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Iowa County
Washington County, Iowa
Kalona - the largest Amish community west of the Mississippi - from Kalona's Old Order Amish settlement (the Amish community centered on Kalona in Washington County is the largest Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River - the black buggies on rural roads, the quilt shops, the cheese factory, and the Kalona Historical Village attract visitors seeking the authentic Amish agricultural lifestyle that has remained largely unchanged for 150 years) to Washington County's productive Iowa River valley agriculture and the Mennonite communities that complement the Amish heritage.
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Office: Washington County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via washingtoncounty.iowa.gov.
Sheriff: Washington County Sheriff’s Office – Washington, IA. 22 sworn officers, including Chief Deputy Shawn Ellingson; covers all 567 square miles of the county, serving approximately 22,000 residents; provides contract law enforcement to seven incorporated cities.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-218 and IA-92 serve Washington, the county seat, part of the Iowa City metropolitan area.
Notes: Washington County was originally formed in 1838 as “Slaughter County,” honoring William B. Slaughter, secretary of Wisconsin Territory. The name was changed to honor George Washington on January 25, 1839.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Washington County Courthouse – N. B Avenue, Washington, IA (built 1885-1887, Romanesque, architects Foster & Liebbe; part of the Washington Downtown Historic District, National Register of Historic Places since 1981).
Notes: The county seat of Washington is home to the State Theatre, continuously operating since 1897 and celebrated locally as the World’s Oldest Continually Operating Movie Theater. Separately, the city of Kalona, Washington County’s second-largest town, sits at the heart of one of Iowa’s oldest and best-known Amish and Mennonite settlements, established when the first Amish families arrived in 1846 – among the earliest European settlers in the region. Popularly (though disputedly) called “the largest Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River,” the community spans both Washington and neighboring Johnson counties, with roughly two-thirds in Johnson County; the Kalona Historical Village and Iowa Mennonite Museum preserve this heritage across 14 historic buildings. Kalona is also nicknamed the “Quilt Capitol of Iowa.”
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Washington County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via washingtoncounty.iowa.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Washington Public Library (Washington) and Kalona Public Library (Kalona) – confirm current addresses/phones via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The historic State Theatre (operating since 1897), the Kalona Historical Village and Iowa Mennonite Museum, and downtown Washington’s historic square with its barn quilt trail are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, deeply rooted Amish and Mennonite heritage centered on Kalona, alongside the country’s oldest continually operating movie theater, are among the standout local cultural facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Washington County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via washingtoncounty.iowa.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
PAWS & More Animal Shelter (also known as Washington County Humane Society) – 1004 W. Madison Street, Washington, IA 52353 | (319) 653-6713. Nonprofit since 1978, serves as animal control for all of Washington County and most incorporated communities; adoption-guarantee shelter. Director Amber Talbot.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Washington County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via washingtoncounty.iowa.gov.
NOTES: Washington County is the ninety-seventh county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, deeply rooted Amish and Mennonite heritage centered on Kalona, alongside the country’s oldest continually operating movie theater, are among the standout local cultural facts 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 Washington County
Washington County is southeast Iowa’s Amish country – the Kalona Amish settlement is the largest west of the Mississippi, and the community’s quilts, cheese, buggies, and agricultural traditions draw visitors from across the Midwest.
Kalona (population ~2,700) is the Amish community’s commercial center – the cheese factory, quilt shops, and Kalona Historical Village provide cultural heritage tourism. Washington (the county seat, population ~7,500) serves the county’s governmental needs.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Washington County Assessor at 222 W. Main Street, Washington, IA 52353, phone 319-653-7738. IA assessed at 100% market value with residential rollback.
Courts & Legal
Washington County District Court at 222 W. Main Street, Washington, IA 52353, phone 319-653-7741, 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)
224 W. Main St., Washington, IA 52353
(319) 653-7718
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Washington County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Washington 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
Washington County District Court, 8th Judicial District 224 West Main Street, Washington, IA 52353 (319) 653-7741
Washington County was established January 18, 1838, named for George Washington. The 1885-1887 Washington County Courthouse (Romanesque, National Register of Historic Places) anchors the Washington Downtown Historic District.
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 Washington 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
224 W. Main St., Washington, IA 52353
(319) 653-4636
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
224 W. Main St., Washington, IA 52353
(319) 653-7741
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
224 W. Main St., Washington, IA 52353
(319) 653-7741
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Washington County Health Dept
(319) 653-2105
Iowa DHHS — Region 7
(800) 338-8366
Iowa Medicaid
(800) 338-8366
Washington County Hospital
washingtonhospital.org (Washington — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Washington County Public Health – confirm current contact via washingtoncounty.iowa.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Washington
Population: 22,000
Area: 568 sq mi
Established: 1839
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Washington County residents.
