Dubuque County, Iowa

County: Dubuque

State: Iowa

Lat/Long: 42.4833, -90.8667

Dubuque County is located in northeastern Iowa and borders the states of Wisconsin and Illinois. As first created in 1834, Dubuque County was land attached to Michigan Territory and encompassed much of the present state of Minnesota and parts of North and South Dakota. This configuration of Dubuque County became part of Wisconsin Territory in 1836 when that territory was split off from Michigan Territory, and was reduced to its current boundaries in 1837. It became part of Iowa Territory when that territory was created on July 3, 1838. The county seat is Dubuque.

Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1997), 524-26; “An Act to Lay Off and Organize Counties West of the Mississippi River,” 6 September 1834, Laws of the Territory of Michigan (Lansing, MI: W. S. George, 1874), 3:1326–27; “An Act Establishing the Territorial Government of Wisconsin,” 20 April 1836, Statutes at Large of the United States 5 (1860):10-16; “An Act to Establish the Boundary Lines of the Counties of Dubuque, Clayton, Jackson, Benton, Lynn, Jones, Clinton, Johnson, Scott, Delaware, Buchanan, Cedar, Fayette and Keokuk; and to Provide for the Location of the Seats of Justice in Said Counties, and for Other Purposes,” 21 December 1837, Laws of the Wisconsin Territory (1836), 132-38; “An Act to Divide the Territory of Wisconsin and to Establish the Territorial Government of Iowa,” 12 June 1838, Statutes at Large of the United States 5 (1860):235-41.