Van Buren County, Iowa

County in Iowa, United States

U.S. county in Iowa

Van Buren County

U.S. county

Van Buren County Courthouse

Location within the U.S. state of Iowa

Iowa's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Iowa
Founded| December 7, 1836
Named for| Martin Van Buren
Seat| Keosauqua
Largest city| Keosauqua
Area

• Total| 491 sq mi (1,270 km2)
• Land| 485 sq mi (1,260 km2)
• Water| 5.7 sq mi (15 km2)  1.2%
Population

(2020)

• Total| 7,203
• Density| 15/sq mi (5.7/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 2nd
Website| www.vanburencounty.iowa.gov

Van Buren County (/væn ˈbjʊərən/ van BURE-ən) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census the population was 7,203, making it the state's tenth-least populous county.[1] The county seat is Keosauqua,[2] which contains the oldest continuously operational courthouse in the state of Iowa, and second oldest in the United States.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Major highways
* 2.2 Adjacent counties
* 3 Demographics
* 3.1 2020 census
* 3.2 2010 census
* 4 Communities
* 4.1 Cities
* 4.2 Census-designated places
* 4.3 Unincorporated communities
* 4.4 Townships
* 4.5 Population ranking
* 5 Politics
* 6 Education
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links

## History

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Plaque on the Van Buren County courthouse, indicating its age and historic status.

Van Buren County was formed on December 7, 1836, as a part of Wisconsin Territory, and was split off from Des Moines County. It was named for President Martin Van Buren. It became a part of Iowa Territory (later the state of Iowa) when that territory was organized on July 4, 1838.[3]

The county's courthouse was built in September 1843 in the style of Greek Revival and stands as Iowa's oldest, and the nation's second oldest, courthouse in operation.[4]

"The Honey War" refers to a colorful episode in Van Buren County's history when the State of Missouri and Wisconsin Territory border came into dispute. Missouri attempted to collect taxes from residents north of the disputed Sullivan Line of 1816, which residents said was not rightfully theirs to tax. The sheriff of Van Buren County subsequently arrested and jailed the sheriff from Kahoka, Missouri, and Missourians were charged with "stealing honey from bee trees in what in now Lacey-Keosauqua State Park. Each governor sent troops to resolve the problem but no bloodshed resulted. The matter was turned over to the U.S. Congress for arbitration".[5] The dispute, however, was not resolved until 1846, when Iowa became a state. Congress ruled "in favor of Iowa, allowing the original Sullivan line of 1816 to remain intact".[6]

Van Buren County is also home to Iowa's oldest community theater group still in operation, the "Van Buren Players," founded in 1963.[7]

## Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 491 square miles (1,270 km2), of which 485 square miles (1,260 km2) is land and 5.7 square miles (15 km2) (1.2%) is water.[8]

### Major highways

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* Iowa Highway 1
* Iowa Highway 2
* Iowa Highway 16
* Iowa Highway 98

### Adjacent counties

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* Jefferson County (north)
* Henry County (northeast)
* Lee County (east)
* Clark County, Missouri (southeast)
* Scotland County, Missouri (southwest)
* Davis County (west)

## Demographics

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Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1850| 12,270| | —
1860| 17,081| | 39.2%
1870| 17,672| | 3.5%
1880| 17,043| | −3.6%
1890| 16,253| | −4.6%
1900| 17,354| | 6.8%
1910| 15,020| | −13.4%
1920| 14,060| | −6.4%
1930| 12,603| | −10.4%
1940| 12,053| | −4.4%
1950| 11,007| | −8.7%
1960| 9,778| | −11.2%
1970| 8,643| | −11.6%
1980| 8,626| | −0.2%
1990| 7,676| | −11.0%
2000| 7,809| | 1.7%
2010| 7,570| | −3.1%
2020| 7,203| | −4.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2018[13]
Population of Van Buren County from US census data

### 2020 census

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The 2020 census recorded a population of 7,203 in the county, with a population density of 14.6895/sq mi (5.6717/km2). 97.24% of the population reported being of one race. 94.53% were non-Hispanic White, 0.39% were Black, 1.58% were Hispanic, 0.10% were Native American, 0.33% were Asian, 0.00% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 3.07% were some other race or more than one race. There were 3,500 housing units, of which 2,984 were occupied.[1]

### 2010 census

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2000 Census Age Pyramid for Van Buren County

As of the census[14] of 2010, there were 7,570 people, 3,108 households, and 2,058 families residing in the county. The population density was 15.614/sq mi (6.029/km2) people per square mile. There were 3,670 housing units at an average density of 7.570/sq mi (2.923/km2) per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 98.3% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,108 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 33.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18 and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males.

