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Iowa County
Guthrie County, Iowa
Middle Raccoon River and Springbrook State Park - from Springbrook State Park (one of Iowa's most popular state parks, featuring a lake, camping, and recreational facilities along the Middle Raccoon River in the rolling hills of Guthrie County) to the county's growing appeal as a Des Moines exurb (Guthrie County's scenic rolling terrain and proximity to the Des Moines metro have attracted rural acreage buyers and hobby farmers seeking space within commuting distance of Iowa's capital city).
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Office: Guthrie County Emergency Management – 2002 State Street #3, Guthrie Center, IA 50115 | (641) 332-3030. Governed by the joint Adair & Guthrie County Emergency Management Commission.
Sheriff: Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office (Law Enforcement Center) – 200 N. 5th Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115 | (641) 747-2214. Hours: Window service Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:15 PM; foyer accessible 24/7 via intercom; jail visitation Thursdays 2-3:30 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-6, US-25, and IA-4 serve Guthrie Center, the county seat, along the historic White Pole Road and Western Skies Scenic Byways in central Iowa; the county is part of the Des Moines metropolitan area.
Notes: Guthrie County was established in 1851, named for Captain Edwin M. Guthrie, who died of wounds in the Mexican-American War in 1847. Panora, the county’s oldest community, served as the original county seat before an intense 14-year contest (1859-1873) with Guthrie Center, which ultimately prevailed and began building its first brick courthouse in 1877.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Guthrie County Courthouse – 200 N. 5th Street, Guthrie Center, IA – home to the historic “Standing Soldier” Civil War Memorial listing over 700 names, alongside the newer Guthrie County Veterans’ Memorial Wall.
Notes: Guthrie County holds genuine claims to two distinctive attractions. Lake Panorama, established in 1968 near Panora, is Iowa’s largest private lake, spanning roughly 1,400 surface acres with more than 30 miles of shoreline and about 1,100 lakeside residences; despite being private, it offers public golf, swimming, and beach access. Separately, the town of Stuart was the site of real Bonnie and Clyde history: the former First National Bank building was robbed by the Barrow Gang on July 24, 1933, and a year earlier the gang hid out at nearby Dexfield Park, where Buck Barrow and others were captured in a lengthy shootout while Bonnie and Clyde themselves escaped from just 200 yards away. The Guthrie County Historical Village & Museum in Panora, a 4-acre, twelve-building complex open May-October, also holds an unusual Civil War-era painting – reportedly the only known painting depicting a Union soldier wearing a Confederate uniform, portraying local resident James A. Hensal escaping Confederate capture.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Guthrie County Veterans Affairs – Courthouse, Guthrie Center, IA 50115 | (641) 332-3297.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Guthrie Center Public Library (Guthrie Center) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lake Panorama, the Guthrie County Historical Village & Museum in Panora, Whiterock Conservancy (5,500 acres along the Middle Raccoon River), and Slayton’s Rock (one of Iowa’s largest fully exposed glacial deposits) are the county’s premier recreational and heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, well-documented Bonnie and Clyde history at Stuart and Dexfield Park, alongside Lake Panorama’s status as Iowa’s largest private lake, are among the more colorful local histories covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Guthrie County Assessor’s Office – Courthouse, Guthrie Center, IA 50115 | (641) 747-3319.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
⚠️ No confirmed dedicated Guthrie County, Iowa animal shelter was found in current sourcing. Residents should contact the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office, (641) 747-2214, or Guthrie County Public Health (which handles animal bite reports), (641) 747-3972, for current animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Guthrie County Transfer Station – 2349 Jaguar Trail, Guthrie Center, IA 50115 | (641) 747-3764.
NOTES: Guthrie County is the fortieth county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, well-documented Bonnie and Clyde history at Stuart and Dexfield Park, alongside Lake Panorama’s status as Iowa’s largest private lake, are among the more colorful local histories covered in this project. ⚠️ Animal services could not be confirmed and are flagged for follow-up rather than smoothed over. 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 Guthrie County
Guthrie County is west-central Iowa’s Raccoon River valley and recreation county – Springbrook State Park anchors the county’s outdoor recreation economy while the rolling hills and scenic rural character attract acreage buyers from the Des Moines metro, supplementing the county’s traditional corn, soybean, and cattle agricultural base.
Guthrie Center (the county seat, population ~1,600) serves as Guthrie County’s governmental hub, with Panora and Stuart providing additional commercial services to county residents.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Guthrie County Assessor at 200 N. 5th Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115, phone 641-747-3319. IA assessed at 100% market value with residential rollback.
Courts & Legal
Guthrie County District Court at 200 N. 5th Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115, phone 641-747-2041, 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)
200 N. 5th St., Guthrie Center, IA 50115
(641) 747-2906
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Guthrie County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Springbrook State Park and Lake Panorama are significant local natural and recreational landmarks.
Local societies
No dedicated Guthrie 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
Guthrie County District Court, 5th Judicial District 200 North 5th Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115 (641) 747-3415 Guthrie County is in west-central Iowa, home to Springbrook State Park and Lake Panorama.
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 Guthrie 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
200 N. 5th St., Guthrie Center, IA 50115
(641) 747-2214
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
200 N. 5th St., Guthrie Center, IA 50115
(641) 747-3619
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
200 N. 5th St., Guthrie Center, IA 50115
(641) 747-3619
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Guthrie County Health Dept
(641) 747-3013
Iowa DHHS — Region 5
(800) 338-8366
Iowa Medicaid
(800) 338-8366
Guthrie County Hospital
guthriecountyhospital.org (Guthrie Center — quality critical access hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Guthrie County Public Health – 2002 State Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115 | (641) 747-3972.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Guthrie Center
Population: 11,000
Area: 591 sq mi
Established: 1851
Tier: 3
Public Records
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