Location & Landscape
Hardin County is a non-metropolitan county located in north central Iowa. The land is dominated by a flat Des Moines Lobe landscape with the beautifully lush wooded areas along the scenic Iowa River. The county encompasses approximately 360,000 acres or 570 square miles.
The courthouse is located in Eldora, the county seat.
Name
The county is named after Colonel John J. Hardin, an Illinois colonel in the Black Hawk War, who was killed in the Mexican War.
Population
In 2010, Hardin County's population was 17,537, of which 4,563 people lived outside the corporate limits.