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Iowa County
Kossuth County, Iowa
Algona and Iowa's largest county by land area - from Algona's German POW camp history (a World War II prisoner of war camp near Algona housed German prisoners who built a famous nativity scene that still draws visitors annually) to Kossuth County's distinction as Iowa's largest county by land area (at 973 square miles, Kossuth County covers more territory than any other Iowa county, encompassing extensive prairie lakes, wetlands, and productive agricultural land in north-central Iowa).
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Office: Kossuth County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via kossuthcounty.iowa.gov.
Sheriff: Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office – 121 W. State Street, Algona, IA 50511 | (515) 295-3514 | Fax (515) 295-9304 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Roger Fisher, elected 2020, a lifelong county resident and 34-year veteran of local law enforcement, leading a staff of 25. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-3 PM (front lobby monitored via intercom after 4 PM and weekends).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-169 and IA-18 serve Algona, the county seat and only city with more than 1,000 residents.
Notes: Kossuth County was founded January 15, 1851, named for Lajos Kossuth, the exiled Regent-President of Hungary who fled to America after Hungary’s 1848 war of independence from the Habsburg Dynasty. At 974 square miles, Kossuth is the largest county in Iowa by land area, bordering Minnesota at its northern edge; it absorbed the former Bancroft County to its north in the 19th century.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Kossuth County Courthouse – 114 W. State Street, Algona, IA (built 1955, Modern style, architects Dougher, Rich & Woodburn; the third courthouse building in county history).
Notes: Algona was the site of Camp Algona, a World War II prisoner-of-war base camp that operated from 1943/44 to 1946, holding as many as 10,000 German (and initially some Italian) POWs at its peak, with 34 branch camps supervising prisoners across a four-state region. The camp’s most enduring legacy is a remarkable Nativity scene: German POW Eduard Kaib, a commercial artist before the war, designed and helped build more than 60 half-life-size figures out of cement over wooden frames while recovering in the camp hospital, later writing that he created it “during the darkest time of my life.” The Nativity, now housed and displayed each December at the Kossuth County Fairgrounds under the care of First United Methodist Church, has become internationally known and continues to draw thousands of visitors. The Camp Algona POW Museum in Algona preserves woodworking, poetry, and artwork created by the prisoners, alongside the story of Kossuth County’s own wartime contributions – some 2,600 county residents served in World War II.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Kossuth County Veterans Affairs – Courthouse, Algona, IA 50511.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Algona Public Library (Algona) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Camp Algona POW Museum, the POW-built Nativity scene at the Kossuth County Fairgrounds, and Ambrose A. Call State Park (138 acres of old-growth forest along the East Fork Des Moines River, honoring Kossuth County’s first European settler) are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, remarkable story of the Camp Algona Nativity scene – created by POWs and now internationally recognized – is among the most moving historical facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Kossuth County Assessor’s Office – Courthouse, Algona, IA 50511.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Kossuth County Tails of Hope Rescue – 2102 80th Avenue, Algona, IA 50511 | (515) 890-3026 | Email: [email protected]. Nonprofit providing sanctuary and adoption for unwanted, lost, and neglected animals; applications accepted online.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Kossuth County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via kossuthcounty.iowa.gov.
NOTES: Kossuth County is the fifty-sixth county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, remarkable story of the Camp Algona Nativity scene – created by POWs and now internationally recognized – is among the most moving historical facts covered anywhere 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 Kossuth County
Kossuth County is Iowa’s largest county by land area and north-central Iowa’s prairie lakes agricultural county – the county’s extensive wetlands and prairie potholes support both productive row crop agriculture and significant outdoor recreation while Algona serves as the regional center for this vast north Iowa territory.
Algona (the county seat, population ~5,500) is the commercial and governmental hub of Kossuth County, providing services across Iowa’s largest county geography and serving as a regional center for north-central Iowa.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Kossuth County Assessor at 114 W. State Street, Algona, IA 50511, phone 515-295-3108. IA assessed at 100% market value with residential rollback.
Courts & Legal
Kossuth County District Court at 114 W. State Street, Algona, IA 50511, phone 515-295-2718, 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)
114 W. State St., Algona, IA 50511
(515) 295-2717
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Kossuth County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The county’s status as Iowa’s largest by land area is a distinguishing local fact worth noting for research context.
Local societies
No dedicated Kossuth 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
Kossuth County District Court, 2nd Judicial District 114 West State Street, Algona, IA 50511 (515) 295-3240 Kossuth County is Iowa’s largest county by land area, named for Hungarian statesman Lajos Kossuth.
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 Kossuth 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
114 W. State St., Algona, IA 50511
(515) 295-2404
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
114 W. State St., Algona, IA 50511
(515) 295-3240
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
114 W. State St., Algona, IA 50511
(515) 295-3240
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Kossuth County Health Dept
(515) 295-7830
Iowa DHHS — Region 3
(800) 338-8366
Iowa Medicaid
(800) 338-8366
Kossuth Regional Health Center
krhcia.com (Algona — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Kossuth County Public Health – Courthouse, Algona, IA 50511.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Algona
Population: 15,000
Area: 973 sq mi (Iowa's largest county by area)
Established: 1851
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Kossuth County residents.
