Scott County is a county in Iowa, United States, on the Mississippi River across from the Illinois Quad Cities. It had a population of 174,669 at the 2020 census and covers 468 square miles (1,212 km2), of which 458 square miles (1,186 km2) is land, centred near 41°38′N 90°37′W.
Davenport is the county seat; its postal code is 52801. The county contains a dozen incorporated cities, several unincorporated communities and census-designated places, and 13 civil townships. Scott County lies in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Scott County
Twenty-two named places appear across Scott County’s cities, census-designated places (CDPs), and unincorporated communities. All incorporated places in Iowa are legally classed as cities, regardless of size — there is no separate “town” designation. CDPs are unincorporated but recognized by the Census Bureau; “Unincorp.” marks communities with neither status.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport | City · seat | — | 101,724 | 52801 |
| Bettendorf | City | — | 39,102 | 52722 |
| Eldridge | City | Lincoln | 6,726 | 52748 |
| LeClaire | City | LeClaire | — | 52753 |
| Walcott | City | Winfield | — | 52773 |
| Blue Grass | City | Blue Grass | — | 52726 |
| Riverdale | City | Pleasant Valley | — | 52722 |
| Princeton | City | Princeton | — | 52768 |
| Long Grove | City | Allens Grove | — | 52756 |
| Buffalo | City | Buffalo | — | 52728 |
| Dixon | City | Sheridan | — | 52745 |
| Donahue | City | Sheridan | — | 52746 |
| McCausland | City | Butler | — | 52758 |
| New Liberty | Unincorp. | Liberty | — | 52765 |
| Panorama Park | CDP | — | — | — |
| Park View | CDP | — | — | — |
| Plain View | CDP | — | — | — |
| Pleasant Valley | CDP | Pleasant Valley | — | — |
| Big Rock | Unincorp. | Cleona | — | — |
| Maysville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Gambrill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wildwood Camp | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Riverdale, home to a large riverside industrial plant, shares Bettendorf’s 52722 ZIP code rather than having its own. Panorama Park and Park View are small Census Bureau-recognized places on Davenport’s northern edge and are often folded into Davenport addresses.
Townships
Scott County is divided into 13 named civil townships, most taking their name from the incorporated city or historic settlement at their center:
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley | — | Pleasant Valley, Riverdale |
| Lincoln | — | Eldridge |
| LeClaire | — | LeClaire |
| Winfield | — | Walcott |
| Blue Grass | — | Blue Grass |
| Princeton | — | Princeton |
| Buffalo | — | Buffalo |
| Allens Grove | — | Long Grove |
| Sheridan | — | Dixon, Donahue |
| Butler | — | McCausland |
| Liberty | — | New Liberty |
| Cleona | — | Big Rock |
| Hickory Grove | — | rural, no incorporated town |
ZIP Codes
- 52801 — Davenport (Davenport also carries 52802–52807)
- 52722 — Bettendorf (also serves Riverdale)
- 52748 — Eldridge
- 52753 — LeClaire
- 52773 — Walcott
- 52726 — Blue Grass
- 52768 — Princeton
- 52756 — Long Grove
- 52728 — Buffalo
- 52745 — Dixon
- 52746 — Donahue
- 52758 — McCausland
- 52765 — New Liberty
Unincorporated places such as Big Rock, Maysville, Gambrill, Panorama Park, Park View, Plain View, and Wildwood Camp use the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than a code of their own.
Geography
Scott County sits on the west bank of the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa, opposite the Illinois Quad Cities of Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline. The river forms the county’s southern and eastern edge; bluffs and river-terrace bottomland run along the Davenport–Bettendorf–LeClaire corridor, giving way to rolling glacial-till farmland across the rest of the county. The Wapsipinicon River clips the northwestern corner near Long Grove and Donahue. The county borders Clinton County to the north, Cedar County to the northwest, Muscatine County to the southwest, and Rock Island County, Illinois across the Mississippi to the east and south.
Demographics
Scott County had 174,669 residents at the 2020 census, making it Iowa’s third most populous county. Davenport, with 101,724 people, and Bettendorf, with 39,102, together hold more than four in five county residents. Density works out to roughly 381 people per square mile of land, well above the Iowa median household income of $71,433 as a benchmark — Scott County’s urbanized Quad Cities core generally reports household incomes close to or slightly above that state figure, while its rural townships run somewhat lower.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing anchors the county’s economy: Deere & Company operates its Davenport Works farm-equipment plant in the city, and Arconic (formerly Alcoa) runs its Davenport Works aluminum-rolling mill in Riverdale. Health care and higher education are large employers too — Genesis Health System, St. Ambrose University, and Palmer College of Chiropractic, the founding campus of chiropractic education, are all headquartered in Davenport. Each summer the Quad-City Times Bix 7 road race draws runners from across the country to Davenport’s riverfront and bluffs.
History
Scott County was organized on December 21, 1837, and named for General Winfield Scott, who presided over the treaty ending the Black Hawk War and opened the area to settlement. Buffalo, platted in 1833, was the county’s first town; Davenport followed in 1836, founded by Antoine LeClaire at the site of a ferry crossing opposite Rock Island, Illinois. The county’s population passed 51,500 by 1900 and topped 100,000 by 1950 as Mississippi River shipping and farm-equipment manufacturing drew steady growth.
Getting There
Interstate 80 crosses the northern part of the county, and Interstate 74 links Bettendorf to Moline, Illinois, over the Mississippi River. U.S. Route 61 and U.S. Route 6 both run through Davenport.
- Muscatine, Iowa — 25 miles southwest
- Clinton, Iowa — 30 miles north
- Iowa City, Iowa — 55 miles west
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa — 60 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) in Moline, Illinois, about 10 miles from downtown Davenport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Scott County, Iowa?
It is in eastern Iowa, on the Mississippi River directly across from the Illinois Quad Cities of Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline.
What is the population of Scott County?
174,669 at the 2020 census, making it Iowa’s third most populous county.
How big is Scott County?
468 square miles (1,212 km2), of which 458 square miles (1,186 km2) is land.
What is the Scott County seat?
Davenport is the county seat.
How many towns are in Scott County?
Twelve incorporated cities plus a handful of unincorporated communities and census-designated places, spread across 13 civil townships.
What ZIP codes are in Scott County?
Davenport uses 52801–52807, Bettendorf 52722, and the outlying cities each carry their own code — see the ZIP Codes section above.
What river forms Scott County’s border with Illinois?
The Mississippi River, which runs along the county’s southern and eastern edge opposite the Quad Cities.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Iowa.