Every ZIP code in the United States, with weather, radar, trivia and the numbers behind it. Five digits since 1963!

ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan. The codes went live on July 1, 1963.The lowest ZIP code is 00501 — the IRS in Holtsville, New York.The highest ZIP code is 99950, in Ketchikan, Alaska.Type 07734 into a calculator and turn it upside down: hELLO. It is Keansburg, New Jersey.12345 belongs to one company: General Electric in Schenectady, New York.The first digit is a region: 0 is New England and New Jersey, 9 is the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii.Mr. ZIP, the cartoon mailman, was the mascot that sold the idea to America.ZIP+4 arrived in 1983 and can narrow a ZIP down to one side of one block.A ZIP code is a mail route, not a place: plenty of them cross county and even state lines.Play ZIP Hunt: guess the secret ZIP code of the day in six tries.
zipcodes.pro — STATE/IA/COUNTY/PALO-ALTO

Palo Alto County, IA ZIP codes

There are 8 ZIP codes in Palo Alto County, IA, in 8 towns, from 50515 to 51358. The largest are 50536 (Emmetsburg), 50597 (West Bend) and 51358 (Ruthven).

The county seat is Emmetsburg.

ZIP codes
8
Towns
8
County seat
Emmetsburg
County FIPS
19147
State
Iowa
Population
8,863
Median household income
$72,781
Land area
564 sq mi

Palo Alto County ZIP codes by town

Emmetsburg (county seat)
50536

Each ZIP code is listed under the county most of its land lies in and the town the Postal Service names it for; a ZIP code's own page shows exactly how it is split.

Map of Palo Alto County ZIP codes

5051550527505285053650562505975134251358

The ZIP codes of Palo Alto County, shaded. Outlines are Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (2020), which approximate the mail routes; PO-box and single-address codes have no area and are not drawn. Click any area to open its ZIP code.

Palo Alto County in numbers

About 8,863 people live in Palo Alto County, in 3,782 households, the 82nd most populous of Iowa's 99 counties. The median household income is $72,781 a year, 3% below the Iowa median of $75,059 (US: $80,734). The median owner-occupied home is valued at $123,200 (41% below the Iowa median), and median gross rent is $638 a month. The median age is 41.9; 19.0% of adults 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher (31.4% across Iowa); the average commute takes 17 minutes.

Population8,863Palo Alto8,863
Households3,782Palo Alto3,782
Median age41.9Palo Alto41.9Iowa38.6US 38.9
Median household income$72,781Palo Alto$72,781Iowa$75,059US $80,734
Median home value$123,200Palo Alto$123,200Iowa$208,000US $332,700
Median gross rent$638Palo Alto$638Iowa$972US $1,413
Bachelor's degree or higher19.0%Palo Alto19.0%Iowa31.4%US 35.7%
Mean commute17.2 minPalo Alto17.2 minIowa19.8 minUS 26.4 min
Population density16 / sq miPalo Alto16 / sq mi

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Survey estimates carry margins of error, wider for small places. Sources and methods.

Largest towns in Palo Alto County

Largest towns in Palo Alto County
TownZIP codesPopulation
Emmetsburg 1 3,648
Graettinger 1 1,096
West Bend 1 855
Ruthven 1 732
Mallard 1 263
Ayrshire 1 146
Curlew 1 54
Cylinder 1 46

Population of the census place of that name where there is one, otherwise of the ZIP codes the Postal Service addresses by it. A town's ZIP codes can reach past the county line.

Neighbouring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Palo Alto County.

Not sure you are in Palo Alto County? What county am I in? answers from your location, near a county line included.

Every ZIP code in Palo Alto County, with figures

ZIP codes in Palo Alto County
ZIP City Type Population Median income Median home
50515 Ayrshire , IA Standard 251 $63,333 $29,300
50527 Curlew , IA Standard 106 — —
50528 Cylinder , IA Standard 366 $116,429 $187,500
50536 Emmetsburg , IA Standard 4,207 $59,261 $122,000
50562 Mallard , IA Standard 377 $72,500 $100,000
50597 West Bend , IA Standard 1,341 $92,000 $179,700
51342 Graettinger , IA Standard 1,385 $84,866 $108,900
51358 Ruthven , IA Standard 1,213 $64,583 $150,500

Cite this page

zipcodes.pro. “Palo Alto County ZIP codes.” Data release 2026-10-12. Retrieved 2026-10-20. https://zipcodes.pro/state/ia/county/palo-alto

Underlying data is public domain or openly licensed — sources, vintages and licences.