[2] The county is named for the final victory of Field General Zachary Taylor in the Mexican–American War.

Buena Vista County comprises the Storm Lake, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Buena Vista County was formed on January 15, 1851, from open land.

It was named in memory of the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican-American War ending in 1848; the victorious United States annexed considerable territory as a result.

Law enforcement is the responsibility of the Buena Vista County Sheriff's Office (BVSO).

The department provides law enforcement services for all areas of Buena Vista County, as well as providing for courthouse security, operating the county jail, and performing civil procedures.

The Buena Vista County Sheriff's Office is located at 411 Expansion Blvd in Storm Lake, Iowa.

The other two Democratic victories were in 1948 as Harry S. Truman narrowly won the county & statewide by a similar margin, & 40 years later in 1988 as Michael Dukakis was boosted statewide by the 1980s farm crisis despite his national landslide loss.