# Chippewa County, Minnesota *County in the U.S. state of Minnesota* Chippewa County is a county in the U.S. state of [[Minnesota]], with Montevideo as its county seat.[^1] The 2020 census counted 12,598 residents.[^1] The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1868.[^1] The governor appointed the county's first three commissioners. The board first met in January 1869 and named the first county officers.[^2] Settlements at Chippewa City and Montevideo contested the county seat. Montevideo kept it after the state of Minnesota legalized the transfer of the county records there.[^3] The county's terrain of low rolling hills is used for agriculture. It lies along the [[Minnesota River]] and the Chippewa River.[^4] In 2020, 57.2% of residents lived in rural areas and 42.8% in urban areas.[^6] ## History Chippewa County had been part of Renville County until its organization on March 5, 1868.[^2] A change to its northern boundary, which separated it from Swift County, led to a reorganization on February 18, 1870.[^2] The [[governor]] appointed Daniel S. Wilkins, Ole Thorson and M. Davidson as the first three commissioners.[^2] The board held its first meeting on January 9, 1869, in Wilkins's cabin, and made Wilkins its chairman.[^2] The board's first appointments made J.D. Baker both auditor and superintendent of schools. It named J.C. Eldred register of deeds, Samuel J. Sargant treasurer and George W. Daniels judge of probate.[^2] Edward Alcorn became [[sheriff]] and Horace W. Griggs coroner. George W. Frink was named justice of the peace, and F.W. Palmer and M. Morris constables.[^2] ### County seat Chippewa City was the first village platted in the county. It stood west of the Chippewa River, a short distance north of where that river joins the Minnesota.[^3] Its founder, Daniel S. Wilkins, had arrived in 1865 as the county's first settler and platted the village in the autumn of 1868. The commissioners' first meeting took place in his cabin there.[^3] George W. Frink came to the county in 1867. He took up a claim east of the Chippewa River and built a log house in Montevideo.[^3] The two settlements on opposite banks disputed which would hold the county seat.[^3] According to an account by L. R. Moyer, men from Montevideo removed the county records from Chippewa City, "lock, stock and barrel". Moyer's account says they also took the post office, after which G. W. Fink was made postmaster.[^3] The state of Minnesota legalized the transfer, and Montevideo has remained the county seat.[^3] The record shows this sequence; it does not establish the grounds on which the state acted.[^3] ## Geography The Lac qui Parle reservoir outlines the upper portion of the county's western boundary. The reservoir was created by a 1939 dam on the Minnesota River.[^4] Below the lake, the Minnesota River runs southeast along the county's southwestern edge.[^4] The Chippewa River crosses the western part of the county from north to south and enters the Minnesota at the county's southern border.[^4] Dry Weather Creek carries water from the west-central area into the Chippewa. Palmer Creek drains the lower central area into the Minnesota close to the county's southernmost point.[^4] The land is gently rolling and farmed. It falls generally toward the south and, locally, toward the river valleys.[^4] The highest elevation, 1,142 ft (348 m), is in section 23 of Rheiderland Township near the southeastern corner.[^4] Of the county's 588 square miles (1,520 km²), 581 square miles (1,500 km²) are land and 6.7 square miles (17 km²), or 1.1%, are water.[^4] Lakes in the county are Carlton Lake, Long Lake, Norboro Lake, Round Lake, Shakopee Lake and Watson Sag.[^4] U.S. Highways 59 and 212 cross the county, along with Minnesota State Highways 7, 23, 29 and 40.[^4] Neighboring counties are Swift (north), Kandiyohi (northeast), Renville (southeast), Yellow Medicine (southwest) and Lac qui Parle (west).[^4] The Boike, Franko and Spartan State Wildlife Management Areas are within the county. So are the Gneiss Outcrops Scientific and Natural Area and the Minnesota River Valley Overlook.[^4] ## Climate and weather Montevideo's average temperatures have recently run from 2 °F (−17 °C) in January to 83 °F (28 °C) in July.[^5] The town's record extremes are −37 °F (−38 °C), set in January 1970, and 110 °F (43 °C), set in July 1988.[^5] Average monthly precipitation is lowest in December, at 0.86 inches (22 mm). It is highest in June, at 4.24 inches (108 mm).[^5] ## Demographics ### 2020 census The 2020 census recorded 12,598 people in the county, with a median age of 41.1.[^6] Residents under 18 made up 23.9% of the population, and those 65 and older 21.8%.[^6] There were 99.8 males for every 100 females overall, and 99.3 for every 100 among adults.[^6] The census recorded the county's racial makeup as follows: 84.6% White and 0.6% Black or African American. It also recorded 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 2.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.2% some other race, and 4.9% two or more races.[^6] Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race, were 9.9% of the total.[^6] The 5,150 households included 28.8% with children under 18 and 50.0% married-couple households.[^6] One-person households made up about 30.1% of the total, and 14.8% of households had someone 65 or older living alone.[^6] Of 5,627 housing units, 8.5% stood vacant. Owners occupied 72.3% of occupied units and renters 27.7%.[^6] The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%, and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.[^6] ### 2000 census The 2000 census counted 13,088 people, 5,361 households and 3,597 families.[^7] Population density was 22.5 per square mile (8.7/km²). The county had 5,855 housing units, an average of 10.1 per square mile.[^7] That census recorded 96.78% of residents as White and 0.18% as Black or African American.[^7] ## Communities Six cities lie wholly or partly in the county: Clara City, Granite Falls (partial), Maynard, Milan, Montevideo, which is the county seat, and Watson.[^8] The unincorporated communities are Asbury, Big Bend City, Bunde, Churchill, Gluek, Gracelock, Hagan, Louriston and Wegdahl.[^8] There are sixteen townships: Big Bend, Crate, Grace, Granite Falls, Havelock, Kragero, Leenthrop, Lone Tree, Louriston, Mandt, Rheiderland, Rosewood, Sparta, Stoneham, Tunsberg and Woods.[^8] ## Government and politics In recent decades, the county's presidential vote has divided between the parties. As of 2024, it had backed the Democratic nominee in 6 and the Republican nominee in 6 of the 12 presidential elections held since 1980.[^9] In 2016, Donald Trump took 60.5% of the county's vote. He was the first Republican nominee to carry it since George W. Bush in 2000.[^9] His share rose again in 2020 and in 2024. Those were the strongest Republican results in the county since 1920.[^9] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), lead section — 2020 population, county seat, formation in 1862 and organization in 1868. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), History section — organization on March 5, 1868, reorganization on February 18, 1870, first commissioners and first county officers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), History: County seat — Chippewa City, Montevideo, L. R. Moyer's account and the state's legalization of the move. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), Geography section — boundaries, rivers, terrain, area, lakes, highways, adjacent counties and protected areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota [^5]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), Climate and weather section — Montevideo temperature averages, records and precipitation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota [^6]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), Demographics: 2020 census — population, age, sex ratio, race, urban/rural split, households and housing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota [^7]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), Demographics: 2000 census — population, households, families, density, housing units and partial racial makeup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota [^8]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), Communities section — cities, unincorporated communities and townships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota [^9]: Wikipedia, *Chippewa County, Minnesota* (revision 1375328173, retrieved 2026-10-25), Government and politics section — presidential results since 1980 through 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota