 when Iowa was still part of the Michigan Territory. One of the most important days in Iowa county history was January 15, 1851, when 49 counties were created.[1]
The Iowa Constitution of 1857, which is still in effect today, states that counties must have an area of at least 432 square miles (1,120 km2). No county can be reduced below that size by boundary changes.[2] Exceptions to this rule were granted, as ten counties have areas below this size. The smallest county (Dickinson) has a land area of 381 sq mi (990 km2), while the largest (Kossuth) has an area 973sq mi (2,520 km²). Polk County is the most densely populated county at 860 persons/sq mi,[3] and contains the state's capital and largest city, Des Moines.