Welcome to Henry County

One of the oldest counties in Iowa, Henry County has drawn pioneers’ attention since before its boundaries were defined in 1836 by the legislature of what was then the Wisconsin Territory.

The communities of Lowell, New London, Mt. Pleasant, and Salem were established by then; Rome and Trenton would follow within the year.

Henry County draws its name from General Henry Dodge, the governor of the Wisconsin Territory and veteran of the 1832 Black Hawk War.

In 1839, Henry County became host to the first courthouse in Iowa, located on what is now Central Park in Mt. Pleasant. This courthouse stood in the center of the square until 1872. The current courthouse became home to Henry County’s public offices and courts in 1914.

Three years later, Iowa Wesleyan University opened its doors; the school was the oldest coeducational higher learning institution in the state until closing its doors in May 2023.

Another first for Mt. Pleasant, it was the host for the first Iowa’s women’s rights convention in 1870.

As of the 2023 census, Henry County is home to 19,547 people.