McLeod County, Minnesota

McLeod County
U.S. county
McLeod County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°50′N 94°16′W / 44.83°N 94.27°W / 44.83; -94.27
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	March 1, 1856[1]
Named for	Martin McLeod
Seat	Glencoe
Largest city	Hutchinson
Area
• Total	506 sq mi (1,310 km2)
• Land	491 sq mi (1,270 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  2.8%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	36,771
• Density	74.9/sq mi (28.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.co.mcleod.mn.us

McLeod County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. At the 2020 United States Census, the population was 36,771.^[2] Its county seat is Glencoe.^[3]

McLeod County comprises the Hutchinson, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area.

History[]

For thousands of years the area was inhabited by indigenous peoples. At the time of European contact, it was the territory of the Dakota Sioux. The county was created by the Minnesota Territorial legislature on March 1, 1856.^[4] It was named for Martin McLeod, a Canadian-born adventurer who became a fur trader and later was elected a territorial representative (1849–1856) in Minnesota. As a young man, he was part of 's 1836 expedition to the Red River of the North, a journey recounted in his Diary of Martin McLeod, a manuscript held by the Minnesota Historical Society.^[5]

"In 1859 the three Czech families already living in McLeod County were joined by those of Josef Vosmek, Josef Zicha, Antonin Nunvaf, and Jan Vanous, all acquaintances from Caledonia, where they had resided for several years after their arrival from Bohemia. Other settlers followed, taking homesteads close by in the present township of Rich Valley".^[6]

The county seat was sited at Glencoe as part of the original act; it had been founded (June 11, 1855) by Martin McLeod, who was a member of the townsite company when the county was founded.^[4]

The county was the site of several events during the Dakota War of 1862, including the siege of Hutchinson and the killing of the White family near Brownton. It was also the first place to use the Geier Hitch,^[7] a kind of animal husbandry that some characterize as animal abuse.

Geography[]

The South Fork of the Crow River flows easterly through the upper central part of McLeod County, thence into Wright County. Buffalo Creek also flows eastward through the lower central part of the county, thence into Wright. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, dotted with lakes and lightly etched by drainages and gullies. The area is mostly devoted to agriculture.^[8] The terrain is sloped to the east, with its highest point on the upper west border at 1,096' (334m) ASL.^[9] The county has an area of 506 square miles (1,310 km²), of which 491 square miles (1,270 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (2.8%) is water.^[10] McLeod is one of seven southern Minnesota Counties with no native forests. Only savanna and prairie soils exist in McLeod County.

Major highways[]

Adjacent counties[]

Lakes^[8][]

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	1,286		—
1870	5,643		338.8%
1880	12,342		118.7%
1890	17,026		38.0%
1900	19,595		15.1%
1910	18,691		−4.6%
1920	20,444		9.4%
1930	20,522		0.4%
1940	21,380		4.2%
1950	22,198		3.8%
1960	24,401		9.9%
1970	27,662		13.4%
1980	29,657		7.2%
1990	32,030		8.0%
2000	34,898		9.0%
2010	36,651		5.0%
2020	36,771		0.3%
US Decennial Census[12] 1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[15] 2010-2020[2]

2000 census[]

As of the 2000 United States Census,^[16] there were 34,898 people, 13,449 households and 9,427 families in the county. The population density was 71.1/sqmi (27.4/km²). There were 14,087 housing units at an average density of 28.7/sqmi (11.1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.62% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.79% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 3.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 57.5% were of German and 8.5% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 13,449 households, of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.08.

The county population contained 27.70% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.10 males.

The median household income was $45,953 and the median family income was $55,003. Males had a median income of $35,709 compared with $25,253 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,137. About 2.80% of families and 4.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.80% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

Communities[]

Cities[]

Unincorporated communities[]

Townships[]

Politics[]

McLeod County voters have traditionally been Republican. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).

See also[]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in McLeod County MN

References[]

External links[]

• McLeod County government’s website

Coordinates: 44°50′N 94°16′W / 44.83°N 94.27°W / 44.83; -94.27