Dubuque County
Dubuque County, Iowa: solar permitting grade D (score 58/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 58/100 |
| Population | 97,311 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Dubuque County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Dubuque County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Asbury city
- Balltown city
- Bankston city
- Bernard city
- Cascade city
- Centralia city
- Dubuque city
- Durango city
- Dyersville citypartly in this county
- Epworth city
- Farley city
- Graf city
- Holy Cross city
- Luxemburg city
- New Vienna city
- Peosta city
- Rickardsville city
- Sageville city
- Sherrill city
- Worthington city
- Zwingle city
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Delaware County · ≈25 miB37—
- Jackson County · ≈26 miB36—
- Jones County · ≈26 miB37—
- Grant County, WI · ≈30 miD65—
- Clayton County · ≈35 miB37—
- Jo Daviess County, IL · ≈35 miB40—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Dubuque County ranks #96 of 99 ranked Iowa counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Iowa: Polk County (A · 25), Scott County (A · 29), Wapello County (B · 31). See all Iowa county grades →
Want the full record?
Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.
About this score
Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.