Muscatine County, Iowa Genealogy Records

Selected record inventories for Muscatine County, their listed years, and where to ask for access.

Selected inventory review: 2026-11-02. Selected catalog metadata extracted from the linked sources. This is not an examination of original records, a complete county holdings audit, or certification of current access. Historical sources are identified in the access note. State Historical Society of Iowa holdings

Formed
1836
County seat
Muscatine
Benton CountyCedar CountyClinton CountyHenry CountyIowa CountyJefferson CountyJohnson CountyJones CountyLinn CountyLouisa CountyScott CountyWashington CountyDes Moines CountyMuscatine CountyCedarHenryJeffersonJohnsonLouisaScottWashingtonMuscatine
Muscatine CountyParent county (search here for earlier records)Today's boundaries · U.S. Census Bureau

Listed record inventories

Selected holdings and indexes for Muscatine County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.

Cemeteries and burial

See the repository's descriptions and search options

Repository access note: Selected county microfilm held by the State Historical Society of Iowa. The office after each title identifies the creating office, not necessarily the present custodian. Ask the Research Center to confirm location, availability, restrictions and any copy or loan fees. Date spans may contain gaps; this list does not promise online images or complete county holdings.

Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.

Where to find the records

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Des Moines County

Check the parent county for earlier records: Des Moines County

Later formed partly from Muscatine County: Johnson County, Scott County, Washington County

DubuqueDes MoinesMuscatineMuscatineDes Moines
Muscatine as created in 1836Where its land was the day beforeToday's boundaryBoundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1836, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.

Research tip

Iowa took a state census every ten years from 1885 to 1925 (and earlier ones too), halfway between the federal censuses. The 1925 census asks for each person's parents' names and birthplaces.