Henry County is a county in Iowa, United States, in the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 20,482 at the 2020 census and covers 435 square miles (1,127 km2) centred near 40°59′N 91°33′W.
Mount Pleasant is the county seat, and its postal code is 52641. The county has 6 incorporated cities and towns plus a number of unincorporated communities. Henry County is in the Central time zone; its FIPS code is 19087.
Towns & Villages in Henry County
Henry County has 6 incorporated places and a handful of unincorporated communities. In the table below, Type marks incorporated cities and towns versus Unincorp. for places with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant | City · seat | — | 52641 |
| New London | City | — | 52645 |
| Winfield | City | — | 52659 |
| Salem | City | — | 52649 |
| Wayland | City | — | 52654 |
| Olds | City | — | — |
| Coppock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillsboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lowell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Union | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakland Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rome | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Swedesburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trenton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old list’s duplicate “Lowell”, “Swedesburg” and “Trenton” rows and its “MH Court”/mobile-home-park entries (Countryside MH Court, Green Valley MH Court, Mardan MH Court, Woodside Mobile Estates) were dropped as scrape duplicates and non-place listings — see notes.md.
ZIP Codes
- 52641 — Mount Pleasant
- 52645 — New London
- 52659 — Winfield
- 52649 — Salem
- 52654 — Wayland
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Coppock, Hillsboro, Mount Union, Oakland Mills, Rome, Swedesburg, Trenton and Westwood generally use the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Henry County sits on gently rolling farmland in southeastern Iowa, drained by the Skunk River and its tributaries in the north of the county and by Big Creek and Lick Creek elsewhere. Most of the county is in agricultural use, with row crops on the uplands and pasture along the stream bottoms. The terrain is characteristic of the glaciated plains of southeastern Iowa — broad, gently rolling divides between shallow stream valleys, with little of the steeper relief found closer to the Mississippi River bluffs further east.
Henry County borders Washington County to the north, Louisa County to the northeast, Des Moines County to the east, Lee County to the southeast, Van Buren County to the southwest, and Jefferson County to the west.
Demographics
Henry County had 20,482 residents at the 2020 census. Mount Pleasant is by far the largest community, followed by New London. Henry County’s median household income runs below the Iowa median of $71,433, consistent with its largely rural, farm-and-manufacturing economic base. With a land area of roughly 433 square miles, the county’s overall population density is about 46 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, food processing and light manufacturing anchor Henry County’s economy, with Mount Pleasant serving as the county’s retail and employment hub. Corn and soybeans dominate the cropland, alongside livestock operations typical of southeastern Iowa. Mount Pleasant is home to the Henry County Health Center and hosts the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion each Labor Day weekend, a long-running antique-farm-equipment and steam-engine show that draws visitors from across the Midwest. The county fairgrounds in Mount Pleasant also host the Henry County Fair each summer, a smaller but long-standing community event.
History
Henry County was organized in 1836, one of Iowa’s original counties under the Wisconsin and later Iowa territorial governments, and is said to be named for General James D. Henry, an Illinois militia commander in the 1832 Black Hawk War. Mount Pleasant was platted the same decade and grew as a Quaker settlement and stop on Underground Railroad routes through southeastern Iowa in the years before the Civil War. Iowa Wesleyan University, one of the state’s older colleges, operated in Mount Pleasant from the 19th century until its 2023 closure — a defining institution in the town’s history for over 150 years.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 34 crosses the county east-west through Mount Pleasant, with U.S. Highway 218 running north-south along the county’s western side.
- Burlington — 18 miles east
- Fairfield — 20 miles west
- Washington — 20 miles north
- Fort Madison — 25 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Southeast Iowa Regional Airport in Burlington.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Henry County, Iowa?
It is in the southeastern part of Iowa, bordering Louisa, Des Moines, Lee, Van Buren, Jefferson and Washington counties.
What is the population of Henry County?
20,482 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Henry County?
About 435 square miles (1,127 km2) in total area.
What is the Henry County seat?
Mount Pleasant is the county seat.
How many towns are in Henry County?
Six incorporated cities and towns, plus several smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Henry County?
Mount Pleasant uses 52641; other towns include 52645 (New London), 52659 (Winfield), 52649 (Salem) and 52654 (Wayland).
What is Henry County known for?
The Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, held in Mount Pleasant every Labor Day weekend, is the county’s best-known annual event.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Iowa.