List of counties in Minnesota
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a List of counties in Minnesota. There are 87 counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are also several historical counties.
On October 27, 1849 nine large Minnesota counties were created. Among them were Benton, Dahkotah, Itasca, Ramsey, Mahkahta, Pembina, Wabashaw, Washington, and Wahnata. Of those Benton, Dakota, Itasca, Ramsey, Wabasha, and Washington still exist as their original name. With the creation of Kittson County on March 9, 1878, Pembina County no longer existed.[1] When Minnesota was organized as a state, 57 of the present 87 counties were established. The last county to be created was Lake of the Woods County in 1923.[2]
The names of many of the counties pay tribute to the long history of exploration. Over ten counties names pay tribute to the state's various Native American groups that are resident in parts of what is now Minnesota. Another fifteen counties are named after physical geographic features, with the remainder being named after politicians.
The FIPS county code is the five-digit Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code which uniquely identifies counties and county equivalents in the United States. The three-digit number is unique to each individual county within a state, but to be unique within the entire United States, it must be prefixed by the state code. This means that, for example, while Aitkin County, Minnesota is 001, Adams County, Wisconsin and Adair County, Iowa are also 001. To uniquely identify Aitkin County, Minnesota, one must use the state code of 27 plus the county code of 001; therefore, the unique nationwide identifier for Aitkin County, Minnesota is 27001. The links in the column FIPS County Code are to the Census Bureau Info page for that county.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Alphabetical listing
| County |
FIPS Code [3] |
County seat [4] |
Established [4] |
Origin [1] |
Etymolgy [5][6][7] |
Population [8][4] |
Area [8][4] |
Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin County | 001 | Aitkin | 1857 | Pine County, Ramsey County | William Alexander Aitken (1785-1851), early fur trader with Ojibwe Indians | 15,301 | 1,819.30 sq mi (4,712 km²) |
 |
| Anoka County | 003 | Anoka | 1857 | Ramsey County | A Dakota word meaning "both sides" | 298,084 | 423.61 sq mi (1,097 km²) |
 |
| Becker County | 005 | Detroit Lakes | 1858 | Cass County, Pembina County | George Loomis Becker (1829-1904), former state senator and third mayor of Saint Paul (1856–1857) | 30,000 | 1,310.42 sq mi (3,394 km²) |
 |
| Beltrami County | 007 | Bemidji | 1866 | Unorganized Territory, Itasca County, Pembina County, Polk County | Giacomo Beltrami, Italian explorer who explored the northern reaches of Mississippi River in 1823. | 39,650 | 2,505.27 sq mi (6,489 km²) |
 |
| Benton County | 009 | Foley | 1849 | One of nine original counties; formed from residual St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory. | Thomas Hart Benton (1782–1858), former United States Senator from Missouri (1821-1851) | 34,226 | 408.28 sq mi (1,057 km²) |
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| Big Stone County | 011 | Ortonville | 1862 | Pierce County | Big Stone Lake, a lake located in the county | 5,820 | 496.95 sq mi (1,287 km²) |
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| Blue Earth County | 013 | Mankato | 1853 | Unorganized Territory, Dakota County | Blue Earth River, a river that flows through Minnesota | 55,941 | 752.36 sq mi (1,949 km²) |
 |
| Brown County | 015 | New Ulm | 1855 | Blue Earth County | Joesph Renshaw Brown (1805-1870), member of Minnesota territorial legislature (1854-55) and prominent pioneer | 26,911 | 610.86 sq mi (1,582 km²) |
 |
| Carlton County | 017 | Carlton | 1857 | Pine County, St. Louis County | Rueben B. Carlton (1812-1863), early settler and state senator (1857-1858) | 31,671 | 860.33 sq mi (2,228 km²) |
 |
| Carver County | 019 | Chaska | 1855 | Hennepin County, Sibley County | Jonathan Carver (1710–1790), early explorer and cartographer of the Mississippi river. | 70,205 | 357.04 sq mi (925 km²) |
|
| Cass County | 021 | Walker | 1851 | Dakota County, Pembina County, Mankahto County, Wahnata County | Lewis Cass (1782–1866), senator from Michigan(1845–1857) and United States Secretary of State(1831–1836) | 27,150 | 2,017.60 sq mi (5,226 km²) |
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| Chippewa County | 023 | Montevideo | 1870 | Pierce County, Davis County | Chippewa River, a river that flows through Minnesota | 13,088 | 582.80 sq mi (1,509 km²) |
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| Chisago County | 025 | Center City | 1851 | Washington County, Ramsey County | Chisago Lake, a lake located in the county | 41,101 | 417.63 sq mi (1,082 km²) |
