# Fillmore County, Minnesota *County in Minnesota, United States* Fillmore County is a county of [[Minnesota]], and its seat of government is Preston.[^1] The 2020 census counted 21,228 residents there, and the county forms part of the Rochester metropolitan area.[^1] It was created in 1853 and takes its name from Millard Fillmore, who was the 13th U.S. president.[^2] The county lies along the Iowa state line and belongs to the Driftless Area, the part of Minnesota that stayed free of ice in the last ice age.[^3] In presidential voting it backed the Democratic candidate in every election from 1992 through 2012. It then swung to Republican Donald Trump in 2016.[^4] ## History The county was established on March 5, 1853, and bears the name of Millard Fillmore, the nation's 13th president.[^2] After the United States concluded its 1851 treaties with the [[Dakota]] nations, the area became an early destination for Euro-American settlers. Norwegian immigrants were especially numerous among them.[^2] By 1860 no Minnesota county had a larger population.[^2] ## Geography The county lies on the Minnesota–Iowa border.[^3] The Root River flows east and drains the county. Its North and Middle branches join east of Shady Creek, and the South Branch meets the combined stream at Preston.[^3] Bear Creek drains the southern part of the county and enters the Root in the east. Willow Creek drains another part of the lower county and reaches the Root at Preston.[^3] The Upper Iowa River runs east mostly through neighbouring Iowa counties, but it crosses briefly into Fillmore County near the middle of its southern boundary.[^3] Of the county's 862 square miles (2,230 km²) of total area, 861 square miles are land and 0.8 square miles (0.09%) are water.[^3] Rolling hills cut by gullies and drainages make up the terrain, and the usable area is given over to agriculture.[^3] Elevation falls toward the east. The high point lies on the lower western border, at 1,378 feet (420 m) above sea level.[^3] The county sits within the Driftless Area, also called the Paleozoic plateau, and its landscape shows karst topography.[^3] U.S. Highways 52 and 63 cross the county. So do Minnesota State Highways 16, 30, 43, 44, 56, 74, 80, 139 and 250.[^3] Neighbouring counties are Winona to the northeast, Houston to the east, and Mower to the west. Olmsted lies to the northwest. In Iowa, Winneshiek County lies to the southeast and Howard County to the southwest.[^3] Protected areas in the county include Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park and the Pin Oak Prairie Scientific and Natural Area.[^3] ## Demographics ### 2020 census The 2020 census recorded 21,228 residents, whose median age was 43.0 years.[^5] Children under 18 made up 24.1% of the population, and people 65 or older made up 22.4%.[^5] The census counted 101.1 males per 100 females overall. Among adults, the figure was 98.6 males per 100 females.[^5] By race, 95.5% of residents were White, 0.5% Black or African American, and 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native. Another 0.3% were Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% some other race, and 2.8% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 1.6% of the population.[^5] The census classified 100.0% of residents as rural and less than 0.1% as urban.[^5] The county had 8,605 households. Children under 18 lived in 28.0% of them, and 54.7% were married couples.[^5] A man with no spouse or partner present headed 18.2% of households. A woman with no spouse or partner present headed 20.5%.[^5] One-person households accounted for about 29.1% of the total. In 14.2% of households, a person aged 65 or older lived alone.[^5] Of the 9,583 housing units, 10.2% stood vacant. Owners occupied 81.5% of occupied units and renters 18.5%. The vacancy rate was 1.7% for owner housing and 6.4% for rental housing.[^5] ### 2010 census The 2010 census counted 20,866 people in 8,545 households, of which 5,763 were families. That gave a density of 24.2 people per square mile.[^5] The same count found 9,732 housing units, or 11.3 per square mile. It recorded a racial makeup of 98.2% White and 0.2% Black or African American.[^5] ## Communities The cities in the county are Canton, Chatfield (part), Fountain, Harmony, Lanesboro, Mabel, Ostrander, Peterson, Preston (the county seat), Rushford, Rushford Village, Spring Valley, Whalan and Wykoff.[^6] Its unincorporated communities are Bratsberg, Carimona, Cherry Grove, Clear Grit, Elliota, Etna, Fillmore, Forestville, Granger, Greenleafton, Hamilton, Henrytown, Highland, Lenora, Newburg, Prosper and York.[^6] The county's townships are Amherst, Arendahl, Beaver, Bloomfield, Bristol, Canton, Carimona, Carrolton, Chatfield, Fillmore, Forestville, Fountain, Harmony, Holt, Jordan, Newburg, Norway, Pilot Mound, Preble, Preston, Spring Valley, Sumner and York.[^6] ## Government and politics The Wikipedia article describes the county's political history as fairly typical of rural Upper Midwest counties settled by Yankees.[^4] That article ties a change in the early 1990s to the [[Republican Party (United States)]] becoming a party "largely based around Southern Evangelicals". According to the article, this shift alienated the party's historic Yankee base.[^4] The county voted for Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992. It went Democratic in every election from 1992 through 2012.[^4] In 2016 it moved sharply toward Republican Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton's result that year was the weakest for a Democrat in the county since George McGovern's in 1972.[^4] The same source states that the county has voted for Trump by more than 20% each time.[^4] ## Education The county's school districts include Chatfield Public Schools, Fillmore Central School District, Kingsland Public School District and Lanesboro Public School District. LeRoy-Ostrander Public Schools, Mabel-Canton Public Schools and Rushford-Peterson Public Schools are also on the list. So are St. Charles Public School District and Stewartville Public School District.[^7] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Fillmore County, Minnesota*, lead section (revision 1375289143, retrieved 2026-10-25) — county seat, 2020 population, Rochester metropolitan area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Fillmore County, Minnesota*, History section (revision 1375289143, retrieved 2026-10-25) — creation on March 5, 1853; naming; settlement after the 1851 Dakota treaties; 1860 population rank. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Fillmore County, Minnesota*, Geography section (revision 1375289143, retrieved 2026-10-25) — Iowa border, drainage, area, terrain, Driftless Area, karst, highways, adjacent counties, protected areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Fillmore County, Minnesota*, Government and politics section (revision 1375289143, retrieved 2026-10-25) — presidential voting history, 1992–2016 and after. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Minnesota [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Fillmore County, Minnesota*, Demographics section (revision 1375289143, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2020 and 2010 census figures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Minnesota [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Fillmore County, Minnesota*, Communities section (revision 1375289143, retrieved 2026-10-25) — cities, unincorporated communities, townships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Minnesota [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Fillmore County, Minnesota*, Education section (revision 1375289143, retrieved 2026-10-25) — school districts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_County,_Minnesota