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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: Sac County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via saccountyiowa.gov.
Sheriff: Sac County Sheriff’s Office – 100 NW State Street, Suite 7, Sac City, IA 50583-0037 | (712) 662-7127 | Fax (712) 662-7129. Patrols 578 square miles including Schaller, Nemaha, Early, Lytton, Auburn, and Odebolt. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM (dispatch and jail 24/7).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-71 and IA-175 serve Sac City, the county seat, in northwest Iowa.
Notes: Sac County was created January 15, 1851, named for the Sauk (Sac) people. Sac County has been recognized nationally for quality of life – Progressive Farmer magazine ranked it #7 among the “Best Places to Live in Rural America” in 2007, and 10th in the Midwest region in 2009.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Sac County Courthouse – Main Street, Sac City, IA (built 1889, Romanesque, architect J.M. Russell; National Register of Historic Places since 1981; the third courthouse building in county history).
Notes: Sac County is home to the World’s Largest Popcorn Ball, a genuine local claim to fame and roadside attraction. The county also boasts Iowa’s southernmost glacier lake among its scenic recreational features.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Sac County Veterans Affairs – Courthouse, 100 NW State Street, Sac City, IA 50583.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Sac City Public Library (Sac City) and Lake View Public Library (Lake View, 202 Main Street) – the latter hosts a monthly after-school and public program; confirm current contact via saccountyiowa.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The World’s Largest Popcorn Ball, Iowa’s southernmost glacier lake, and Sac County Conservation’s Hagge Park (2970 280th Street, Sac City) are the county’s premier recreational and roadside attractions.
Notes: The genuine, quirky World’s Largest Popcorn Ball distinction is among the standout local claims to fame covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Sac County Assessor’s Office – 100 NW State Street, Sac City, IA 50583 | (712) 662-4492.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
⚠️ No confirmed dedicated Sac County, Iowa animal shelter was found in current sourcing. Residents should contact the Sac County Sheriff’s Office, (712) 662-7127, for current animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Sac County Planning and Zoning – Courthouse, 100 NW State Street, Sac City, IA 50583.
NOTES: Sac County is the eighty-fifth county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, quirky World’s Largest Popcorn Ball distinction is among the standout local claims to fame 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 Sac County County
Sac County is west-central Iowa’s Black Hawk Lake and Raccoon River agricultural county – the natural glacial lake and the rolling corn and soybean farmland define a community where Sac City serves the county’s agricultural and lake recreation communities in the west Iowa interior.
Sac City (the county seat, population ~2,100) is Sac County’s governmental hub on US 20, a west Iowa agricultural community whose Black Hawk Lake access, Raccoon River watershed, and farming economy anchor its identity.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Sac County Assessor at 100 NW State Street, Suite 4, Sac City, IA 50583, phone 712-662-7417. IA assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Sac County District Court at 100 NW State Street, Sac City, IA 50583, phone 712-662-7791, 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)
100 NW State St., Sac City, IA 50583
(712) 662-4791
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Sac County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Sac 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
Sac County District Court, 3rd Judicial District 100 NW State Street, Sac City, IA 50583 (712) 662-7791 Sac County is in west-central Iowa, named for the Sac (Sauk) Native American people.
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 Sac 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
100 NW State St., Sac City, IA 50583
(712) 662-4491
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
100 NW State St., Sac City, IA 50583
(712) 662-7791
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
100 NW State St., Sac City, IA 50583
(712) 662-7791
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Sac County Public Health – Courthouse, 100 NW State Street, Sac City, IA 50583.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Sac City
Population: 9,500
Area: 576 sq mi
Established: 1856
Public Records
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