Lyon County, Iowa
Lyon County, Iowa | |
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The Lyon County Courthouse in Rock Rapids | |
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Seal | |
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa | |
| Coordinates: 43°23′00″N 96°13′00″W / 43.383333333333°N 96.216666666667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| Founded | January 15, 1851 |
| Named after | Nathaniel Lyon |
| Seat | Rock Rapids |
| Largest city | Rock Rapids |
| Area | |
• Total | 588 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
| • Land | 588 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.26 km2) 0.02% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,934 |
• Estimate (2024) | 12,378 |
| • Density | 20.3/sq mi (7.84/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | lyoncounty |
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Lyon County is the most northwestern county of the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,934. The county seat is Rock Rapids.
Lyon County is named in honor of Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, who served in the Mexican–American War and the Civil War. He was killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri, on August 10, 1861, after which the county was named for him. The county's name was originally Buncombe County, but was changed by the state legislature on September 11, 1862.