{"id":3493,"date":"2023-05-15T10:32:54","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T10:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=3493"},"modified":"2026-08-20T19:23:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T19:23:48","slug":"shelby-county-iowa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/shelby-county-iowa\/","title":{"rendered":"Shelby County, Iowa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shelby County is a county in Iowa, United States, in the southwestern part of the state along the Nishnabotna River watershed. It had a population of 11,746 at the 2020 census and covers 598 square miles (1,550 km2) centred near 41°40′N 95°19′W.<\/p>\n

Harlan is the county seat, and its postal code is 51537. The county has 11 incorporated cities, 2 census-designated places and 3 unincorporated communities, grouped into 16 civil townships. Shelby County observes Central time and carries Iowa county FIPS code 083.<\/p>\n

Towns & Villages in Shelby County<\/h2>\n

Shelby County’s population is spread across 11 incorporated cities plus a handful of unincorporated crossroads communities. Elk Horn and Kimballton (in neighboring Audubon County) anchor Iowa’s best-known Danish-heritage settlement corridor, and several of the county’s smaller towns began as railroad depot stops in the 1880s. CDP = census-designated place (unincorporated but tracked by the Census Bureau); Unincorp. = an unincorporated community with no formal municipal government.<\/p>\n

\n\n\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
Harlan<\/td>\nCity · seat<\/td>\nFairview<\/td>\n4,893<\/td>\n51537<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elk Horn<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nClay<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51531<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shelby<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nShelby<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51570<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Defiance<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nDouglas<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51527<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Portsmouth<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nCenter<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51565<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Panama<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nJackson<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51562<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Earling<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nUnion<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51530<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Westphalia<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nWestphalia<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51578<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Irwin<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nPolk<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51446<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kirkman<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nMonroe<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51447<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tennant<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nGreeley<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Corley<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\nJefferson<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51537<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jacksonville<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\nJackson<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51537<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Botna<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nLincoln<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51537<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manteno<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nGrove<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Red Line<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nCass<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Tennant has no dedicated ZIP code of its own; mail there is typically routed through a neighboring town’s post office. Corley, Jacksonville and Botna are unincorporated places that share Harlan’s 51537 ZIP for delivery purposes.<\/p>\n

Townships<\/h2>\n

Shelby County is divided into 16 civil townships, several of which share a name with the incorporated town at their center.<\/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
Fairview<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nHarlan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shelby<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nShelby<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clay<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nElk Horn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Douglas<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nDefiance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Center<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nPortsmouth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jackson<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nPanama, Jacksonville<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Union<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nEarling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Westphalia<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nWestphalia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Polk<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nIrwin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Monroe<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nKirkman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Greeley<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nTennant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jefferson<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nCorley<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lincoln<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nBotna<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grove<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nManteno<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cass<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRed Line<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Washington<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n