Van Buren County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census the population was 7,203, making it the state's tenth-least populous county. The county seat is Keosauqua, which contains the oldest continuously operational courthouse in Iowa, and second-oldest in the United States.

History

left|thumb|this plaque on the Van Buren County courthouse indicates its age and historic status.

Van Buren County was formed on December 7, 1836, as a part of Wisconsin Territory, and was split off from Des Moines County. It was named for President Martin Van Buren. It became a part of Iowa Territory (later the state of Iowa) when that territory was organized on July 4, 1838.

The county's courthouse was built in September 1843 in the Greek Revival style, and stands as Iowa's oldest, and the nation's second-oldest, courthouse in operation.

"The Honey War" refers to a colorful episode in Van Buren County's history when the State of Missouri and Wisconsin Territory border came into dispute. Missouri attempted to collect taxes from residents north of the disputed Sullivan Line of 1816, which residents said was not rightfully theirs to tax. The sheriff of Van Buren County subsequently arrested and jailed the sheriff from Kahoka, Missouri, and Missourians were charged with "stealing honey from bee trees" in what is now Lacey-Keosauqua State Park. Each governor sent troops to resolve the problem, but no bloodshed resulted. The matter was turned over to the U.S. Congress for arbitration. The dispute, however, was not resolved until 1846, when Iowa became a state. Congress ruled "in favor of Iowa, allowing the original Sullivan line of 1816 to remain intact".

Van Buren County is also home to Iowa's oldest community theater group still in operation, the Van Buren Players, founded in 1963.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (1.2%) are covered by water.

Major highways

  • x20px Iowa Highway 1
  • x20px Iowa Highway 2
  • x20px Iowa Highway 16
  • x20px Iowa Highway 98

Adjacent counties

  • Jefferson County (north)
  • Henry County (northeast)
  • Lee County (east)
  • Clark County, Missouri (southeast)
  • Scotland County, Missouri (southwest)
  • Davis County (west)

Demographics

2020 census

thumb|right|Population of Van Buren County from the U.S. census data

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,203, a population density of , and 3,500 housing units.

The median age was 44.4 years, 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18, and 23.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 106.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.0 males age 18 and over.

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

Of the 3,500 housing units, 2,984 were occupied, leaving a vacancy rate of 14.7%. There were 2,984 households in the county, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.7% were married-couple households, 19.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Among occupied housing units, 80.3% were owner-occupied and 19.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.8%.

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Education

School districts include:

  • Cardinal Community School District
  • Davis County Community School District
  • Fairfield Community School District
  • Mount Pleasant Community School District
  • Van Buren County Community School District

Former school districts:

  • Harmony Community School District

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Van Buren County, Iowa

References

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  • Villages of Van Buren