Kossuth is a county in Iowa, United States, on the Minnesota border in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 14,828 at the 2020 census and covers 974 square miles (2,523 km2), centred near 43°12′N 94°12′W — the largest county by land area in Iowa.
Algona is the county seat, and its postal code is 50511. The county holds 14 incorporated cities and a handful of unincorporated communities, spread across 27 civil townships. Kossuth runs on Central time and carries FIPS code 109.
Towns & Villages in Kossuth County
Every incorporated place in Kossuth is legally a “city” under Iowa law, regardless of size — there is no separate “town” class. The table below lists all 14 cities plus the unincorporated crossroads still commonly named on maps of the county. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algona | City · seat | Union | 5,487 | 50511 |
| Bancroft | City | Portland | 699 | 50517 |
| Burt | City | Burt | 530 | 50522 |
| Fenton | City | Fenton | 264 | 50539 |
| Lakota | City | Riverdale | 206 | 50548 |
| Ledyard | City | Ledyard | 119 | 50556 |
| Lone Rock | City | Ramsey | 150 | 50559 |
| Lu Verne | City | Lu Verne | 259 | 50560 |
| St. Benedict | City | Portland | 75 | — |
| Swea City | City | Swea | 566 | 50590 |
| Titonka | City | Harrison | 511 | 50480 |
| Wesley | City | Wesley | 439 | 50483 |
| West Bend | City | — | 779 | 50597 |
| Whittemore | City | Whittemore | 497 | 50598 |
| German Valley | Unincorp. | German | — | — |
| Hobarton | Unincorp. | Prairie | — | — |
| Irvington | Unincorp. | Irvington | — | — |
| Saint Joseph | Unincorp. | Springfield | — | — |
| Seneca | Unincorp. | Seneca | — | — |
| Sexton | Unincorp. | Sherman | — | — |
| Stevens | Unincorp. | Springfield | — | — |
West Bend’s township assignment is not confirmed here and is left blank rather than guessed. The old scrape’s “Gerled,” “Galbraith,” “Hanna,” and “Steins Rockin R MH Park” entries are not verifiable as standing named communities and have been dropped rather than republished as guesses.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Union | — | Algona |
| Portland | — | Bancroft, St. Benedict |
| Burt | — | Burt |
| Whittemore | — | Whittemore |
| Swea | — | Swea City |
| Harrison | — | Titonka |
| Wesley | — | Wesley |
| Lu Verne | — | Lu Verne |
| Ramsey | — | Lone Rock |
| Riverdale | — | Lakota |
| Ledyard | — | Ledyard |
| Fenton | — | Fenton |
| German | — | German Valley |
| Irvington | — | Irvington |
| Springfield | — | Saint Joseph, Stevens |
| Seneca | — | Seneca |
| Sherman | — | Sexton |
| Prairie | — | Hobarton |
| Buffalo, Cresco, Eagle, Garfield, Grant, Greenwood, Hebron, Lincoln, Lotts Creek, Plum Creek | — | Rural, no incorporated town |
Kossuth County has 27 civil townships, more than any other Iowa county, a legacy of its outsized land area. Per-township 2020 counts are not separately published by the Census Bureau for Iowa’s minor civil divisions and are omitted here rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 50511 — Algona (also serves the surrounding townships of Union and Ledyard)
- 50517 — Bancroft (also serves St. Benedict)
- 50522 — Burt
- 50539 — Fenton
- 50548 — Lakota
- 50556 — Ledyard
- 50559 — Lone Rock
- 50560 — Lu Verne
- 50590 — Swea City
- 50480 — Titonka
- 50483 — Wesley
- 50597 — West Bend
- 50598 — Whittemore
Unincorporated communities such as German Valley, Hobarton, Irvington, Saint Joseph, Seneca, Sexton, and Stevens have no post office of their own and are served by the ZIP code of the nearest incorporated city.
Geography
Kossuth sits on the Des Moines Lobe of the Iowa plains, a landscape of prairie potholes and gently rolling farmland left by the last glacial advance. The East Fork and West Fork of the Des Moines River both cross the county before joining farther south, and dozens of small drainage ditches and shallow lakes dot the flat glacial terrain. Elevation across the county varies only slightly, typical of the recently glaciated Des Moines Lobe region.
Kossuth borders Martin and Faribault Counties in Minnesota to the north, Winnebago County to the northeast, Hancock County to the southeast, Humboldt County to the south, Palo Alto County to the southwest, and Emmet County to the northwest. Of these, Winnebago, Hancock, and Humboldt each have live county profiles at townsvillages.com/us/winnebago-county-iowa/, townsvillages.com/us/hancock-county-iowa/, and townsvillages.com/us/humboldt-county-iowa/; Palo Alto and Emmet Counties, Iowa, and Martin and Faribault Counties, Minnesota, are named here without a link pending their own pages.
Demographics
Kossuth County had 14,828 residents at the 2020 census, spread across a county roughly the size of Rhode Island at a density of about 15 people per square mile — one of the lowest densities in Iowa. Algona, the seat, is easily the largest place with 5,487 residents; West Bend is the second-largest incorporated city at 779. The county’s median household income runs below the Iowa median of $71,433, consistent with its heavily agricultural, low-density economy; the county’s own current median has not been independently verified here and is omitted rather than estimated.
Economy & Local Life
Corn and soybean row-crop farming, along with hog and cattle operations, anchor Kossuth’s economy across its flat, fertile Des Moines Lobe soils. Algona serves as the county’s retail, medical, and government hub, home to Kossuth Regional Health Center and the county courthouse. Grain elevators and farm-input dealers cluster in each of the smaller cities along the county’s rail lines and highways. Algona hosts an annual Kossuth County Fair, a long-running summer tradition drawing exhibitors from across the county.
History
Kossuth County was organized on January 15, 1851, and named for Lajos Kossuth, the Hungarian statesman who led the 1848–49 Hungarian revolution against Habsburg rule and was, at the time of the county’s naming, touring the United States in exile drumming up American sympathy for Hungarian independence. Algona was platted soon after as the county seat and grew as a rail and market town serving the surrounding farmland through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Camp Algona, a World War II prisoner-of-war camp that held German prisoners from 1944 to 1946, operated just outside the county seat and is remembered locally with a small museum.
Getting There
US Highway 169 runs north–south through Algona, and US Highway 18 crosses the county east–west; Iowa Highways 9, 15, and 17 provide additional connections to neighboring county seats.
- Mason City — about 40 miles east
- Fort Dodge — about 40 miles south
- Spencer — about 35 miles west
- Estherville — about 25 miles northwest
The nearest commercial air service is Fort Dodge Regional Airport, roughly 40 miles to the south; Des Moines International Airport, about 130 miles south, offers a wider range of connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Kossuth County, Iowa?
It sits in north-central Iowa on the Minnesota border, in the Des Moines Lobe plains region.
What is the population of Kossuth County?
14,828 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Kossuth County?
974 square miles (2,523 km2), the largest of Iowa’s 99 counties by land area.
What is the Kossuth County seat?
Algona is the county seat.
How many towns are in Kossuth County?
14 incorporated cities, plus several smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Kossuth County?
Thirteen ZIP codes serve the county, including 50511 (Algona), 50517 (Bancroft), and 50598 (Whittemore); the full list is above.
Why is the county named Kossuth?
It honors Lajos Kossuth, the Hungarian revolutionary leader who was touring the United States in exile when Iowa’s legislature organized the county in 1851.