Polk County, Iowa Genealogy

Guide to Polk County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for President James K. Polk. The County has Des Moines as its seat and the County was created 1846. The County is located in the center area of the state.

Parent County
1846--Polk County was created 13 January 1846 from unorganized territory. County seat:  Des Moines

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Iowa County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Iowa County Boundary Maps" (1816-1872) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties
Boone • Dallas •  Jasper •  Madison •  Marion •  Story •  Warren

Biographies

 * Portrait and biographical album of Polk County, Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent an at Ancestry.com ($)

Cemeteries

 * I have photos of all headstones in the Oralabor Cemetery in Ankeny, Polk County, Iowa as of 2008. If you need one looked up, [mailto:salonvaunt@gmail.com email me]. Please provide a surname, christian name and DOD if you have it.


 * Glendale Cemetery, Des Moines BillionGraves

Census
State Census
 * 1895 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1915 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1925 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Church
Ward and Branch Records


 * Des Moines

Directories
Fold3.com ($) has Des Moines City Directories 1881-1913 (2 yrs. missing) and miscellaneous years going back to 1866 available online.


 * R.L. Polk &amp; Co.'s Des Moines City and Valley Junction directory for the year commencing December 1st, 1915 Des Moines, Iowa: R.L. Polk &amp; Co., 1915. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
 * R.L. Polk &amp; Co.'s Des Moines City and Valley Junction directory for the year commencing December 1, 1912 Des Moines, Iowa: R.L. Polk &amp; Co., c1912. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Local Histories

 * Annals of Polk County, Iowa : and city of Des Moines at Ancestry.com $


 * Centennial history of Polk County, Iowa. By J. M. Dixon. Des Moines : State Register, 1876. Online at:, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; Centennial history of Polk County, Iowa at Ancestry.com $


 * Historical Polk County ... By Writers' Program (Iowa). [S.l. : s.n., 1940?]. Online at: ;.


 * The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc.. Des Moines, Ia. : Union Historical Co., 1880. Online at:, Internet Archive, Google Books;.


 * Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West : together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa. By Johnson Brigham. Chicago, Illinois : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1911. Online at:, HathiTrust, Google Books;.


 * Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa, and reminiscences of early days. By Lorenzo F. Andrews. Des Moines [Iowa] : Baker-Trisler Co., 1908. Online at: Vol. 1, Internet Archive, Vol. 2 , Internet Archive;.


 * Resources and industries of Des Moines and Polk County, Iowa : showing the trade and commerce, railroads, business, manufacturing, mining interests, etc., of Iowa's capital and metropolis, the great railroad center of the Northwest, also containing short sketches of the towns of Polk County. By Joseph P.Bushnell. Des Moines, Iowa : J.P. Bushnell, 1885. Online at:.


 * Roster of the Ohiowa Association : living in Polk county and Ohioans and their descendants who are eligible to membership. By John L. Crawford. [s.l.] : The Association, 1908. Online at: ;.

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Iowa
 * View historic Polk County, Iowa maps in the David Rumsey Map Collection.
 * Township Map of 1875 Polk County, Iowa with enlarged views of each township (My Genealogy Hound)

Military

 * 1835-1998 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1949 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1862-1910 - at FamilySearch — index

Civil War

 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company D
 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 4th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
 * - 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
 * - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
 * - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
 * - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
 * - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
 * - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
 * - 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Iowa. District Court (Polk County). Naturalization Records, 1907–1927. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977..
 * Iowa. District Court. (Polk County). Index to Naturalization, 1852–1884. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977..

Newspapers

 * Altoona Public Library Archives, Polk County (1876-2000)
 * Johnston Historical Society Archive, Polk County (1970-2007)
 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Des Moines newspapers that covered local news on Polk County residents. This database is free at some libraries.


 * Roland Historical Society Archives, Story County (1895-1975)
 * Warren County Newspapers (1855-Present)
 * Des Moines Daily Leader. 1901-02. Des Moines, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1758 - 1997 Iowa Wills and Probate Records 1758-1997 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Taxation

 * 1934-1958 - at FamilySearch — index

Births

 * 1850-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1921-1942 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriages

 * 1518-1996 - Iowa, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1838-1934 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Deaths

 * 1850-1990 - at FamilySearch
 * 1880-1992 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1904-1951 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies and Libraries
Iowa Genealogical Society 628 E Grand Ave Des Moines IA 50309-1924 Telephone:515-276-0287 E-mail: [mailto:igs@iowagenealogy.org igs@iowagenealogy.org] Website

State Historical Society Research Center 600 E Locust St. Des Moines, IA 50319 Telephone:515-281-6200 Website

Family History Centers



 * Des Moines Iowa Family History Center 3301 Ashworth Rd., West Des Moines, IA 50265 United States Location Map