Does Linn County, Iowa have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-05-02, Linn County, Iowa has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is Linn County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Linn County, Iowa has a SitePath solar permitting grade of D — risk score 64/100 (High Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-05-02.

What are the solar permitting rules in Linn County, Iowa?

Ordinance status: Active, restrictive solar ordinance. Score has been stable over the last 12 months. See the full primary-source record — ordinance links, setbacks, board actions, and project history — on this page.

SitePath › County map › Iowa › Linn County

Iowa

Linn County

FIPS 19113

Linn County, Iowa: solar permitting grade D (score 64/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 64/100

High Risk

Public summary

Grade	D · High Risk · Score 64/100
Population	226,706
Solar ordinance	Active, restrictive solar ordinance
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Stable (no material ordinance movement)
12-month score movement	Stable
Data-center activity	Restrictions Tightened
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Linn County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.

Local intel

On file: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups

2023-05-26Solar
Linn County will discuss and decide on bids for a solar array project, awarding a contract. · agenda
2023-04-26Solar
Linn County discussed and decided on a resolution approving plans for solar array projects. · agenda
2023-03-26Solar
The Planning Commission voted to approve Resolution #2023-8 setting a public hearing date and time for the proposed solar array projects. · agenda

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

Local governments in Linn County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.

Alburnett city
Bertram city
Cedar Rapids city
Center Point city
Central City city
Coggon city
Ely city
Fairfax city
Hiawatha city
Lisbon city
Marion city
Mount Vernon city
Palo city
Prairieburg city
Robins city
Springville city
Walford citypartly in this county
Walker city

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.

Nearby counties

Benton County · ≈24 miB36—
Jones County · ≈25 miB37—
Johnson County · ≈28 miD53—
Buchanan County · ≈30 miB36—
Delaware County · ≈30 miB37—
Cedar County · ≈32 miB37—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Linn County ranks #97 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.

Open the full Linn County profile → Request a demo

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 →