County outline
Where Muscatine County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 97.4% of Muscatine County’s measured area and water for 2.6%. Its combined area converts to 1,163.2 square kilometers or approximately 287,439 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 437.44 | 1,132.964 | 279,961.6 |
| Water | 11.684 | 30.261 | 7,477.8 |
| Total | 449.124 | 1,163.226 | 287,439.4 |
How Muscatine County compares
By original Census land area, Muscatine County ranks #79 of 99 in Iowa and #2314 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.768 times the Iowa county-equivalent median of 569.6 square miles. It accounts for 0.8% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Iowa ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Muscatine County
The Census Bureau estimates that 41,853 people lived in Muscatine County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,177 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #14 of 99 in Iowa. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 43,246, the population has declined by 1,393 (−3.2%), compared with +1.5% for Iowa as a whole.
With 437.4 square miles of land, that is 96 people per square mile (37 per km²), placing Muscatine County #1,025 nationally for density and #12 in Iowa. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Iowa median is 26. Put another way, there are about 6.7 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 43,151 | 42,703 | 42,501 | 42,293 | 42,161 | 41,853 |
| Change | — | −448 | −202 | −208 | −132 | −308 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Muscatine County
11 incorporated places lie at least partly in Muscatine County. Together they are home to 32,016 people (76.5%); the other 9,837 (23.5%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Muscatine city, with 23,164 residents in the county.
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatine cityCounty seat | 23,164 | −2.8% | 18.2 |
| West Liberty city | 3,717 | −3.7% | 1.775 |
| Wilton cityAlso in 1 other county | 2,888 | −1.1% | 2.055 |
| Fruitland city | 917 | −4.5% | 1.797 |
| Conesville city | 352 | −1.1% | 0.359 |
| Nichols city | 314 | −4.6% | 0.228 |
| Atalissa city | 284 | −4.4% | 0.139 |
| Stockton city | 171 | −3.4% | 0.109 |
| Durant cityAlso in 2 other counties | 109 | −6.8% | 1.234 |
| Blue Grass cityAlso in 1 other county | 100 | +1% | 3.16 |
| Walcott cityAlso in 1 other county | 0 | — | 3.111 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Muscatine County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Muscatine County is a central county of the Muscatine, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Muscatine County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 437.4 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #459 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #305 by population. It belongs to the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
14 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Muscatine County; 8 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
5272052726527395274752749527545275952760527615276652769527735277652778
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Muscatine County
Muscatine County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents, including 1 in Illinois. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Johnson County (613 mi²) and the smallest is Louisa County (401.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Muscatine County forms a block of 2,917.3 mi² of land, of which it holds 15%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Muscatine | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 613 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Cedar County | 579.5 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Scott County | 458.1 | about the same | Compare |
| Rock Island CountyIllinois | 427.5 | about the same | Compare |
| Louisa County | 401.8 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
How big is Muscatine County compared with U.S. states?
Muscatine County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.4 times as much. Iowa’s county land could hold about 128 areas the size of Muscatine County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 20.9 miles (33.7 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Muscatine County?
Muscatine County has more land than 908 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Muscatine County at #2,349 nationally by total area, 35 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 2.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1.4 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Muscatine County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2313 | Fulton County, Pennsylvania | 437.6 | Compare |
| #2314 | Muscatine County, Iowa | 437.4 | This county |
| #2315 | Mills County, Iowa | 437.4 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 41.483778, -91.118704. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,132,964,470 m²; AWATER: 30,262,337 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Muscatine County?
Muscatine County, Iowa has 437.4 square miles (1,133 km²) of land and 11.7 square miles of water, for a total area of 449.1 square miles. It ranks #2314 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Muscatine County the largest county in Iowa?
No. Muscatine County ranks #79 of 99 in Iowa by land area. The largest is Kossuth County, with 972.7 square miles of land.
What counties border Muscatine County?
Muscatine County shares a land border with Cedar County, Louisa County, Rock Island County, Illinois, Scott County, and Johnson County.
What is the population of Muscatine County?
The Census Bureau estimates Muscatine County had 41,853 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,177 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 96 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Muscatine County?
The county seat of Muscatine County is Muscatine.
What cities and towns are in Muscatine County?
Muscatine County has 11 incorporated places. The most populous five are Muscatine city, West Liberty city, Wilton city, Fruitland city, and Conesville city; 9,837 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Muscatine County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Muscatine, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Muscatine County?
14 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Muscatine County, and 8 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Muscatine County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.4 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Muscatine County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 279,962 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 287,439 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.