List of counties in Minnesota

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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 counties were established: Benton, Dahkotah, Itasca, Ramsey, Mahkahta, Pembina, Wabasha, Washington, and Wahnata. Six of these names still exist. With the foundation 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 allude to the long history of exploration. Over ten counties are named for Native American groups residing in parts of what is now Minnesota. Another fifteen counties are named after physical geographic features, and the remainder for 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, the number 001 is shared by Aitkin County, Minnesota, Adams County, Wisconsin, and Adair County, Iowa. 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]

Number of Counties listing

County	FIPS County Code [3]	County seat [4]	Established [1][4]	Origin [5][6][7]	Etymology	Population [4][8]	Area [4][8]	Map
Aitkin County	001	Aitkin	1857	Pine County, Ramsey County	William Alexander Aitken (1785-1851), early fur trader with Ojibwe Indians	16,202	1,819.30 sq mi (4,712 km^2)
Anoka County	003	Anoka	1857	Ramsey County	A Dakota word meaning "both sides"	330,844	423.61 sq mi (1,097 km^2)
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)	32,504	1,310.42 sq mi (3,394 km^2)
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.	44,442	2,505.27 sq mi (6,489 km^2)
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)	38,451	408.28 sq mi (1,057 km^2)
Big Stone County	011	Ortonville	1862	Pierce County	Big Stone Lake, a lake located in the county	5,269	496.95 sq mi (1,287 km^2)
Blue Earth County	013	Mankato	1853	Unorganized Territory, Dakota County	Blue Earth River, a river that flows through Minnesota	64,013	752.36 sq mi (1,949 km^2)
Brown County	015	New Ulm	1855	Blue Earth County	Joseph Renshaw Brown (1805-1870), member of Minnesota territorial legislature (1854-55) and prominent pioneer	25,893	610.86 sq mi (1,582 km^2)
Carlton County	017	Carlton	1857	Pine County, Saint Louis County	Rueben B. Carlton (1812-1863), early settler and state senator (1857-1858)	35,386	860.33 sq mi (2,228 km^2)
Carver County	019	Chaska	1855	Hennepin County, Sibley County	Jonathan Carver (1710–1790), early explorer and cartographer of the Mississippi river.	91,042	357.04 sq mi (925 km^2)
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)	28,567	2,017.60 sq mi (5,226 km^2)
Chippewa County	023	Montevideo	1870	Pierce County, Davis County	Chippewa River, a river that flows through Minnesota	12,441	582.80 sq mi (1,509 km^2)
Chisago County	025	Center City	1851	Washington County, Ramsey County	Chisago Lake, a lake located in the county	53,887	417.63 sq mi (1,082 km^2)
Clay County	027	Moorhead	1862	Pembina County	Henry Clay (1777-1852), Kentucky statesman and ninth secretary of state of the United States (1825–1829)	58,999	1,045.24 sq mi (2,707 km^2)
Clearwater County	029	Bagley	1902	Beltrami County	Clearwater River and lake, both features located in the state	8,695	994.71 sq mi (2,576 km^2)
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	5,176	1,450.60 sq mi (3,757 km^2)
Cottonwood County	033	Windom	1857	Brown County	Cottonwood River	11,687	639.99 sq mi (1,658 km^2)
Crow Wing County	035	Brainerd	1857	Ramsey County	Crow Wing River	62,500	996.57 sq mi (2,581 km^2)
Dakota County	037	Hastings	1849	One of nine original counties.	From the Dakota language, after a local tribe Dakota, meaning "Allies"	398,552	569.58 sq mi (1,475 km^2)
Dodge County	039	Mantorville	1855	Rice County, Unorganized Territory	Henry Dodge (1782–1867), twice governor of Wisconsin.[9]	20,087	439.50 sq mi (1,138 km^2)
Douglas County	041	Alexandria	1858	Cass County, Pembina County	Stephen Arnold Douglas (1813-1861), former United States Senator from Illinois (1847-1861)	36,009	634.32 sq mi (1,643 km^2)
Faribault County	043	Blue Earth	1855	Blue Earth County	Jean-Baptiste Faribault (1775-1860), early settler and fur trader	14,553	713.63 sq mi (1,848 km^2)
Fillmore County	045	Preston	1853	Wabasha County	Millard Fillmore (1800-1874), thirteenth president of the United States (1850-1853)	20,866	861.25 sq mi (2,231 km^2)
Freeborn County	047	Albert Lea	1855	Blue Earth County, Rice County	William S. Freeborn (1816-1900), member of the Territorial Legislature	31,255	707.64 sq mi (1,833 km^2)
Goodhue County	049	Red Wing	1853	Wabasha County, Dakota County	James Madison Goodhue, the first newspaper editor in Minnesota.[10]	46,183	758.27 sq mi (1,964 km^2)
