Antenna structures in Shelby County, Iowa
At a glance
Shelby County, Iowa has 27 FCC-registered antenna structures, 20 of them marked constructed. That is the 70th-largest count among the 99 Iowa counties with registrations, and 0.65% of the state's 4,130. The tallest constructed structure in the county is registration 1304136 near Harlan at 122 m (400 ft).
Dataset updated . Refreshed from the FCC ASR weekly bulk database.
How does Shelby County compare with the rest of Iowa?
With 27 registrations, Shelby County ranks 70th of 99 counties in Iowa; Polk County leads the state with 229. The average registered overall height here is 84 m, roughly in line with the Iowa average of 79 m. The tallest standing structure, at 122 m, is about 46% above the county average.
What kinds of structures are registered in Shelby County?
The most common filed structure type in Shelby County is tower (code TOWER), with 13 registrations (48.1%). It is followed by lattice tower (9) and guyed tower (4).
By registration status: 20 constructed, 4 canceled, 2 dismantled and 1 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 Shelby County?
Iowa 8-Monona Limited Partnership holds the most registrations in Shelby County, with 6 of the 27. The next largest are ARRAY DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, INC. (4), Heartland Tower Inc. (2) and American Towers LLC (1). 13 owners with two or more registrations nationwide hold structures in the county.
Which places in Shelby County have registered structures?
Registrations in Shelby County list 11 different city or place names. The most frequent are Harlan (11), Defiance (4), Earling (2), Portsmouth (2) and Elk Horn (2).
Every registration
All 27 structures in Shelby County, tallest first
| # | Structure | Height | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harlan · 1304136 | 122 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 2 | Harlan · 1047590 | 122 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 3 | Defiance · 1294308 | 111 m | Lattice tower | Canceled |
| 4 | Earling · 1305928 | 103 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 5 | Harlan · 1221077 | 98 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 6 | Harlan · 1012455 | 95 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 7 | Portsmouth · 1281968 | 94 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 8 | Defiance · 1308730 | 94 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 9 | Irwin · 1307092 | 93 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 10 | Avoca · 1275746 | 93 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 11 | Harlan · 1231693 | 93 m | Tower (type not specified) | Granted (not yet constructed) |
| 12 | Harlan · 1018073 | 92 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 13 | Manilla · 1034083 | 91 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 14 | Harlan · 1202090 | 88 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 15 | Defiance · 1319090 | 82 m | Lattice tower | Canceled |
| 16 | Elk Horn · 1327171 | 81 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 17 | Walnut · 1238862 | 79 m | Guyed tower | Constructed |
| 18 | Defiance · 1261140 | 79 m | Tower (type not specified) | Canceled |
| 19 | Earling · 1261839 | 79 m | Tower (type not specified) | Canceled |
| 20 | Kimballton · 1311632 | 78 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 21 | Elk Horn · 1023686 | 73 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 22 | Tennant · 1015203 | 69 m | Unspecified structure | Dismantled |
| 23 | Harlan · 1059696 | 64 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 24 | Harlan · 1262193 | 58 m | Lattice tower | Constructed |
| 25 | Harlan · 1225200 | 57 m | Tower (type not specified) | Dismantled |
| 26 | Portsmouth · 1254723 | 55 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
| 27 | Harlan · 1200963 | 10 m | Tower (type not specified) | Constructed |
Frequently asked questions
How many cell towers are in Shelby County, IA?
The FCC Antenna Structure Registration database lists 27 registered antenna structures in Shelby County, Iowa, 20 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 Shelby County?
The tallest constructed registered structure in Shelby County is registration 1304136, a lattice tower near Harlan at 122 m (400 ft) overall height.
Who owns the most towers in Shelby County?
Iowa 8-Monona Limited Partnership holds the most registrations in Shelby County (6), followed by ARRAY DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, INC. (4).
What kind of towers are in Shelby County?
Tower (type not specified) is the most common filed type (13 of 27 registrations), then lattice tower (9).
More in Iowa
About this data
Source: FCC Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) database, as published October 13, 2026 — TowerCensus refreshes it weekly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: TowerCensus, “Antenna structures in Shelby County, Iowa”, https://towercensus.com/towers/iowa/county/shelby-county (data as of October 13, 2026).