Tama County is a county in Iowa, United States, in the east-central part of the state along the Iowa River. It had a population of 17,135 at the 2020 census and covers 721 square miles (1,870 km2) of land centred near 42°04′43″N 92°31′53″W.
Toledo is the county seat, and its postal code is 52342. The county has 13 incorporated cities and towns, plus several unincorporated communities and the Meskwaki Settlement, spread across 21 civil townships. Tama County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Tama County
Tama County has 13 incorporated places and a handful of unincorporated communities. The table below marks each place’s type: City · seat is the county seat, City and Town are incorporated municipalities under Iowa law, and Unincorp. is an unincorporated community with no city government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | City · seat | Toledo | 2,369 | 52342 |
| Tama | City | Tama | 3,130 | 52339 |
| Traer | City | York | 1,583 | 50675 |
| Dysart | City | Highland | 1,281 | 52224 |
| Gladbrook | City | Geneseo | 799 | 50635 |
| Garwin | City | Spring Creek | 481 | 50632 |
| Chelsea | City | Crystal | 229 | 52215 |
| Clutier | City | Carlton | 213 | 52217 |
| Montour | City | Otter Creek | 203 | 50173 |
| Elberon | City | Salt Creek | 184 | 52225 |
| Lincoln | City | Lincoln | 121 | 50652 |
| Vining | City | Perry | 54 | 52348 |
| Buckingham | Unincorp. | Buckingham | — | 50612 |
| Dinsdale | Unincorp. | Richland | — | — |
| Haven | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Long Point | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Meskwaki Settlement | Unincorp. | Indian Village | — | — |
The Meskwaki Settlement, home to the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, straddles the townships around Tama and Toledo and is not a municipality — it has no ZIP code of its own, and mail is addressed through Tama.
Townships
Tama County is divided into 21 civil townships. Reliable 2020 township-level population figures are not published in a verifiable source, so this table lists each township with its principal town or community where one clearly sits inside its borders.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Buckingham | — | Buckingham |
| Carlton | — | Clutier |
| Carroll | — | — |
| Clark | — | — |
| Columbia | — | — |
| Crystal | — | Chelsea |
| Geneseo | — | Gladbrook |
| Grant | — | — |
| Highland | — | Dysart |
| Howard | — | — |
| Indian Village | — | Meskwaki Settlement |
| Lincoln | — | Lincoln |
| Oneida | — | — |
| Otter Creek | — | Montour |
| Perry | — | Vining |
| Richland | — | Dinsdale |
| Salt Creek | — | Elberon |
| Spring Creek | — | Garwin |
| Tama | — | Tama |
| Toledo | — | Toledo |
| York | — | Traer |
ZIP Codes
- 52339 — Tama
- 52342 — Toledo
- 50675 — Traer
- 52224 — Dysart
- 50635 — Gladbrook
- 50632 — Garwin
- 52215 — Chelsea
- 50173 — Montour
- 52217 — Clutier
- 52225 — Elberon
- 50612 — Buckingham (also serves nearby rural addresses)
- 50652 — Lincoln (post office box only)
- 52348 — Vining (post office box only)
Dinsdale, Haven, Long Point and the Meskwaki Settlement have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is addressed through the nearest post office town above.
Geography
Tama County lies in the Iowan Surface landform region, a gently rolling till plain shaped by pre-Illinoian glaciation. The Iowa River crosses the county from northwest to southeast, passing through Tama, Toledo and the Meskwaki Settlement; Salt Creek and Otter Creek are its main tributaries within the county. The county covers 721 square miles of land and about 1.1 square miles of water.
Tama County borders Grundy County to the northwest, Black Hawk County to the northeast, Benton County to the east, Iowa County to the southeast, Poweshiek County to the south, Jasper County to the southwest, and Marshall County to the west.
Demographics
Tama County had 17,135 residents at the 2020 census, a population density of about 24 people per square mile. Tama city (3,130) and Toledo (2,369) are the two largest communities and sit next to each other on the Iowa River. Median household income in the county runs below the Iowa median of $71,433, typical for a rural, agriculture-based county in this part of the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — corn, soybeans and livestock — anchors Tama County’s economy, alongside light manufacturing in Tama, Toledo and Traer. The Meskwaki Settlement operates the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel near Tama, one of the county’s largest employers and a regional draw. The Tama-Toledo school district and county government offices in Toledo are other major local employers.
History
Tama County was organized on February 17, 1843, and named for Taimah, a 19th-century leader of the Meskwaki (Fox) people. The county’s most distinctive institution is the Meskwaki Settlement, land purchased directly by the tribe from Iowa beginning in 1857 after their return from forced removal to Kansas — one of the few places in the country where a Native American nation owns its land outright rather than holding it as a federal reservation.
Getting There
U.S. Route 30 crosses Tama County east–west through Tama and Toledo, and U.S. Route 63 runs north–south through Traer. Iowa Highways 8, 21, 96 and 146 provide secondary connections between the smaller towns.
- Cedar Rapids — 40 miles east
- Waterloo — 30 miles north
- Des Moines — 65 miles southwest
- Marshalltown — 20 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) in Cedar Rapids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tama County?
Tama County is in east-central Iowa, along the Iowa River, between Cedar Rapids and Marshalltown.
What is the population of Tama County?
Tama County had 17,135 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Tama County?
The county covers 721 square miles (1,870 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Tama County?
Toledo is the county seat.
How many towns are in Tama County?
Tama County has 13 incorporated cities and towns plus several unincorporated communities, including the Meskwaki Settlement.
What ZIP codes are in Tama County?
Tama County’s ZIP codes include 52339 (Tama), 52342 (Toledo), 50675 (Traer), 52224 (Dysart) and 50635 (Gladbrook), among others.
What is the Meskwaki Settlement?
The Meskwaki Settlement is land owned directly by the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa near Tama, purchased by the tribe starting in 1857 rather than assigned as a federal reservation.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Iowa.