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)	6,018	546.41 sq mi (1,415 km^2)
Hennepin County	053	Minneapolis	1852	Dakota County	Father Louis Hennepin (1626-1705), early explorer of the Twin Cities area in the 17th Century	1,152,425	556.62 sq mi (1,442 km^2)
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	19,027	558.41 sq mi (1,446 km^2)
Hubbard County	057	Park Rapids	1883	Cass County	Lucius Frederick Hubbard (1836-1913), ninth governor of Minnesota (1882-1887)	20,428	922.46 sq mi (2,389 km^2)
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.	37,816	439.07 sq mi (1,137 km^2)
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).	45,058	2,665.06 sq mi (6,902 km^2)
Jackson County	063	Jackson	1857	Brown County	Henry Jackson, member of the first territorial legislature and the first merchant in St. Paul	10,266	701.69 sq mi (1,817 km^2)
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	16,239	524.93 sq mi (1,360 km^2)
Kandiyohi County	067	Willmar	1858	Meeker County, Renville County, Pierce County, Davis County, Stearns County	From the Sioux language for "buffalo fish"	42,239	796.06 sq mi (2,062 km^2)
Kittson County	069	Hallock	1879	Pembina County	Norman Kittson (1814-1888), businessman and mayor of Saint Paul (1858-1859)	4,552	1,097.08 sq mi (2,841 km^2)
Koochiching County	071	International Falls	1906	Itasca County	From the Ojibwe language Gojijiing (Place of inlets), which was the Cree name for Rainy Lake and Rainy River.	13,311	3,102.36 sq mi (8,035 km^2)
Lac qui Parle County	073	Madison	1871	Redwood County	A French phrase meaning "lake which talks".	7,259	764.87 sq mi (1,981 km^2)
Lake County	075	Two Harbors	1856	Itasca County	Lake Superior, which forms one of its edges	10,866	2,099.16 sq mi (5,437 km^2)
Lake of the Woods County	077	Baudette	1923	Beltrami County	Lake of the Woods, a lake located within the county.	4,045	1,296.70 sq mi (3,358 km^2)
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	27,703	448.50 sq mi (1,162 km^2)
Lincoln County	081	Ivanhoe	1873	Lyon County	Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), sixteenth president of the United States (1861-1865)	5,896	537.03 sq mi (1,391 km^2)
Lyon County	083	Marshall	1871	Redwood County	Nathaniel Lyon (1818–1861), United States Army general during the Civil War	25,857	714.17 sq mi (1,850 km^2)
McLeod County	085	Glencoe	1856	Carver County, Sibley County	Martin McLeod early pioneer and member of the territorial legislature (1849–1856)	36,651	491.91 sq mi (1,274 km^2)
Mahnomen County	087	Mahnomen	1906	Norman County	An Ojibwa word meaning "wild rice".	5,413	556.14 sq mi (1,440 km^2)
Marshall County	089	Warren	1879	Kittson County	William Rainey Marshall (1825-1896), fifth governor of Minnesota (1866-1870)	9,439	1,772.24 sq mi (4,590 km^2)
Martin County	091	Fairmont	1857	Faribault County, Brown County	Morgan Lewis Martin (1805-1887), delegate to Congress from Wisconsin Territory	20,840	709.34 sq mi (1,837 km^2)
Meeker County	093	Litchfield	1856	Davis County	Bradley B. Meeker (1813–1873), Associate Justice of the Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court (1849–1853)	23,300	608.54 sq mi (1,576 km^2)
Mille Lacs County	095	Milaca	1857	Ramsey County	Mille Lacs Lake, a lake located within the county.	26,097	574.47 sq mi (1,488 km^2)
Morrison County	097	Little Falls	1856	Benton County	William & Allan Morrison, fur trading brothers[11]	33,198	1,124.50 sq mi (2,912 km^2)
Mower County	099	Austin	1855	Rice County	John Edward Mower (1815–1879), member of the Minnesota territorial legislature in the 1850s	39,163	711.50 sq mi (1,843 km^2)
Murray County	101	Slayton	1857	Brown County	William Pitt Murray (1825–1910), Minnesota statesman and member of the territorial legislature (1852–1855) and 1857	8,725	704.43 sq mi (1,824 km^2)
Nicollet County	103	St. Peter	1853	Dakota County	Joseph Nicolas Nicollet (1786–1843), early explore and cartographer of the Upper Mississippi River	32,727	452.29 sq mi (1,171 km^2)
Nobles County	105	Worthington	1857	Brown County	William H. Nobles, member of the Minnesota territorial legislature in 1854 and 1856	21,378	715.39 sq mi (1,853 km^2)
Norman County	107	Ada	1881	Polk County	The early Norwegian, also known as Norman, settlers.	6,852	876.27 sq mi (2,270 km^2)
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)	144,248	653.01 sq mi (1,691 km^2)