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| Clay County | 027 | Moorhead | 1862 | Pembina County | Henry Clay (1836-1913), Kentucky statesman and ninth secretary of state of the United States (1825–1829) | 51,229 | 1,045.24 sq mi (2,707 km²) |
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| Clearwater County | 029 | Bagley | 1902 | Beltrami County | Clearwater River and lake, both features located in the state | 8,423 | 994.71 sq mi (2,576 km²) |
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| Cook County | 031 | Grand Marais | 1874 | Lake County | Named for Civil War veteran Major Michael Cook of Faribault, who was also a territorial and state senator 1857-62 | 5,168 | 1,450.60 sq mi (3,757 km²) |
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| Cottonwood County | 033 | Windom | 1857 | Brown County | Cottonwood River | 12,167 | 639.99 sq mi (1,658 km²) |
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| Crow Wing County | 035 | Brainerd | 1857 | Ramsey County | Crow Wing River | 55,099 | 996.57 sq mi (2,581 km²) |
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| Dakota County | 037 | Hastings | 1849 | One of nine original counties. | From the Dakota language, after a local tribe Dakota, meaning "Allies" | 355,904 | 569.58 sq mi (1,475 km²) |
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| Dodge County | 039 | Mantorville | 1855 | Rice County, Unorganized Territory | Henry Dodge (1782 – 1867), twice governor of Wisconsin.[9] | 17,731 | 439.50 sq mi (1,138 km²) |
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| Douglas County | 041 | Alexandria | 1858 | Cass County, Pembina County | Stephen Arnold Douglas (1813-1861), former United States Senator from Illinois (1847-1861) | 32,821 | 634.32 sq mi (1,643 km²) |
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| Faribault County | 043 | Blue Earth | 1855 | Blue Earth County | Jean-Baptiste Faribault (1775-1860), early settler and fur trader | 16,181 | 713.63 sq mi (1,848 km²) |
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| Fillmore County | 045 | Preston | 1853 | Wabasha County | Millard Fillmore (1800-1874), thirteenth president of the United States (1850-1853) | 21,122 | 861.25 sq mi (2,231 km²) |
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| Freeborn County | 047 | Albert Lea | 1855 | Blue Earth County, Rice County | William S. Freeborn (1816-1900), member of the Territorial Legislature | 32,584 | 707.64 sq mi (1,833 km²) |
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| Goodhue County | 049 | Red Wing | 1853 | Wabasha County, Dakota County | James Madison Goodhue, the first newspaper editor in Minnesota.[10] | 44,127 | 758.27 sq mi (1,964 km²) |
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| Grant County | 051 | Elbow Lake | 1868 | Stevens County, Wilkin County, Traverse County | Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), eighteenth president of the United States (1869-1877) | 6,289 | 546.41 sq mi (1,415 km²) |
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| Hennepin County | 053 | Minneapolis | 1852 | Dakota County | Father Louis Hennepin (1626-1705), early explorer of the Twin Cities area in the 17th Century | 1,116,200 | 556.62 sq mi (1,442 km²) |
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| Houston County | 055 | Caledonia | 1854 | Fillmore County | Sam Houston (1793–1863), the second and fourth president of the Republic of Texas and seventh governor of Texas | 19,718 | 558.41 sq mi (1,446 km²) |
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| Hubbard County | 057 | Park Rapids | 1883 | Cass County | Lucius Frederick Hubbard (1836-1913), ninth governor of Minnesota (1882-1887) | 18,376 | 922.46 sq mi (2,389 km²) |
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| Isanti County | 059 | Cambridge | 1857 | Ramsey County | A division of the Dakotas called the Izatys, meaning [those that] dwell at Knife Lake, after where they resided. | 31,287 | 439.07 sq mi (1,137 km²) |
 |
| Itasca County | 061 | Grand Rapids | 1849 | One of nine original counties; formed from residual La Pointe County, Wisconsin Territory. | Lake Itasca, source of the Mississippi River (located in northwestern Minnesota). | 43,992 | 2,665.06 sq mi (6,902 km²) |
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| Jackson County | 063 | Jackson | 1857 | Brown County | Henry Jackson, member of the first territorial legislature and the first merchant in St. Paul | 11,268 | 701.69 sq mi (1,817 km²) |
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| Kanabec County | 065 | Mora | 1858 | Pine County | From the Ojibwe language Kan-a-bec-o-si-pi (Ginebigo-ziibi), meaning Snake River, which flows through the county | 14,996 | 524.93 sq mi (1,360 km²) |
