Cerro Gordo County, Iowa


Cerro Gordo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,127. Its county seat is Mason City. The county is named for the Battle of Cerro Gordo, which took place during the Mexican–American War. The county is part of the Mason City, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Cerro Gordo County was formed in 1851 and takes its name from the Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican–American 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, which was used until 1900. The courthouse still used today opened on November 17, 1960.
In 1875, Cerro Gordo County was described thusly, "This county is situated in the second tier from the northern line of the state, and is the fifth west from the Mississippi. It is twenty-four miles square and contains an area of 368,640 acres. Like most portions of Northern Iowa, it has a very pleasing diversity of surface, particularly in the eastern portion, produced by the valleys of the numerous creeks and streams, by which the county is well drained, while the prairies, which form the greater portion of the area of the county, are not devoid of a good degree of diversity occasioned by their undulations. The prairies, except in the southwest, where a number of extensive marshes are found, are generally high, rolling and dry, though never being sufficiently broken or abrupt to render them unsuitable for pleasant and profitable cultivation."
Cerro Gordo County was the site of the airplane crash north of the city of Lake, Iowa|Clear Lake], in which rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, along with their pilot Roger A. Peterson, were killed on February 3, 1959. The site is in Grant Township, in the northwestern part of the county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Major highways

The county also has a municipal airport, Mason City Municipal Airport,.

Adjacent counties

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 43,127 and a population density of. The median age was 44.7 years, 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18, and 23.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males age 18 and over.
There were 19,224 households in the county, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.1% were married-couple households, 19.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 22,603 housing units, of which 14.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.6% were owner-occupied and 30.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.0%.
79.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 20.3% lived in rural areas.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 44,151 in the county, with a population density of. There were 22,163 housing units, of which 19,350 were occupied.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 46,447 people, 19,374 households, and 12,399 families in the county. The population density was. There were 21,488 housing units at an average density of. The Race and ethnicity in [the United States Census#2000 census|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%. were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 19,374 households 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 households were one person and 13.50% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 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% 65 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 household income was $35,867 and the median family income 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.

Communities

Cities

Cerro Gordo County is divided into sixteen townships:
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Cerro Gordo County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation
1† 'Mason CityCity27,338
2Clear LakeCity7,687
3Nora Springs City1,369
4RockwellCity1,071
5VenturaCity711
6ThorntonCity400
7PlymouthCity375
8MeserveyCity222
9SwaledaleCity144
10Rock FallsCity150
11DoughertyCity62
12BurchinalCDP33
13Portland'CDP28

Economy

In September 2016 Cerro Gordo County supervisors voted to appeal the Iowa Department of Natural Resources's decision to approve construction of a hog confinement facility near Ventura, Iowa.

Law enforcement

The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office is headed by Sheriff Kevin Pals. The Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement, performs investigations, executes legal processes such as writs, and is responsible for operating the county jail and for inmates in custody.
The Sheriff's Office is at 17262 Lark Ave, Mason City, IA 50401.

Politics

From the county's founding in 1851 until 1928, Cerro Gordo County voted Republican in every single election except for 1912, when former Republican Theodore Roosevelt won the county with a plurality as the Progressive candidate. The tide in the county then shifted from 1932 to 2012, as the Democratic candidate won all but six elections in that span, four of which were nationwide Republican landslides in 1952, 1956, 1972, and 1980. Beginning in 2016, Cerro Gordo County has shifted back to the right, with Donald Trump winning the county in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Whilst Mason City leans Democratic, the rest of the county is Republican.

Education

School districts include:
Former school districts include: