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County · code 19187

Webster CountyIowa

Webster County is a county in Iowa, with its seat at Fort Dodge. It was created on January 22, 1853, from Risley and Yell counties, and named after Daniel Webster.

  • Founded1853
  • County seatFort Dodge
  • Named forDaniel Webster
  • Land area716 sq mi + 2.8 sq mi water
  • Population36,999 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped33,453 checked 14 October 2026
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Updated

HumboldtCalhounHamiltonPocahontas Fort Dodge Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Webster 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 CountyPottawattamie CountyPoweshiek CountyRinggold CountySac CountyScott CountyShelby CountySioux CountyStory CountyTama CountyTaylor CountyUnion CountyVan Buren CountyWapello CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWinnebago CountyWinneshiek CountyWoodbury CountyWorth CountyWright CountyWebster County Webster
Counties of Iowa · Webster highlighted

History

Formed in 1853 from Risley County, Yell County and Boone County

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

Webster County was created from Risley and Yell counties on January 22, 1853, and initially was not fully organized, so it was attached to Boone County for administrative and judicial purposes. The county was fully organized on May 14, 1853, and was detached from Boone County. Beginning in 1855, Webster County gained territory and served as the administrative center for several neighboring counties—Emmet, Hancock, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, and Winnebago—until each was fully organized and detached between 1855 and 1859.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1853
    Webster County created Webster created from Risley and Yell; Risley and Yell eliminated. Webster not fully organized, attached to Boone for administrative and judicial purposes.
    from Risleyfrom Yellfrom Boone
    · Iowa Acts 1852-1853, ch. 52, sec. 1/pp. 87-88
  2. 1855
    Gained territory Webster gained southern half of Humboldt; Humboldt eliminated. Emmet, Hancock, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Winnebago, and Wright detached from Boone, attached to Webster "for election, judicial, and revenue purposes."
    from Humboldtfrom Emmetfrom Hancockfrom Kossuthfrom Palo Altofrom Pocahontasfrom Winnebagofrom Wrightfrom Boone
    · Iowa Acts 1854-1855, ch. 141-142, secs. 1-2/pp. 210-211
  3. 1857
    Lost territory Webster lost to creation of Hamilton; Emmet, Hancock, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, and Winnebago remained attached to Webster.
    to Hamiltonto Emmetto Hancockto Palo Altoto Pocahontasto Winnebago
    · Iowa Acts 1856-1857, ch. 15, secs. 1, 9/pp. 11-13
  4. 1858
    Lost territory Webster lost to Humboldt.
    to Humboldt
    · Iowa Acts 1858, ch. 42, secs. 1-2/pp. 49-50
  5. 1860
    Gained territory Webster gained from Humboldt when the state supreme court ruled the boundary change of 11 March 1858 unconstitutional.
    from Humboldt
    · Garver, "Establishment of Counties," 428-430; Iowa Reports, 12:1-14
Show all 14 changes (9 more)
  1. 1853
    Webster County created Webster created from Risley and Yell; Risley and Yell eliminated. Webster not fully organized, attached to Boone for administrative and judicial purposes.
    from Risleyfrom Yellfrom Boone
    · Iowa Acts 1852-1853, ch. 52, sec. 1/pp. 87-88
  2. 1853
    Changed Webster fully organized, detached from Boone.
    Boone
    · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 576
  3. 1855
    Gained territory Webster gained southern half of Humboldt; Humboldt eliminated. Emmet, Hancock, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Winnebago, and Wright detached from Boone, attached to Webster "for election, judicial, and revenue purposes."
    from Humboldtfrom Emmetfrom Hancockfrom Kossuthfrom Palo Altofrom Pocahontasfrom Winnebagofrom Wrightfrom Boone
    · Iowa Acts 1854-1855, ch. 141-142, secs. 1-2/pp. 210-211
  4. 1855
    Changed Wright fully organized, detached from Webster.
    Wright
    · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 551, 576
  5. 1856
    Changed Kossuth fully organized, detached from Webster.
    Kossuth
    · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 575
  6. 1857
    Lost territory Webster lost to creation of Hamilton; Emmet, Hancock, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, and Winnebago remained attached to Webster.
    to Hamiltonto Emmetto Hancockto Palo Altoto Pocahontasto Winnebago
    · Iowa Acts 1856-1857, ch. 15, secs. 1, 9/pp. 11-13
  7. 1857
    Lost territory Webster lost to re-creation of Humboldt.
    to Humboldt
    · Iowa Acts 1856-1857, ch. 147, secs. 1, 10/pp. 199-200
  8. 1857
    Changed Winnebago fully organized, detached from Webster.
    Winnebago
    · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 559-560, 576
  9. 1858
    Lost territory Webster lost to Humboldt.
    to Humboldt
    · Iowa Acts 1858, ch. 42, secs. 1-2/pp. 49-50
  10. 1858
    Changed Hancock fully organized, detached from Webster.
    Hancock
    · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 575
  11. 1858
    Changed Palo Alto fully organized, detached from Webster.
    Palo Alto
    · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 576
  12. 1859
    Changed Emmet fully organized, detached from Webster.
    Emmet
    · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 575
  13. 1859
    Changed Pocahontas fully organized, detached from Webster.
    Pocahontas
    · Swisher, "Organization of Counties," 576
  14. 1860
    Gained territory Webster gained from Humboldt when the state supreme court ruled the boundary change of 11 March 1858 unconstitutional.
    from Humboldt
    · Garver, "Establishment of Counties," 428-430; Iowa Reports, 12:1-14

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Webster

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

Webster by the Census

Population
36,999 2020 Census count
Housing units
16,937 2020 Census count
Land area
716 square miles
Water area
2.8 square miles
People per sq mi
52 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

Webster 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 Webster County

When was Webster County founded?
Webster County was founded in 1853, formed from Risley County, Yell County and Boone County, and named after Daniel Webster.
What is the county seat of Webster County?
The county seat of Webster County is Fort Dodge.
Is there an online parcel map for Webster County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 33,453 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Webster County's boundary or name changed?
Webster County was created in 1853 from Risley County, Yell County and Boone County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 13 later changes, chiefly involving Humboldt County, Emmet County and Hancock County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Webster 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