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| Kandiyohi County | 067 | Willmar | 1858 | Meeker County, Renville County, Pierce County, Davis County, Stearns County | From the Sioux language for "buffalo fish" | 41,203 | 796.06 sq mi (2,062 km²) |
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| Kittson County | 069 | Hallock | 1879 | Unorganized Territory | Norman Kittson (1814-1888), bussinessman and mayor of Saint Paul (1858-1859) | 5,285 | 1,097.08 sq mi (2,841 km²) |
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| Koochiching County | 071 | International Falls | 1906 | Itasca County | From the Ojibwe language Goojijiing (Place of inlets), which was the Cree name for Rainy Lake and Rainy River. | {{{Population}}} | 3,102.36 sq mi (8,035 km²) |
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| Lac qui Parle County | 073 | Madison | 1863 | Redwood County | A French phrase meaning "lake which talks". Population=8067 | {{{Population}}} | 764.87 sq mi (1,981 km²) |
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| Lake County | 075 | Two Harbors | 1856 | Itasca County | Lake Superior, which forms one of its edges | 11,058 | 2,099.16 sq mi (5,437 km²) |
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| Lake of the Woods County | 077 | Baudette | 1923 | Beltrami County | Lake of the Woods, a lake located within the county. | 4,522 | 1,296.70 sq mi (3,358 km²) |
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| Le Sueur County | 079 | Le Center | 1853 | Dakota County | Pierre-Charles Le Sueur (1657-1704), fur trader and early explorer of the Minnesota River Valley | 25,426 | 448.50 sq mi (1,162 km²) |
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| Lincoln County | 081 | Ivanhoe | 1873 | Lyon County | Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), sixteenth president of the United States (1861-1865) | 6,429 | 537.03 sq mi (1,391 km²) |
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| Lyon County | 083 | Marshall | 1871 | Redwood County | Nathaniel Lyon (1818–1861), United States Army general during the Civil War | 25,425 | 714.17 sq mi (1,850 km²) |
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| Mahnomen County | 085 | Mahnomen | 1906 | Norman County | An Ojibwa word meaning "wild rice". | 5,190 | 556.14 sq mi (1,440 km²) |
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| Marshall County | 087 | Warren | 1879 | Kittson County | William Rainey Marshall (1825-1896), fifth governor of Minnesota (1866-1870) | 10,155 | 1,772.24 sq mi (4,590 km²) |
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| Martin County | 089 | Fairmont | 1857 | Faribault County, Brown County | Either Henry Martin or Morgan Lewis Martin | 21,802 | 709.34 sq mi (1,837 km²) |
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| McLeod County | 091 | Glencoe | 1856 | Carver County, Sibley County | Martin McLeod early pioneer and member of the territorial legislature (1849–1856) | 34,898 | 491.91 sq mi (1,274 km²) |
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| Meeker County | 093 | Litchfield | 1856 | Davis County | Bradley B. Meeker (1813–1873), Associate Justice of the Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court (1849–1853) | 22,644 | 608.54 sq mi (1,576 km²) |
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| Mille Lacs County | 095 | Milaca | 1857 | Ramsey County | Mille Lacs Lake, a lake located within the county. | 22,330 | 574.47 sq mi (1,488 km²) |
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| Morrison County | 097 | Little Falls | 1856 | Benton County | William & Allan Morrison, fur trading brothers[11] | 31,712 | 1,124.50 sq mi (2,912 km²) |
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| Mower County | 099 | Austin | 1855 | Rice County | John Edward Mower (1815–1879), member of the Minnesota territorial legislature in the 1850s | 38,603 | 711.50 sq mi (1,843 km²) |
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| Murray County | 101 | Slayton | 1857 | Brown County | William Pitt Murray (1825–1910), Minnesota statesman and member of the territorial legislature (1852–1855) and 1857 | 9,165 | 704.43 sq mi (1,824 km²) |
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| Nicollet County | 103 | St. Peter | 1853 | Dakota County | Joseph Nicolas Nicollet (1786–1843), early explore and cartographer of the Upper Mississippi River | 29,771 | 452.29 sq mi (1,171 km²) |
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| Nobles County | 105 | Worthington | 1857 | Brown County | William H. Nobles, member of the Minnesota territorial legislature in 1854 and 1856 | 20,832 | 715.39 sq mi (1,853 km²) |
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| Norman County | 107 | Ada | 1881 | Polk County | The early Norwegian, also known as Norman, settlers. | 7,442 | 876.27 sq mi (2,270 km²) |
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| Olmsted County | 109 | Rochester | 1855 | Fillmore County, Wabasha County, Rice County | David Olmsted, first mayor of Saint Paul and member of territorial legislature (1849-1850) | 124,277 | 653.01 sq mi (1,691 km²) |