Otter Tail County	111	Fergus Falls	1858	Pembina County, Cass County	Otter Tail Lake, a lake located within the county	57,303	1,979.71 sq mi (5,127 km^2)
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	13,930	616.54 sq mi (1,597 km^2)
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	29,750	1,411.04 sq mi (3,655 km^2)
Pipestone County	117	Pipestone	1857	Brown County	Name of a sacred Dakota quarry of red pipestone found in the county	9,596	465.89 sq mi (1,207 km^2)
Polk County	119	Crookston	1858	Pembina County	James K. Polk (1795-1849), eleventh president of the United States (1845-1849)	31,600	1,970.37 sq mi (5,103 km^2)
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	10,995	670.14 sq mi (1,736 km^2)
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)	508,640	155.78 sq mi (403 km^2)
Red Lake County	125	Red Lake Falls	1896	Polk County	Red Lake River, a river that flows through Minnesota.	4,089	432.43 sq mi (1,120 km^2)
Redwood County	127	Redwood Falls	1862	Brown County	Redwood River, a river that flows through Minnesota.	16,059	879.73 sq mi (2,278 km^2)
Renville County	129	Olivia	1855	Nicollet County, Pierce County, Sibley County	Joseph Renville (1779-1846), interpreter for early explorations of the Louisiana Purchase	15,730	982.92 sq mi (2,546 km^2)
Rice County	131	Faribault	1853	Dakota County, Wabasha County	Henry Mower Rice (1816-1894), former United States Senator from Minnesota (1858-1863)	64,142	497.57 sq mi (1,289 km^2)
Rock County	133	Luverne	1857	Brown County	A large rocky plateau located within the county, known as "the mound."	9,687	482.61 sq mi (1,250 km^2)
Roseau County	135	Roseau	1894	Kittson County, Beltrami County	Roseau River and Roseau Lake, both of which are located nearby	15,629	1,662.51 sq mi (4,306 km^2)
Saint Louis County	137	Duluth	1855	Itasca County, Newton	Saint Louis River, a river that flows through Minnesota	200,226	6,225.16 sq mi (16,123 km^2)
Scott County	139	Shakopee	1853	Dakota County	Winfield Scott (1786–1866), United States Army general who served from (1808–1861)	129,928	356.68 sq mi (924 km^2)
Sherburne County	141	Elk River	1856	Benton County	Moses Sherburne (1813–1873), Associate Justice of the Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court (1853-1857)	88,499	436.30 sq mi (1,130 km^2)
Sibley County	143	Gaylord	1853	Dakota County	Henry Hastings Sibley (1811-1891), first governor of Minnesota (1858-1860)	15,226	588.65 sq mi (1,525 km^2)
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)	150,642	1,344.52 sq mi (3,482 km^2)
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	36,576	429.55 sq mi (1,113 km^2)
Stevens County	149	Morris	1862	Pierce County, Unorganized Territory	Isaac Ingalls Stevens (1818-1862), first governor of Washington Territory (1853-1857)	9,726	562.06 sq mi (1,456 km^2)
Swift County	151	Benson	1870	Chippewa County	Henry Adoniram Swift (1823-1869), third governor of Minnesota (1863-1864)	9,783	743.53 sq mi (1,926 km^2)
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)	24,895	942.02 sq mi (2,440 km^2)
Traverse County	155	Wheaton	1862	Pierce County, Unorganized Territory	Lake Traverse, a lake located in the county.	3,558	574.09 sq mi (1,487 km^2)
Wabasha County	157	Wabasha	1849	One of nine original counties.	Named after M'dewakanton Dakota Indian Chief Wabasha III	21,676	525.01 sq mi (1,360 km^2)
Wadena County	159	Wadena	1858	Cass County, Todd County	Wadena Trading Post, in turn for a Ojibway word meaning "a little round hill".	13,843	535.02 sq mi (1,386 km^2)
Waseca County	161	Waseca	1857	Steele County	A Dakota word meaning "rich and fertile"	19,136	423.25 sq mi (1,096 km^2)
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)	238,136	391.70 sq mi (1,014 km^2)
Watonwan County	165	St. James	1860	Brown County	Watonwan River, a river that flows through Minnesota.	11,211	434.51 sq mi (1,125 km^2)
Wilkin County	167	Breckenridge	1858	Cass County, Pembina County	Alexander Wilkin (1820-1864), Minnesota politician and soldier killed in the Civil War	6,576	751.43 sq mi (1,946 km^2)
Winona County	169	Winona	1854	Fillmore County, Wabasha County	Named after Wee-No-Nah, Sister or Cousin of Chief Wabasha III	51,461	626.30 sq mi (1,622 km^2)
Wright County	171	Buffalo	1855	Cass County, Sibley County	Silas Wright (1795-1847), former United States Senator from New York (1833-1844)	124,700	660.75 sq mi (1,711 km^2)
Yellow Medicine County	173	Granite Falls	1871	Redwood County	Yellow Medicine River, a river that flows through Minnesota.	10,438	757.96 sq mi (1,963 km^2)

