Elk Horn is a city in Shelby County, Iowa, United States. The population was 601 at the time of the 2020 census. Elk Horn is known as an enclave of Danish ethnicity and is home to the Museum of Danish America.

Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,746. The county seat is Harlan. Its name is in honor of Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky.