County · code 19049
Dallas CountyIowa
Dallas County is a county in Iowa with its seat in Adel. The county was formed on January 13, 1846, from Mahaska County and named after George M. Dallas.
- Founded1846
- County seatAdel
- Named forGeorge M. Dallas
- Land area588 sq mi + 3.3 sq mi water
- Population99,678 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped57,465 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Dallas on the map of Iowa
Iowa has 99 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1846 from Mahaska County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Dallas County was created on January 13, 1846, from Non-County Area 8 attached to Mahaska County but was not initially organized or attached to any county for administrative purposes. In March 1846, Dallas County was attached to Polk County for election, revenue, and judicial purposes, and in March 1847, a separate non-county area was attached to Dallas for the same functions. In January 1851, the attached non-county area was eliminated when portions were used to create Audubon, Guthrie, Harrison, and Shelby counties, though a jurisdictional dispute with Guthrie was settled in February 1851. In 1853, Dallas County boundaries were defined, and Greene County was temporarily attached to Dallas for administrative purposes until Greene became fully organized later that year.
- 1846Dallas County created Dallas created by Iowa Territory from Non-County Area 8 attached to Mahaska; Dallas not fully organized, not attached. · Iowa Terr. Laws 1845-1846, ch. 82, secs. 3-4, 6, 9-10/pp. 74-75
- 1846Gained territory Dallas gained from Non-County Area 8 attached to Mahaska; lost to Polk. · Iowa Terr. Laws 1845-1846, ch. 83, secs. 1-3/pp. 75-76
- 1846Changed Dallas attached to Polk "for election, revenue, and judicial purposes". · Iowa Terr. Laws 1845-1846, ch. 101, secs. 1, 11-12/pp. 92-95
- 1846Became part of Iowa Dallas became an Iowa county when the state of Iowa was created from Iowa Territory. · U.S. Stat., vol. 9, ch. 1[1847]/p. 117
- 1851Lost territory Dallas lost all of attached Non-County Area 11 to creation of Audubon, Guthrie, Harrison, and Shelby; Non-County Area 11 eliminated. Guthrie overlapped part of Dallas creating a jurisdictional dispute that was settled 5 February 1851. · Iowa Acts 1850-1851, ch. 9, secs. 17-18, 23-24/pp. 31-33
Show all 10 changes
- 1846Dallas County created Dallas created by Iowa Territory from Non-County Area 8 attached to Mahaska; Dallas not fully organized, not attached. · Iowa Terr. Laws 1845-1846, ch. 82, secs. 3-4, 6, 9-10/pp. 74-75
- 1846Gained territory Dallas gained from Non-County Area 8 attached to Mahaska; lost to Polk. · Iowa Terr. Laws 1845-1846, ch. 83, secs. 1-3/pp. 75-76
- 1846Changed Dallas attached to Polk "for election, revenue, and judicial purposes". · Iowa Terr. Laws 1845-1846, ch. 101, secs. 1, 11-12/pp. 92-95
- 1846Became part of Iowa Dallas became an Iowa county when the state of Iowa was created from Iowa Territory. · U.S. Stat., vol. 9, ch. 1[1847]/p. 117
- 1847Changed Non-County Area 11 attached to Dallas "for election, revenue, and judicial purposes." Non-County Area 11 was in two parts. · Iowa Acts 1846-1847, ch. 50, secs. 1, 10, 17/pp. 61-62
- 1851Lost territory Dallas lost all of attached Non-County Area 11 to creation of Audubon, Guthrie, Harrison, and Shelby; Non-County Area 11 eliminated. Guthrie overlapped part of Dallas creating a jurisdictional dispute that was settled 5 February 1851. · Iowa Acts 1850-1851, ch. 9, secs. 17-18, 23-24/pp. 31-33
- 1851Gained territory Dallas gained undisputed jurisdiction of the area overlapped by Guthrie on 15 January 1851 (no change). · Iowa Acts, 1850-1851, ch. 81, sec. 1/pp. 194-195
- 1853Changed Dallas boundaries defined (no change). · Iowa Acts 1852-1853, ch. 33, sec. 1/p. 65
- 1853Changed Greene attached to Dallas for administrative and judicial purposes. · Iowa Acts 1852-1853, ch. 12, sec. 1/p. 28
- 1854Changed Greene fully organized, detached from Dallas. · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 575
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Dallas
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 57,465 parcels from Dallas County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Dallas County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Dallas by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
Permits
GIS and maps
County government
- County government
The official website of Dallas County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Dallas County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Dallas County
- When was Dallas County founded?
- Dallas County was founded in 1846, formed from Mahaska County, and named after George M. Dallas.
- What is the county seat of Dallas County?
- The county seat of Dallas County is Adel.
- Is there an online parcel map for Dallas County?
- Yes. Dallas County publishes a parcel map of 57,465 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Dallas County's boundary or name changed?
- Dallas County was created in 1846 from Mahaska County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Greene County, Polk County and Audubon County.
- Who issues building permits in Dallas County?
- The county's page on building permits: Gun Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Dallas County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health department: septic and well.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Dallas County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby