# Martin County, Minnesota *County in Minnesota, United States; county seat Fairmont* Martin County is a county in southern [[Minnesota]], United States, on the state line with Iowa. Fairmont is its seat. The 2020 census counted 20,025 residents.[^1] The territorial [[Legislature]] of the [[Minnesota Territory]] established the county on May 23, 1857. At the 2020 census 58.1% of its residents lived in rural areas. The county voted Republican in 36 of the 42 elections counted since its formation and has voted Democratic once since 1948.[^1] ## History The territorial legislature organized the county on May 23, 1857. It named Fair Mount, laid out that same year, as the seat, and the name was afterward contracted to Fairmont.[^1] There are two competing accounts of the county's name. In the first, the namesake is Morgan Lewis Martin, the Wisconsin Territory's delegate to the US Congress, who introduced the act organizing the Minnesota Territory. In the second, the county's oldest residents attested in 1904 that the name honored Henry Martin, an early settler from Connecticut who operated several businesses before the territory was organized.[^1] ## Geography The county sits on the Iowa border. The East Fork of the Des Moines River runs on a southeastward course across the lower western portion of the county. The land is low and gently rolling, scattered with lakes and ponds, and farmed wherever the ground allows. Elevation falls toward the east and north from a high point of 1,407 ft (429 m) above sea level near the southwest corner.[^1] The county's total area is 730 square miles (1,900 km²). Of that, 712 square miles (1,840 km²) are land and 17 square miles (44 km²), or 2.4%, are water.[^1] Interstate 90 and Minnesota State Highways 4, 15 and 263 are the major highways serving the county. Fairmont Municipal Airport (FRM) is the county's listed airport.[^1] The county is bordered by Jackson County to the west, Watonwan County to the north, Blue Earth County to the northeast and Faribault County to the east. Across the state line, Kossuth County, Iowa, lies to the southeast and Emmet County, Iowa, to the southwest.[^1] Protected lands in the county include the Ceylon, Luedtke and Perch Creek state wildlife management areas, Fox Lake Refuge and Truman Wildlife Area.[^1] ## Demographics The 2020 census recorded 20,025 residents with a median age of 44.9 years. Residents under 18 made up 21.7% of the population and those 65 and older made up 23.4%. There were 97.8 males for every 100 females.[^1] By census race category, 91.7% of residents were White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, and 0.5% Asian. Under 0.1% were Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.6% were of some other race, and 4.2% were of two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 6.6% of the population. Rural residents (58.1%) outnumbered urban residents (41.9%).[^1] The census counted 8,748 households. Of these, 24.9% had children under 18, 47.5% were married-couple households, and about 33.3% were one-person households. There were 9,748 housing units, and 10.3% of them were vacant. Of the occupied units, 73.8% were owner-occupied and 26.2% renter-occupied. Homeowner vacancy stood at 1.7% and rental vacancy at 9.5%.[^1] The 2000 census had counted 21,802 people in 9,067 households, including 6,047 families. Population density was 30.6 per square mile, and there were 9,800 housing units. Between the two counts the population fell by 1,777.[^1] ## Communities The county has ten cities:[^1] - Ceylon - Dunnell - Fairmont (the seat) - Granada - Northrop - part of Ormsby - Sherburn - Trimont - Truman - Welcome Its five unincorporated communities are East Chain, Fox Lake, Imogene, Nashville Center and Wilbert.[^1] The county is divided into twenty townships: Cedar, Center Creek, East Chain, Elm Creek, Fairmont, Fox Lake, Fraser, Galena, Jay, Lake Belt, Lake Fremont, Manyaska, Nashville, Pleasant Prairie, Rolling Green, Rutland, Silver Lake, Tenhassen, Waverly and Westford.[^1] ## Government and politics Republican candidates have carried the county through nearly all of its history. It voted Republican in 36 of the 42 elections counted since the county was organized, and it has voted Democratic once since 1948.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### When - The county was established by the territorial legislature on May 23, 1857.[^1] ### Where - The county lies on Minnesota's border with Iowa, with Fairmont as its seat.[^1] ### How many - 20,025 residents (2020 census), down from 21,802 (2000 census).[^1] - The county voted Republican in 36 of 42 elections since formation and Democratic once since 1948.[^1] ## See also - [[Minnesota]] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Martin County, Minnesota* (revision 1378406971, retrieved 2026-10-25) — county profile: creation date, naming accounts, geography, 2020 and 2000 census figures, communities and voting record. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_County,_Minnesota