Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,658. The county seat is Cherokee. The county was formed on January 15, 1851, from open territory. It was named after the Cherokee people.

Iowa Highway 3 (Iowa 3) is a state highway that runs from east to west across the state of Iowa. It is the longest state highway in Iowa, at 323 miles (520 km) long. Iowa 3 begins at the South Dakota state line where it continues as South Dakota Highway 50 and ends at the Northwest Arterial at the Dubuque city limits. It is designated the American Veterans Memorial Highway for its entirety. It is located approximately halfway between Interstate 80 and Interstate 90.