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.

Cherokee is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,199 at the 2020 Census, down from 5,369 in 2000. It is the county seat of Cherokee County.