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| Otter Tail County | 111 | Fergus Falls | 1858 | Pembina County, Cass County | Otter Tail Lake, a lake located within the county | 57,159 | 1,979.71 sq mi (5,127 km²) |
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| Pennington County | 113 | Thief River Falls | 1910 | Red Lake County | Edmund Pennington (b. 1848), executive of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad | 13,584 | 616.54 sq mi (1,597 km²) |
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| Pine County | 115 | Pine City | 1856 | Chisago County, Ramsey County | The giant forests of Eastern White Pine and Red Pine that flourish in the county | 26,530 | 1,411.04 sq mi (3,655 km²) |
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| Pipestone County | 117 | Pipestone | 1857 | Brown County | NAme of a sacred Dakota quarry of red pipestone found in the county | 9,895 | 465.89 sq mi (1,207 km²) |
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| Polk County | 119 | Crookston | 1858 | Pembina County | James K. Polk (1795-1849), eleventh president of the United States (1845-1849) | 31,369 | 1,970.37 sq mi (5,103 km²) |
|
| Pope County | 121 | Glenwood | 1862 | Pierce County, Cass County, Unorganized Territory | John Pope (1822–1892), United States Army general during the Dakota War of 1862 | 11,236 | 670.14 sq mi (1,736 km²) |
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| Ramsey County | 123 | Saint Paul | 1849 | One of nine original counties; formed from residual St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory. | Alexander Ramsey (1815-1903), second governor of Minnesota (1860-1863) | 511,035 | 155.78 sq mi (403 km²) |
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| Red Lake County | 125 | Red Lake Falls | 1896 | Polk County | Red Lake River, a river that flows through Minnesota. | 4,299 | 432.43 sq mi (1,120 km²) |
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| Redwood County | 127 | Redwood Falls | 1862 | Brown County | Redwood River, a river that flows through Minnesota. | 16,815 | 879.73 sq mi (2,278 km²) |
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| Renville County | 129 | Olivia | 1855 | Nicollet County, Pierce County, Sibley County | Joseph Renville (1779-1846), interpreter for early explorations of the Louisiana Purchase | 17,154 | 982.92 sq mi (2,546 km²) |
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| Rice County | 131 | Faribault | 1853 | Dakota County, Wabasha County | Henry Mower Rice (1816-1894), former United States Senator from Minnesota (1858-1863) | 56,665 | 497.57 sq mi (1,289 km²) |
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| Rock County | 133 | Luverne | 1857 | Brown County | A large rocky plateau located within the county, known as "the mound." | 9,721 | 482.61 sq mi (1,250 km²) |
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| Roseau County | 135 | Roseau | 1894 | Kittson County, Beltrami County | Roseau River and Roseau Lake, both of which are located nearby | 16,338 | 1,662.51 sq mi (4,306 km²) |
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| Scott County | 137 | Shakopee | 1853 | Dakota County | Winfield Scott (1786–1886), United States Army general who served from (1808–1861) | 89,498 | 356.68 sq mi (924 km²) |
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| Sherburne County | 139 | Elk River | 1856 | Benton County | Moses Sherburne (1813–1873), Associate Justice of the Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court (1853-1857) | 64,417 | 436.30 sq mi (1,130 km²) |
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| Sibley County | 141 | Gaylord | 1853 | Dakota County | Henry Hastings Sibley (1811-1891), first governor of Minnesota (1858-1860) | 15,356 | 588.65 sq mi (1,525 km²) |
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| St. Louis County | 143 | Duluth | 1855 | Itasca County, Newton | St. Louis River, a river that flows through Minnesota | 200,528 | 6,225.16 sq mi (16,123 km²) |
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| Stearns County | 145 | St. Cloud | 1855 | Cass County, Nicollet County, Pierce County, Sibley County | Charles Thomas Stearns (1814-1888), early settler of St. Cloud and member of the Minnesota territorial legislature (1849-1858) | 133,166 | 1,344.52 sq mi (3,482 km²) |
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| Steele County | 147 | Owatonna | 1855 | Rice County, Blue Earth County, Le Sueur County | Franklin Steele (1813-1880), early settler of Minneapolis and developer of Saint Anthony Falls | 33,680 | 429.55 sq mi (1,113 km²) |