Historical counties

• St. Clair County, Indiana (1801–12) (Transferred to Illinois in 1809)
• St. Charles County, Louisiana (1809–13) (Transferred to Missouri in 1812)
• Madison County (IL) (1812–18) Formed from St. Clair County (IL)
• Michilimackinac County, Michigan Territory (1818–37)
• Crawford County, Michigan and Wisconsin Territories (1818–40)
• Chippewa County, Michigan Territory (1827–37)
• Dubuque County (MI) (1834–37)
• Fayette County (WI) (1837–49)
• St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory (1840–49)
• La Pointe County, Wisconsin Territory (1845–49) Formed from St. Croix
• Mahkatah County (1849–51) (Mahkahto) (One of Original 9 counties) Dissolved to Pembina and Cass
• Wahnata County (1849–51) (One of Original 9 counties) Dissolved to Pembina and Cass
• Buchanan County (1857–61) Formed from Pine County, Dissolved back to Pine
• Pierce County (1853–62) Formed from Dakota County
• Superior County Name change to Saint Louis County then to Lake.
• Davis County (1855–62) Formed from Cass, Nicollet and Sibley Counties
• Toombs County (1858–62) Formed from Pembina. Name Changed to Andy Johnson.
• Newton County (1855–6) Formed from Itasca County and Un-Organized. Name Changed from Doty County, then to Saint Louis County.
• Monroe County merged with Mille Lacs.
• Lincoln County (1861–8) Formed from Renville County
• Lac qui Parle County (1862–8) Formed from Davis
• Manomin County (1857–1869) Formed from Ramsey County, Merged into Anoka County.
• Monongalia County (1861–70)Formed from Ramsey County, Pierce County and un-Organized. Dissolved to Kandiyohi County.
• Aiken County (1857–72) Formed from Pine and Ramsey Counties, Change name to Aitkin County
• Pembina County-(1849–78) (One of Original 9 counties) Name Change to Kittson County
• Saint Louis County. Name change from Superior, then to Lake.
• Breckenridge County (1858–62) Formed from Pembina. Name Change to Clay in 1862
• Andy Johnson County (1862–8) Formally Toombs county. Named changed to Wilkin.
• Midway County (1857–8) Area created from Brown county, overlapped Pipestone county. Dissolved in 1858 when the State of Minnesota was formed and the rest of the territory not added to the state became unorganized.

See also

• List of Minnesota county name etymologies
• List of Minnesota county seats

References

1. "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
2. "Minnesota County History". Association of Minnesota Counties. Archived from the original on 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
3. "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
4. National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". Retrieved 24 February 2012.
5. Upham, Warren (1969). Minnesota Geographic Names. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society.
6. "County Name Origins". Association of Minnesota Counties. Archived from the original on 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
7. "Origin of Minnesota County Name". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
8. "Minnesota QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 24 February 2012. (2010 Census)
9. "Dodge County History" (PDF). Dodge County website. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
10. "The History of Goodhue County". Goodhue County, Minnesota website. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
11. MCHS - William Morrison - Fur Trader

External links

• Map of the Organized Counties of Minnesota, 1850