As of the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the county was $31,094, and the median income for a family was $36,420. Males had a median income of $27,379 versus $20,925 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,748. About 8.70% of families and 12.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.00% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities

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### Cities

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* Birmingham
* Bonaparte
* Cantril
* Farmington
* Keosauqua
* Milton
* Stockport

### Census-designated places

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* Douds
* Leando
* Mount Sterling

### Unincorporated communities

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* Iowaville
* Lebanon
* Mt. Zion
* Pittsburg
* Selma
* Winchester

### Townships

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According to the 1850 US Census Records.

* Birmingham Township
* Bonaparte Township
* Cedar Township
* Chequest Township
* Des Moines Township
* Farmington Township
* Harrisburg Township
* Jackson Township
* Keosauqua Township
* Lick Creek Township
* Union Township
* Van Buren Township
* Vernon Township
* Village Township
* Washington Township

### Population ranking

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The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Van Buren County.[1]

† county seat

Rank  | City/Town/etc.  | Municipal type  | Population (2020 Census)

|
|
|

1  | † Keosauqua | City  | 936
2  | Farmington | City  | 579
3  | Milton | City  | 380
4  | Birmingham | City  | 367
5  | Bonaparte | City  | 359
6  | Stockport | City  | 272
7  | Cantril | City  | 224
8  | Douds | CDP  | 156
9  | Leando | CDP  | 121
10  | Mount Sterling | CDP  | 33

## Politics

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Van Buren County has been predominantly Republican throughout its history, only voting for the Democratic candidate only six times in presidential elections from 1896 onward. However, the county was a national bellwether between 1964 & 2004, but voted Republican by wide margins in years the nation went Republican. Aside from Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory in 1964, the margins of victory Democrats won the county by in this 40-year period were incredibly narrow, with the difference being less than one hundred votes when Jimmy Carter & Bill Clinton won the county. From 2000 on, the county has trended strongly Republican, particularly in 2016 where Hillary Clinton received the lowest percentage by a Democratic candidate in 60 years. Clinton also failed to win even 1,000 votes, a feat which every major party candidate prior to 2016 had been able to accomplish in the county.

United States presidential election results for Van Buren County, Iowa[15] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 2,859  | 75.42% | 875  | 23.08%  | 57  | 1.50%
2016 | 2,527  | 70.96% | 845  | 23.73%  | 189  | 5.31%
2012 | 2,064  | 57.83% | 1,402  | 39.28%  | 103  | 2.89%
2008 | 1,986  | 54.98% | 1,546  | 42.80%  | 80  | 2.21%
2004 | 2,211  | 57.64% | 1,568  | 40.88%  | 57  | 1.49%
2000 | 2,016  | 56.61% | 1,440  | 40.44%  | 105  | 2.95%
1996 | 1,460  | 43.26%  | 1,536  | 45.51% | 379  | 11.23%
1992 | 1,418  | 38.22%  | 1,464  | 39.46% | 828  | 22.32%
1988 | 1,692  | 50.75% | 1,612  | 48.35%  | 30  | 0.90%
1984 | 2,138  | 56.73% | 1,606  | 42.61%  | 25  | 0.66%
1980 | 2,142  | 58.21% | 1,311  | 35.63%  | 227  | 6.17%
1976 | 1,804  | 49.14%  | 1,807  | 49.22% | 60  | 1.63%
1972 | 2,272  | 63.18% | 1,268  | 35.26%  | 56  | 1.56%
1968 | 2,294  | 59.29% | 1,331  | 34.40%  | 244  | 6.31%
1964 | 1,700  | 39.93%  | 2,555  | 60.02% | 2  | 0.05%
1960 | 3,129  | 63.94% | 1,760  | 35.96%  | 5  | 0.10%
1956 | 3,233  | 63.79% | 1,833  | 36.17%  | 2  | 0.04%
1952 | 3,870  | 70.62% | 1,577  | 28.78%  | 33  | 0.60%
1948 | 2,702  | 57.64% | 1,917  | 40.89%  | 69  | 1.47%
1944 | 3,095  | 60.43% | 1,997  | 38.99%  | 30  | 0.59%
1940 | 4,108  | 62.72% | 2,416  | 36.89%  | 26  | 0.40%
1936 | 3,535  | 55.05% | 2,804  | 43.66%  | 83  | 1.29%
1932 | 2,375  | 42.56%  | 3,135  | 56.17% | 71  | 1.27%
1928 | 3,904  | 66.45% | 1,944  | 33.09%  | 27  | 0.46%
1924 | 3,623  | 60.69% | 1,209  | 20.25%  | 1,138  | 19.06%
1920 | 4,321  | 71.00% | 1,682  | 27.64%  | 83  | 1.36%
1916 | 1,994  | 52.52% | 1,735  | 45.69%  | 68  | 1.79%
1912 | 1,483  | 39.36%  | 1,495  | 39.68% | 790  | 20.97%
1908 | 2,133  | 53.86% | 1,730  | 43.69%  | 97  | 2.45%
1904 | 2,469  | 61.51% | 1,416  | 35.28%  | 129  | 3.21%
1900 | 2,547  | 56.40% | 1,893  | 41.92%  | 76  | 1.68%
1896 | 2,478  | 53.54% | 2,076  | 44.86%  | 74  | 1.60%

