When was Dickinson County founded?

Dickinson County was founded in 1851, formed from Polk County, and named after Daniel S. Dickinson.

What is the county seat of Dickinson County?

The county seat of Dickinson County is Spirit Lake.

Is there an online parcel map for Dickinson County?

Yes. Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (statewide parcels, mirrored by the University of Iowa) publishes a parcel map of 26,864 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Dickinson County's boundary or name changed?

Dickinson County was created in 1851 from Polk County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Woodbury County.

Who issues building permits in Dickinson County?

The county's page on building permits: Apply for Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Dickinson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 19059

Dickinson CountyIowa

Dickinson County in Iowa was created in 1851 and is named after Daniel S. Dickinson. The county seat is Spirit Lake.

Founded1851
County seatSpirit Lake
Named forDaniel S. Dickinson
Land area381 sq mi + 23 sq mi water
Population17,703 2020 Census
Parcels mapped26,864 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Dickinson County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1851 from Polk County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Dickinson County was created from Non-County Area 9 attached to Polk County in 1851 but was not initially organized. It was attached to Woodbury County in 1853 for revenue, election, and judicial purposes. Dickinson was fully organized and detached from Woodbury in 1857.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1851
Dickinson County created Dickinson created from Non-County Area 9 attached to Polk; Dickinson not fully organized, not attached.
from Polk
15 January 1851 · Iowa Acts 1850-1851, ch. 9, sec. 48/p. 38
1853
Changed Dickinson attached to Woodbury "for revenue, election, and judicial purposes".
Woodbury
7 March 1853 · Iowa Acts 1852-1853, ch. 8, sec. 14/p. 24
1857
Changed Dickinson fully organized, detached from Woodbury.
Woodbury
3 August 1857 · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 574

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Dickinson

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Fallback

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 26,864 parcels from Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (statewide parcels, mirrored by the University of Iowa). Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey. This copy is a fallback, not the county's own: use it as a guide and check the official record.
edited 10 May 2024 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Dickinson County yet.
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

Dickinson by the Census

Population

17,703 2020 Census count

Housing units

13,691 2020 Census count

Land area

381 square miles

Water area

23 square miles

People per sq mi

47 population ÷ land area

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.

Permits

Apply for Permitfrom permitting.schneidergis.com

Zoning and code

Zoning Agendas and Minutes – Dickinson County, Iowafrom dickinsoncountyiowa.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Dickinson County.
dickinsoncountyiowa.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Dickinson 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Dickinson County

When was Dickinson County founded?: Dickinson County was founded in 1851, formed from Polk County, and named after Daniel S. Dickinson.
What is the county seat of Dickinson County?: The county seat of Dickinson County is Spirit Lake.
Is there an online parcel map for Dickinson County?: Yes. Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (statewide parcels, mirrored by the University of Iowa) publishes a parcel map of 26,864 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Dickinson County's boundary or name changed?: Dickinson County was created in 1851 from Polk County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Woodbury County.
Who issues building permits in Dickinson County?: The county's page on building permits: Apply for Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Dickinson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby