Antenna structures in Palo Alto County, Iowa
At a glance
Palo Alto County, Iowa has 23 FCC-registered antenna structures, 19 of them marked constructed. That is the 80th-largest count among the 99 Iowa counties with registrations, and 0.56% of the state's 4,131. The tallest constructed structure in the county is registration 1046920 near Ruthven at 105 m (343 ft).
Dataset updated . Refreshed from the FCC ASR weekly bulk database.
How does Palo Alto County compare with the rest of Iowa?
With 23 registrations, Palo Alto County ranks 80th of 99 counties in Iowa; Polk County leads the state with 229. The average registered overall height here is 67 m, about 15% below the Iowa average of 79 m. The tallest standing structure, at 105 m, is about 56% above the county average.
What kinds of structures are registered in Palo Alto County?
The most common filed structure type in Palo Alto County is tower (code TOWER), with 12 registrations (52.2%). It is followed by guyed tower (4) and lattice tower (4). In all, 4 different FCC structure-type codes appear in the county.
By registration status: 19 constructed, 2 dismantled and 2 granted (not yet constructed). Only constructed registrations describe structures the registry treats as standing; canceled, dismantled and terminated records stay listed as history.
Who owns the towers in Palo Alto County?
Alltel Corporation holds the most registrations in Palo Alto County, with 4 of the 23. The next largest are SBA Infrastructures, LLC (3), ARRAY DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, INC. (2) and INTERSTATE POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY (1). 11 owners with two or more registrations nationwide hold structures in the county.
Which places in Palo Alto County have registered structures?
Registrations in Palo Alto County list 7 different city or place names. The most frequent are Emmetsburg (12), Ruthven (3), West Bend (3), Fenton (2) and Cylinder (1).
Every registration
All 23 structures in Palo Alto County, tallest first
| # | Structure | Height | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruthven · 1046920 | 105 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 2 | Cylinder · 1304715 | 100 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 3 | Graettinger · 1228359 | 99 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 4 | Fenton · 1308153 | 96 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 5 | Fenton · 1016762 | 95 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 6 | Ayrshire · 1018091 | 95 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 7 | West Bend · 1260567 | 95 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 8 | Ruthven · 1297076 | 95 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 9 | Emmetsburg · 1018123 | 93 m | Tower (type not specified) | Dismantled |
| 10 | Emmetsburg · 1016659 | 93 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 11 | West Bend · 1203803 | 91 m | Tower (type not specified) | Granted (not yet constructed) |
| 12 | Ruthven · 1265375 | 81 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 13 | West Bend · 1329712 | 79 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 14 | Emmetsburg · 1264169 | 55 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 15 | Emmetsburg · 1230523 | 54 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 16 | Emmetsburg · 1026652 | 50 m | Tower (type not specified) | Dismantled |
| 17 | Emmetsburg · 1061319 | 42 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 18 | Emmetsburg · 1209356 | 40 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 19 | Emmetsburg · 1313314 | 30 m | Monopole | Constructed |
| 20 | Emmetsburg · 1061980 | 21 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 21 | Emmetsburg · 1281959 | 17 m | Tower (type not specified) | Granted (not yet constructed) |
| 22 | Emmetsburg · 1308352 | 10 m | Monopole | Constructed |
| 23 | Emmetsburg · 1308618 | 10 m | Monopole | Constructed |
Frequently asked questions
How many cell towers are in Palo Alto County, IA?
The FCC Antenna Structure Registration database lists 23 registered antenna structures in Palo Alto County, Iowa, 19 of them constructed. Registration is generally required only for structures taller than about 60 m or near airports, so shorter cell sites may not appear.
What is the tallest tower in Palo Alto County?
The tallest constructed registered structure in Palo Alto County is registration 1046920, a tower near Ruthven at 105 m (343 ft) overall height.
Who owns the most towers in Palo Alto County?
Alltel Corporation holds the most registrations in Palo Alto County (4), followed by SBA Infrastructures, LLC (3).
What kind of towers are in Palo Alto County?
Tower (type not specified) is the most common filed type (12 of 23 registrations), then guyed tower (4).
More in Iowa
About this data
Source: FCC Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) database, as published October 20, 2026 — TowerCensus refreshes it weekly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: TowerCensus, “Antenna structures in Palo Alto County, Iowa”, https://towercensus.com/towers/iowa/county/palo-alto-county (data as of October 20, 2026).