## Education

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School districts include:[16]

* Cardinal Community School District
* Davis County Community School District
* Fairfield Community School District
* Mount Pleasant Community School District
* Van Buren County Community School District

Former school districts:

* Harmony Community School District[17]

## See also

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* National Register of Historic Places listings in Van Buren County, Iowa

## References

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1. ^ a b c "2020 Census State Redistricting Data". census.gov. United states Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ "WI: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
4. ^ Van Buren County Archived October 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ Van Buren County, Iowa, a Pictorial History. Villages of Van Buren. 2007. p. 46.
6. ^ Van Buren County, Iowa, a Pictorial History. Villages of Van Buren. 2007. p. 46.
7. ^ Mary Ovrum; editor (1999). The Van Buren Players. The Van Buren Players. `{{cite book}}`: `|author=` has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
8. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
13. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
14. ^ "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010" (PDF). United States Census Bureau American FactFinder. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
15. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
16. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Van Buren County, IA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2022. \- Text list
17. ^ "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Van Buren County, IA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2022. \- Text list

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Van Buren County, Iowa.

* Villages of Van Buren Archived 2016-01-28 at the Wayback Machine

Places adjacent to Van Buren County, Iowa

|  | Jefferson County | Henry County

|
|

|  |
Davis County |

Van Buren County, Iowa

| Lee County
|  |
Scotland County, Missouri |  | Clark County, Missouri

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Van Buren County, Iowa, United States

County seat: Keosauqua

Cities|

* Birmingham
* Bonaparte
* Cantril
* Farmington
* Keosauqua
* Milton
* Stockport

Map of Iowa highlighting Van Buren County

CDPs|

* Douds
* Leando
* Mount Sterling

Other
unincorporated
communities|

* Pittsburg
* Selma
* Utica
* Vernon
* Winchester

Ghost town|

* Iowaville

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Iowa

Des Moines (capital)

Topics|

* Archaeology
* Area codes
* Attorney General
* Auditor of State
* Capitol
* Code
* Congressional districts
* Crime
* Delegations
* Representatives
* Senators
* Elections
* Caucuses
* Environment
* Flag
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* History
* Historic Places
* Index
* Legislature
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* Treasurer of State

Regions|

* Coteau des Prairies
* Des Moines metropolitan area
* Dissected Till Plains
* Driftless Area
* Great River Road
* Honey Lands
* Iowa Great Lakes
* Loess Hills
* Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area
* Quad Cities
* Siouxland

Largest cities|

* Ames
* Ankeny
* Bettendorf
* Burlington
* Cedar Falls
* Cedar Rapids
* Clinton
* Council Bluffs
* Davenport
* Des Moines
* Dubuque
* Fort Dodge
* Iowa City
* Marion
* Marshalltown
* Mason City
* Muscatine
* Ottumwa
* Sioux City
* Urbandale
* Waterloo
* West Des Moines

Counties|

* Adair
* Adams
* Allamakee
* Appanoose
* Audubon
* Benton
* Black Hawk
* Boone
* Bremer
* Buchanan
* Buena Vista
* Butler
* Calhoun
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* Clarke
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* Clayton
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* Dickinson
* Dubuque
* Emmet
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* Floyd
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* Greene
* Grundy
* Guthrie
* Hamilton
* Hancock
* Hardin
* Harrison
* Henry
* Howard
* Humboldt
* Ida
* Iowa
* Jackson
* Jasper
* Jefferson
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* Jones
* Keokuk
* Kossuth
* Lee
* Linn
* Louisa
* Lucas
* Lyon
* Madison
* Mahaska
* Marion
* Marshall
* Mills
* Mitchell
* Monona
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Muscatine
* O'Brien
* Osceola
* Page
* Palo Alto
* Plymouth
* Pocahontas
* Polk
* Pottawattamie
* Poweshiek
* Ringgold
* Sac
* Scott
* Shelby
* Sioux
* Story
* Tama
* Taylor
* Union
* Van Buren
* Wapello
* Warren
* Washington
* Wayne
* Webster
* Winnebago
* Winneshiek
* Woodbury
* Worth
* Wright

Coordinates: 40°45′00″N 91°57′06″W﻿ / ﻿40.75000°N 91.95167°W﻿ / 40.75000; -91.95167
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