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| Stevens County | 149 | Morris | 1862 | Pierce County, Unorganized Territory | Isaac Ingalls Stevens (1818-1862), first governor of Washington Territory (1853-1857) | 10,053 | 562.06 sq mi (1,456 km²) |
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| Swift County | 151 | Benson | 1870 | Chippewa County | Henry Adoniram Swift (1823-1869), third governor of Minnesota (1863-1864) | 11,956 | 743.53 sq mi (1,926 km²) |
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| Todd County | 153 | Long Prairie | 1855 | Cass County | John Blair Smith Todd, commander of Fort Ripley (1849-56); general in the Civil War; delegate in Congress from Dakota Territory (1861 and 1863-65); governor of Dakota Territory (1869-71) | 24,426 | 942.02 sq mi (2,440 km²) |
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| Traverse County | 155 | Wheaton | 1862 | Pierce County, Unorganized Territory | Lake Traverse, a lake located in the county. | 4,134 | 574.09 sq mi (1,487 km²) |
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| Wabasha County | 157 | Wabasha | 1849 | One of nine original counties. | Named after M'dewakanton Dakota Indian Chief Wabasha III | 21,610 | 525.01 sq mi (1,360 km²) |
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| Wadena County | 159 | Wadena | 1858 | Cass County, Todd County | Wadena Trading Post, in turn for a Ojibway word meaning "a little round hill". | 13,713 | 535.02 sq mi (1,386 km²) |
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| Waseca County | 161 | Waseca | 1857 | Steele County | A Dakota word meaning "rich and fertile" | 19,526 | 423.25 sq mi (1,096 km²) |
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| Washington County | 163 | Stillwater | 1849 | One of nine original counties; formed from residual St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory. | George Washington (1732-1799), first president of the United States (1789-1797) | 201,130 | 391.70 sq mi (1,014 km²) |
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| Watonwan County | 165 | St. James | 1860 | Brown County | Watonwan River, a river that flows through Minnesota. | 11,876 | 434.51 sq mi (1,125 km²) |
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| Wilkin County | 167 | Breckenridge | 1858 | Cass County, Pembina County | Alexander Wilkin (1820-1864), Minnesota politician and soldier killed in the Civil War | 7,138 | 751.43 sq mi (1,946 km²) |
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| Winona County | 169 | Winona | 1854 | Fillmore County, Wabasha County | Named after Wee-No-Nah, Sister or Cousin of Chief Wabasha III | 49,985 | 626.30 sq mi (1,622 km²) |
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| Wright County | 171 | Buffalo | 1855 | Cass County, Sibley County | Silas Wright (1795-1847), former United States Senator from New York (1833-1844) | 89,986 | 660.75 sq mi (1,711 km²) |
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| Yellow Medicine County | 173 | Granite Falls | 1871 | Redwood County | Yellow Medicine River, a river that flows through Minnesota. | 11,080 | 757.96 sq mi (1,963 km²) |
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[edit] Historical counties
- Aiken County
- Andy Johnson County
- Breckenridge County
- Buchanan County
- Chippewa County, Michigan Territory
- Crawford County, Michigan and Wisconsin Territories
- Davis County
- Doty County
- La Pointe County, Wisconsin Territory
- Lac qui Parle County
- Mahkatah County
- Manomin County
- Michilimackinac County, Michigan Territory
- Monongalia County
- Monroe County
- Newton County
- Pembina County
- Pierce County
- St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory
- St. Louis County
- Superior County
- Unorganized Territory, Iowa Territory
- Toombs County
- Wahnata County
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Minnesota Place Names. Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
- ^ Minnesota County History. Association of Minnesota Counties. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
- ^ a b EPA County FIPS Code Listing. EPA. Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
- ^ a b c d National Association of Counties. NACo - Find a county. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
- ^ Upham, Warren (1969). Minnesota Geographic Names. St. Paul: Minnesota Histroical Society.
- ^ County Name Origins. Association of Minnesota Counties. Retrieved on 11052008.
- ^ Origin of Minnesota County Name. Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved on 11052008.
- ^ a b Minnesota QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-07-17. (2000 Census)
- ^ Dodge County History (PDF). Dodge County website. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
- ^ The History of Goodhue County. Goodhue County, Minnesota website. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
- ^ MCHS - William Morrison - Fur Trader
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