County · code 19147
Palo Alto CountyIowa
Palo Alto County is a county in Iowa, with its seat in Emmetsburg. It was created in 1851 and named after the Battle of Palo Alto.
- Founded1851
- County seatEmmetsburg
- Named forBattle of Palo Alto
- Land area564 sq mi + 5.6 sq mi water
- Population8,996 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped16,218 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Palo Alto 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 1851 from Polk County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Palo Alto County was created from Polk County in 1851 but was not fully organized at first. It was attached to Boone County in 1853 for administrative and judicial purposes, then transferred to Webster County in 1855. Palo Alto was fully organized and detached from Webster County in 1858.
- 1851Palo Alto County created Palo Alto created from Non-County Area 9 attached to Polk; Palo Alto not fully organized, not attached. · Iowa Acts 1850-1851, ch. 9, sec. 38/p. 36
- 1853Changed Palo Alto attached to Boone for administrative and judicial purposes. · Iowa Acts 1852-1853, ch. 12, sec. 1/p. 28
- 1855
- 1858Changed Palo Alto fully organized, detached from Webster. · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 576
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Palo Alto
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Fallback
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 16,218 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 Palo Alto 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
Palo Alto 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
Palo Alto County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Palo Alto County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto County
- When was Palo Alto County founded?
- Palo Alto County was founded in 1851, formed from Polk County, and named after Battle of Palo Alto.
- What is the county seat of Palo Alto County?
- The county seat of Palo Alto County is Emmetsburg.
- Is there an online parcel map for Palo Alto County?
- Yes. Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (statewide parcels, mirrored by the University of Iowa) publishes a parcel map of 16,218 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Palo Alto County's boundary or name changed?
- Palo Alto County was created in 1851 from Polk County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Boone County and Webster County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Palo Alto County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby