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Iowa County
Allamakee County, Iowa
Mississippi River bluffs and Iowa's Driftless Area - from the dramatic limestone bluffs along the Mississippi River to Allamakee County's position in the heart of Iowa's Driftless Area (unlike most of Iowa, Allamakee County was never glaciated, resulting in a rugged landscape of steep coulees, cold-water trout streams, and scenic river valleys that make it one of Iowa's most distinctive natural landscapes and a destination for outdoor recreation).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Office: Allamakee County Emergency Management – 877 Highway 9, Waukon, IA 52172 | (563) 568-4233; Director Corey Snitker. Maintains the Allamakee Technical Rescue (ATR) Team.
Sheriff: Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office – 877 Highway 9, Waukon, IA 52172 | (563) 568-4521 | Fax (563) 568-4720; Sheriff Clark A. Mellick. E-911 Emergency Communications staffed 24/7/365.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-52 and IA-9 serve Waukon, the county seat, in the northeasternmost corner of Iowa along the Mississippi River.
Notes: Allamakee County was formed February 20, 1847; the origin of its name is debated (either a Native American chief or early trader Allen Magee). A bitter, decade-long county-seat fight between Waukon and Lansing included ten elections before the Civil War; the Iowa Supreme Court finally settled the matter in Waukon’s favor in 1867.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Allamakee County Court House – 110 Allamakee Street, Waukon, IA (built 1940, designed by Charles Altfillisch, National Register of Historic Places since 2003, part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of Iowa). The prior 1861 courthouse now houses the Allamakee County Historical Museum, also NRHP-listed.
Notes: Allamakee County is home to Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa’s only National Monument and a genuinely significant archaeological and cultural site. Established by executive order signed by President Harry S. Truman on October 25, 1949 (following a 1,000-acre donation from the State of Iowa), the monument preserves 206 known prehistoric mounds built primarily during the first millennium CE by Woodland-period Mound Builder cultures, 31 of which are true “effigy” mounds shaped like animals – bears, birds, and other forms – a building tradition found almost nowhere else in the world outside this general region of northeastern Iowa, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota and Illinois. The largest, Great Bear Mound, measures roughly 42 meters. Today the National Park Service manages 2,526 acres with 11 miles of hiking trails and no roads within the park; the site holds deep cultural significance for 20 federally recognized tribes with historical ties to the mound-building traditions. The monument was featured on a 2017 America the Beautiful Quarter.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Allamakee County Veterans Affairs – 110 Allamakee Street, Waukon, IA 52172 | (563) 568-6135 | Fax (563) 568-2451.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Waukon Public Library (Waukon) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Effigy Mounds National Monument, the Allamakee County Historical Museum, the Mississippi River bluffs, and the state’s longest trout stream are the county’s premier natural and heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, nationally significant status of Effigy Mounds as Iowa’s only National Monument and one of the world’s rare concentrations of animal-shaped burial mounds is among the most archaeologically important sites covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Allamakee County Assessor’s Office – (563) 568-3145 | GIS available via county website.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Allamakee Dog Pound – Waukon, IA (licensed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship); contact via the Sheriff’s Office, (563) 568-4521, or the county for current hours and intake procedures.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Allamakee County Environmental Health – (563) 568-4104 | Fax (563) 217-3820. Allamakee County Waste Management – confirm current contact via allamakeecounty.iowa.gov.
NOTES: Allamakee County is the third county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, nationally significant status of Effigy Mounds as Iowa’s only National Monument and one of the world’s rare concentrations of animal-shaped burial mounds is among the most archaeologically important sites covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Allamakee County
Allamakee County is Iowa’s northeast corner and the state’s premier Driftless Area county – the rugged, non-glaciated terrain of steep river bluffs, cold trout streams, and the Mississippi River corridor creates a landscape unlike anywhere else in Iowa, supporting tourism, outdoor recreation, and a mix of farming and small-town economies.
Waukon (the county seat, population ~3,600) serves as the governmental and commercial center of Allamakee County, providing services to the county’s rural communities scattered across the scenic northeast Iowa landscape.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Allamakee County Assessor at 110 Allamakee Street, Waukon, IA 52172, phone 563-568-3419. IA assessed at 100% market value with residential rollback.
Courts & Legal
Allamakee County District Court at 110 Allamakee Street, Waukon, IA 52172, phone 563-568-3522, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
110 Allamakee St., Waukon, IA 52172
(563) 568-3522
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Allamakee County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Yellow River State Forest and Mississippi River bluffs are significant local natural and historical landmarks.
Local societies
No dedicated Allamakee County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Allamakee County District Court, 1st Judicial District 110 Allamakee Street, Waukon, IA 52172 (563) 568-6351
Allamakee County is in Iowa’s northeastern corner, along the Mississippi River, home to scenic bluffs and the Yellow River State Forest.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Iowa has its own comprehensive probate code (Iowa Code Chapter 633) and has not formally adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Iowa offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Distribution by Affidavit (“very small estates”) – for estates where the gross value of personal property is $50,000 or less and there is no real estate, available 40 days after death under Iowa Code § 633.356. A sworn affidavit is presented directly to banks and other institutions. No court filing is required.
Small Estate Administration – a simplified probate process under Iowa Code Chapter 635 for estates with a gross value of $200,000 or less, with reduced notice requirements and court costs compared to full administration.
Regular (Full) Probate – standard administration through the district court for larger or more complex estates, which can be independent (unsupervised) or supervised.
Supervised Administration – closer court oversight, typically used for contested estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Administration (if intestate) with the Allamakee County District Court.
The court admits the will (if any) and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; under independent administration, creditors generally have 4 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and – under independent administration – largely acts without ongoing court check-ins.
After the creditor period closes and debts are paid, the personal representative distributes assets to heirs or beneficiaries.
File a final accounting/final report; the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Personal representative fees are capped by statute at 3% of the gross value of the probate estate (excluding life insurance) unless services are itemized; attorney fees follow a similar framework.
Recording fees at the county recorder run about $7 for the first page of a document and $5 for each additional page.
Typical timelines: Distribution by Affidavit – a minimum 40-day wait; independent (unsupervised) probate typically closes in 6-12 months, with the 4-month creditor period as the primary timing constraint.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
110 Allamakee St., Waukon, IA 52172
(563) 568-3522
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
110 Allamakee St., Waukon, IA 52172
(563) 568-3522
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
110 Allamakee St., Waukon, IA 52172
(563) 568-3522
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Allamakee County HHS – 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA 52172 | (563) 382-2928 or (800) 611-7781 (served by the Winneshiek County HHS office; appointment only).
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Waukon
Population: 13,500
Area: 639 sq mi
Established: 1847
Tier: 3
Public Records
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