{"id":3459,"date":"2023-05-15T09:09:23","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T09:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=3459"},"modified":"2026-08-11T21:32:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T21:32:46","slug":"palo-alto-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/palo-alto-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Palo Alto County, Iowa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Palo Alto County is a county in Iowa, United States, in the north-central part of the state,
\nabout 50 miles south-southeast of Fort Dodge. It had a population of 8,996 at the 2020 census, an
\nestimated 8,899 by 2025, and covers 569 square miles (1,470 km2) centred near 43\u00b005\u2032N 94\u00b041\u2032W.<\/p>\n

Emmetsburg is the county seat and the county’s largest city; its postal code is 50536. The
\ncounty holds 9 incorporated cities and 4 unincorporated communities across 16 townships, and it
\nruns on Central Time. Its FIPS code is 19147.<\/p>\n

Towns & Villages in Palo Alto County<\/h2>\n

Palo Alto County has 13 named places on record: 9 incorporated cities, all classified simply as
\ncities under Iowa law regardless of size, and 4 unincorporated communities with no local
\ngovernment of their own.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Place<\/th>\nType<\/th>\nTownship<\/th>\nPop.<\/th>\nZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Emmetsburg<\/td>\nCity · seat<\/td>\nEmmetsburg<\/td>\n3,706<\/td>\n50536<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Graettinger<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n832<\/td>\n51342<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
West Bend<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nWest Bend<\/td>\n791<\/td>\n50597<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ruthven<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n725<\/td>\n51358<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mallard<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n257<\/td>\n50562<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ayrshire<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n133<\/td>\n50515<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cylinder<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n87<\/td>\n50528<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Curlew<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n37<\/td>\n50527<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rodman<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n50597<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lost Island Lake<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nLost Island<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Depew<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fairville<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Osgood<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

West Bend straddles a county line. Its citywide population of 791 spans both Kossuth County to
\nthe east and Palo Alto County; roughly 772 of those residents live on the Palo Alto side, with the
\nrest counted in Kossuth. Rodman, a few miles north, shares West Bend’s 50597 ZIP rather than
\nhaving a post office of its own.<\/p>\n

Townships<\/h2>\n

Palo Alto County is divided into 16 civil townships: Booth, Ellington, Emmetsburg, Fairfield,
\nFern Valley, Freedom, Great Oak, Highland, Independence, Lost Island, Nevada, Rush Lake, Silver
\nLake, Vernon, Walnut and West Bend. The sources checked for this page do not break out population
\nby township separately from the incorporated places within them, so no per-township count is
\ngiven below; only the three townships whose names identify their principal settlement are listed
\nwith one.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Township<\/th>\nPop. (2020)<\/th>\nMain settlements<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Emmetsburg<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nEmmetsburg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
West Bend<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nWest Bend, Rodman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lost Island<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nLost Island Lake<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Booth<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ellington<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fairfield<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fern Valley<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Freedom<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Great Oak<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Highland<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Independence<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nevada<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rush Lake<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Silver Lake<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vernon<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Walnut<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n