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County · code 19155

Pottawattamie CountyIowa

Pottawattamie County is in Iowa and has its seat in Council Bluffs. It was created in 1847 from parts of Mahaska, Monroe, and Polk counties and was fully organized in 1848.

  • Founded1847
  • County seatCouncil Bluffs
  • Named forPotawatomi
  • Land area951 sq mi + 7.9 sq mi water
  • Population93,667 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped53,843 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Pottawattamie County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

MillsShelbyHarrisonSarpy, NEDouglas, NECassWashington, NE Council Bluffs Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Pottawattamie on the map of Iowa

Iowa has 99 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Adair CountyAdams CountyAllamakee CountyAppanoose CountyAudubon CountyBenton CountyBlack Hawk CountyBoone CountyBremer CountyBuchanan CountyBuena Vista CountyButler CountyCalhoun CountyCarroll CountyCass CountyCedar CountyCerro Gordo CountyCherokee CountyChickasaw CountyClarke CountyClay CountyClayton CountyClinton CountyCrawford CountyDallas CountyDavis CountyDecatur CountyDelaware CountyDes Moines CountyDickinson CountyDubuque CountyEmmet CountyFayette CountyFloyd CountyFranklin CountyFremont CountyGreene CountyGrundy CountyGuthrie CountyHamilton CountyHancock CountyHardin CountyHarrison CountyHenry CountyHoward CountyHumboldt CountyIda CountyIowa CountyJackson CountyJasper CountyJefferson CountyJohnson CountyJones CountyKeokuk CountyKossuth CountyLee CountyLinn CountyLouisa CountyLucas CountyLyon CountyMadison CountyMahaska CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMills CountyMitchell CountyMonona CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMuscatine CountyO'Brien CountyOsceola CountyPage CountyPalo Alto CountyPlymouth CountyPocahontas CountyPolk CountyPoweshiek CountyRinggold CountySac CountyScott CountyShelby CountySioux CountyStory CountyTama CountyTaylor CountyUnion CountyVan Buren CountyWapello CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWebster CountyWinnebago CountyWinneshiek CountyWoodbury CountyWorth CountyWright CountyPottawattamie County Pottawattamie
Counties of Iowa · Pottawattamie highlighted

History

Formed in 1847 from Mahaska County, Monroe County and Polk County

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

Pottawattamie was created on February 24, 1847, from Non-County Area 3 attached to Mahaska, Non-County Area 4 attached to Monroe, and Non-County Area 9 attached to Polk. In 1851, the county lost territory to the creation of Adair, Adams, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Shelby, and Union counties, but gained a remnant of Non-County Area 3 from Mahaska.

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

  1. 1847
    Pottawattamie County created Pottawattamie created from Non-County Area 3 attached to Mahaska, Non-County Area 4 attached to Monroe, and Non-County Area 9 attached to Polk; Pottawattamie not fully organized, not attached.
    from Mahaskafrom Monroefrom Polk
    · Iowa Acts 1846-1847, ch. 84, sec. 1/pp. 100-101; Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 519-520
  2. 1848
    Changed Pottawattamie fully organized. · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 576
  3. 1851
    Lost territory Pottawattamie lost to creation of Adair, Adams, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Shelby, and Union, and, at its northwest corner, gained remnant of Non-County Area 3 that had been attached to Mahaska.
    to Adairto Adamsto Audubonto Carrollto Cassto Crawfordto Harrisonto Millsto Montgomeryto Shelbyto Unionto Mahaska
    · Iowa Acts 1850-1851, ch. 9, secs. 1-6, 18, 22-24/pp. 27-28, 31-33
  4. 1874
    Changed Legislature authorized creation of Belknap (proposed) from Pottawattamie, dependent on local referendum that failed; Belknap was never created.
    Belknap
    · Garver, "Establishment of Counties," 433; Iowa Acts 1874, priv., ch. 23, secs. 1-4/pp. 19-21
  5. 1876
    Changed Legislature authorized creation of Grimes (proposed) from Pottawattamie, dependent on local referendum that failed. Grimes was never created; it had boundaries identical to Belknap (proposed), which failed to win approval in 1874.
    GrimesBelknap
    · Garver, "Establishment of Counties," 433-434; Iowa Acts 1876, ch. 160, secs. 1-4/pp. 156-159

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Pottawattamie

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

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

Pottawattamie by the Census

Population
93,667 2020 Census count
Housing units
39,852 2020 Census count
Land area
951 square miles
Water area
7.9 square miles
People per sq mi
98 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

Pottawattamie County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Pottawattamie County

When was Pottawattamie County founded?
Pottawattamie County was founded in 1847, formed from Mahaska County, Monroe County and Polk County, and named after Potawatomi.
What is the county seat of Pottawattamie County?
The county seat of Pottawattamie County is Council Bluffs.
Is there an online parcel map for Pottawattamie County?
Yes. Pottawattamie County publishes a parcel map of 53,843 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Pottawattamie County's boundary or name changed?
Pottawattamie County was created in 1847 from Mahaska County, Monroe County and Polk County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Adair County, Adams County and Audubon County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Pottawattamie County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door