McLeod County, Minnesota

McLeod County
McLeod County
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
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	March 1, 1856
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
• Estimate (2023)	36,785
• 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 (/məkˈlaʊd/ mək-LOWD) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. At the 2020 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 James Dickson'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 Nunvar, 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 ft (334 m) 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] Only savanna and prairie soils exist in McLeod County.

Northeast McLeod County once had significant areas of Maple-Basswood or "Big Woods" forests. https://mn.gov/admin/assets/2012-Investigating-Poorly-Known-Areas-of-Minnesota--An-Archaeological-Survey-of-McLeod-County_tcm36-187391.pdf

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Wright County - northeast
Carver County - east
Sibley County - south
Renville County - west
Meeker County - northwest

Lakes^[8]

Baker's Lake
Bear Lake
Belle Lake (part)
Bremers Lake
Butternut Lake (part)
Campbell Lake (Acoma Township)
Campbell Lake (part in Winsted Township, part in Carver County)
Campbells Lake
Cedar Lake (part)
Clear Lake (Acoma Township)
Clear Lake (Sumter Township)
Coon Lakes (par)
Dettman Lake
Eagle Lake
Echo Lake
French Lake
Grass Lake
Kings Lake
Kujas Lake
Lake Addie
Lake Allen
Lake Barber
Lake Byron (part)
Lake Clara
Lake Emily
Lake Harrington
Lake Hook
Lake Marion
Lake Mary
Lake Todd
Lewis Lake
Little Bear Lake
Loughman Lake
Mud Lake (Hale and Rich Valley townships)
Mud Lake: (Lynn Township)
O'Mera Lake
Otter Lake
Pierce Lake
Piker Lake
Popp Lake
Round Grove Lake (part)
Ryan Lake
Shakopee Lake (part)
Silver Lake
South Lake
Stahl Lake
Sustacek Lake
Swan Lake
Tomlinson Lake
Ward Lake (part)
Whitney Lake
Winsted Lake

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
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%
2023 (est.)	36,785	^[12]	0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census^[13] 1790-1960^[14] 1900-1990^[15] 1990-2000^[16] 2010-2020^[2]

2020 census

**McLeod County, Minnesota - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010^[17]	Pop 2020^[18]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	34,005	32,559	92.78%	88.55%
Black or African American alone (NH)	184	226	0.50%	0.62%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	81	102	0.22%	0.28%
Asian alone (NH)	265	230	0.72%	0.63%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	16	27	0.04%	0.07%
Other race alone (NH)	10	64	0.03%	0.17%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	267	1,008	0.73%	2.74%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,811	2,555	4.94%	6.95%
Total	36,651	36,771	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2000 census

2022 US Census population pyramid for McLeod County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the 2000 census, there were 34,898 people, 13,449 households and 9,427 families in the county. The population density was 71.1 per square mile (27.5/km²). There were 14,087 housing units at an average density of 28.7 per square mile (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).

United States presidential election results for McLeod County, Minnesota^[19]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	13,986	66.81%	6,413	30.64%	534	2.55%
2016	12,155	64.63%	4,978	26.47%	1,674	8.90%
2012	11,069	59.66%	6,968	37.56%	516	2.78%
2008	10,993	57.77%	7,505	39.44%	531	2.79%
2004	11,407	61.95%	6,712	36.45%	293	1.59%
2000	8,782	57.05%	5,609	36.44%	1,003	6.52%
1996	5,474	38.92%	6,027	42.86%	2,562	18.22%
1992	5,422	35.33%	4,919	32.05%	5,006	32.62%
1988	7,967	57.47%	5,736	41.38%	159	1.15%
1984	8,728	63.58%	4,864	35.43%	135	0.98%
1980	7,819	55.71%	4,987	35.53%	1,229	8.76%
1976	6,519	49.24%	6,249	47.21%	470	3.55%
1972	7,820	61.42%	4,538	35.64%	375	2.95%
1968	6,619	54.87%	4,861	40.29%	584	4.84%
1964	5,545	49.00%	5,755	50.86%	16	0.14%
1960	7,214	62.67%	4,276	37.15%	21	0.18%
1956	6,743	68.61%	3,068	31.22%	17	0.17%
1952	7,246	72.11%	2,781	27.68%	21	0.21%
1948	4,623	53.04%	3,987	45.74%	106	1.22%
1944	5,756	68.84%	2,557	30.58%	48	0.57%
1940	6,474	68.73%	2,884	30.62%	62	0.66%
1936	2,941	36.50%	4,449	55.21%	668	8.29%
1932	2,293	30.14%	5,187	68.18%	128	1.68%
1928	4,252	54.82%	3,445	44.41%	60	0.77%
1924	2,841	44.89%	563	8.90%	2,925	46.22%
1920	5,430	77.62%	1,139	16.28%	427	6.10%
1916	1,772	55.22%	1,305	40.67%	132	4.11%
1912	655	22.77%	1,225	42.59%	996	34.63%
1908	1,579	49.39%	1,506	47.11%	112	3.50%
1904	1,478	62.10%	793	33.32%	109	4.58%
1900	1,691	50.01%	1,540	45.55%	150	4.44%
1896	1,595	47.73%	1,653	49.46%	94	2.81%
1892	902	32.28%	1,523	54.51%	369	13.21%