Palo Alto County, Iowa

Founding: 1858 (declared in 1851)
Parent county: Unorganized territory
Namesake: The Battle of Palo Alto, fought during the Mexican–American War
Seat: Paoli (1858–1875); Emmetsburg (1875–)
Land area: 564 square miles
Population (2020): 8,996
Population (historic): 132 (1860); 4,131 (1880); 14,354 (1900); 15,398 (1930)
Periods of population growth: 1860–1900; 1910s; 1930s
Subdivisions: Nine cities; 16 townships
National Register listings: Four
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 1,483 (32.3%)
Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 44%

Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 2.7%

Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 7.1%

Average farmhouse value (1930): $1,949
Average outbuilding value (1930): $2,602
Average farmhouse size (1940): 6.4 rooms
Number of farms (1920): 1,815
Average farm size (1920): 159.6 acres
Sources of settlement: Illinois, Germany, Wisconsin, Ireland, Norway, and Denmark
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Emmetsburg

 
Namesake: Robert Emmet, Irish nationalist
Founding: 1874 (platting); 1877 (post office); 1877 (incorporation)
Population (2020): 3,706
Population (historic): 879 (1880); 2,361 (1900); 2,865 (1930)
Periods of population growth: 1874–1900; 1910–1980; 1990s
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 497 (25.8%)
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