Story County, Iowa

Story County
Story County Administration Building
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°02′16″N 93°27′59″W / 42.037777777778°N 93.466388888889°W / 42.037777777778; -93.466388888889
Country United States
State Iowa
Founded1846
Named afterJoseph Story
SeatNevada
Largest cityAmes
Area
  Total
574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
  Land573 sq mi (1,480 km2)
  Water0.8 sq mi (2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
  Total
98,537
  Estimate 
(2023)
98,566
  Density170/sq mi (66/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitewww.storycountyiowa.gov

Story County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,537, making it the ninth-most populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Nevada; the largest city is Ames. The geographical center of Iowa lies in Story County, 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Ames. Story County comprises the Ames, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA Combined Statistical Area. The county is home to Iowa State University in Ames.