Linn CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. This county ranks in the least reliable fifth of all US counties in our dataset: some combination of frequent outages, long restoration times, or customers affected puts it near the bottom nationally. Backup power is worth prioritizing here rather than treating it as optional.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2020 | 211 hrs | 109,389 (69%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 29, 2023 | 29 hrs | 30,010 (19%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Aug 19, 2020 | 149 hrs | 22,718 (14%) | Unnamed event |
| Jul 11, 2020 | 31 hrs | 19,584 (12%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 15, 2024 | 20 hrs | 8,629 (5%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Linn County, Iowa that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Linn County recorded 931 distinct power outage events, averaging 1.8 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Linn County started August 10, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 211 hours and leaving up to 109,389 customers without power (69% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Linn County, with 124 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Linn County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 16th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Iowa
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Linn County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Poweshiek County | F | 15th |
| Jasper County | F | 14th |
| Benton County | F | 18th |
| Tama County | F | 12th |
| Greene County | D | 20th |
Most reliable counties nationally
The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | South Dakota | A | 100th |
| Clearwater County | Minnesota | A | 99th |
| Limestone County | Alabama | A | 99th |
Least reliable counties nationally
The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Lincoln County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Cameron Parish | Louisiana | F | 0th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Linn County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Linn County recorded 931 outage events, averaging 1.8 hours each.
What is Linn County's reliability grade?
Linn County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 16th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Linn County?
The worst outage on record started August 10, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 211 hours and affecting up to 109,389 customers.