Researching ancestors from Black Hawk County, Iowa? Here's where the records are — the free path first, then how to get the whole family history traced and written.
Black Hawk County's seat is Waterloo. Look up your surname among the deceased residents of Iowa in our public-record database.
Search Iowa records →Where Black Hawk County records are kept
Original Black Hawk County vital, probate, and land records are held at the county courthouse in Waterloo — the county recorder or clerk's office. Statewide death registration in Iowa began around July 1880, so for earlier Black Hawk County deaths you'll rely on the county courthouse, church registers, and cemetery transcriptions. The State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines & Iowa City holds the broader historical and microfilmed county records.
The free records for Black Hawk County
- Census — every federal census through 1950 is free and places your family in Black Hawk County by household every ten years.
- Death records — search our Iowa database and the state death index for the death year and place.
- Obituaries — the Library of Congress's Chronicling America has free Iowa newspapers, including Waterloo-area papers.
- Cemeteries — Black Hawk County cemetery and tombstone transcriptions, many public domain, fill gaps where a certificate doesn't exist.
We trace both sides back to the documented wall and deliver a written book + interactive family site — flat rate, no DNA test.
See how it works →Frequently asked questions
How do I find genealogy records in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
Start with the free federal census (public through 1950) and our free Iowa database, then check the county courthouse in Waterloo for vital, probate, and land records, plus obituaries and cemetery transcriptions.
Where is the Black Hawk County, Iowa courthouse?
The Black Hawk County seat is Waterloo, where the county recorder or clerk holds original vital, probate, and land records.
Documented families of Black Hawk County, Iowa
Families reconstructed from public-domain county histories and obituaries. See all 20 documented families of Black Hawk County, Iowa.
- The Ballou Family · F. B. Ballou
- The Beckel Family · William Beckel
- The Brandes Family · Lewis Brandes
- The Clay Family · Florence Clay
- The Degon Family · James D. Degon
- The Foss Family · E. B. Foss
- The Harrison Family · Armilda E. Harrison
- The Hemenway Family · Yashin Hemenway
- The Hitchcock Family · Nelson Hitchcock
- The Knipp Family · William Knipp
- The Koepke Family · F. J. Koepke
- The Messinger Family · Walter G. Messinger