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About Shelby County

Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,746. The county seat and the largest city is Harlan. Its name is in honor of Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky.

Description adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Shelby County, Iowa
West side of the Shelby County Courthouse, Harlan, IA — CC0, TheCatalyst31 · source

History of Shelby County

Shelby County was established on January 15, 1851. It was named after General Isaac Shelby, a hero in the American Revolutionary War and the first Governor of Kentucky. Early settlement in Shelby County began in 1848 in Galand's Grove. On February 4, 1855, Shelbyville was designated as the county seat. In April 1859, the county seat was moved to Harlan. One year later, the first courthouse was erected, and a second courthouse was constructed in 1875. In 1892, construction of the present courthouse began, this time using stone and building it three stories high. Construction was completed in 1893, with the dedication on September 14. The 1892 Shelby County Courthouse and the surrounding buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 23, 1994. In 1978, the building was extensively restored and continues to serve as the courthouse.

Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Shelby County at a glance

County seat
Harlan
Population
11,746 (2020)
Land area
592 sq mi
Founded
1851

Largest communities in Shelby County

  1. Harlan county seat 4,893
  2. Shelby Township 1,016
  3. Clay Township 860
  4. Union Township 643
  5. Elk Horn 601

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  2. Ask Shelby County directly

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Official channels

Shelby County election resources

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Neighboring counties

Part of Iowa Voter Check

This is the Shelby County page of Iowa Voter Check, a project of True the Vote, pointing Iowa voters at the official tools that already exist — and at Scan Check Protect to verify your registration.

Where anything here differs from what Shelby County or the Iowa Secretary of State publishes, they are right and this page is not.