# Sibley County, Minnesota *County in south-central Minnesota, United States* Sibley County lies in the South Central region of [[Minnesota]], and its seat is Gaylord. The 2020 census counted 14,836 residents.[^1] The county was created on March 5, 1853, and named for [[Henry Hastings Sibley]]. Its first seat was at Henderson, and the seat moved to Gaylord in 1915.[^2] The county is rural, and its land is devoted to agriculture. The [[Minnesota River]] forms its eastern boundary.[^3] Since 1896 the county has voted Republican in most presidential elections. The only Democratic wins there since 1940 were Bill Clinton's pluralities in 1992 and 1996.[^4] ## History Sibley County dates from March 5, 1853, and takes its name from Henry Hastings Sibley.[^2] Henderson was the first county seat, and a courthouse there entered service in 1879.[^2] The building served the county until 1915. In that year Gaylord residents petitioned the county supervisors, and the seat was transferred to Gaylord.[^2] The former courthouse is now the [[Henderson Community Building]] and holds Henderson's city offices.[^2] ## Geography The Minnesota River runs northeast along the county's eastern edge.[^3] Three branches of the [[Rush River (Minnesota)]] drain the southern part of the county. They join before reaching the Minnesota below Henderson, and most of the Rush River's watershed lies inside Sibley County.[^3] In the north, [[Bevens Creek]] carries water northeast into Carver County.[^3] The landscape is rolling hills cut by drainages and scattered with lakes and ponds. It is given over to agriculture.[^3] The land falls toward the east and north. Its highest point, 1,083 feet (330 m) above sea level, is near the northwest corner.[^3] The county covers 601 square miles (1,560 km²). Of that, 589 square miles are land and 12 square miles (2.0%) are water.[^3] The county's major highways are U.S. Highway 169 and [[Minnesota State Highway 5]], [[Minnesota State Highway 15]], [[Minnesota State Highway 19]], [[Minnesota State Highway 22]], [[Minnesota State Highway 25]] and [[Minnesota State Highway 93]].[^3] Its neighbors are: - McLeod County to the north - Carver County to the northeast - Scott County to the east - Le Sueur County to the southeast - Nicollet County to the south - Renville County to the west[^3] ## Demographics The 2020 census recorded 14,836 residents, with a median age of 42.3 years. Of these residents, 23.1% were under 18 and 19.1% were 65 or older.[^5] There were 103.1 males for every 100 females.[^5] The census reported the racial makeup as: - 89.7% White - 0.6% Black or African American - 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native - 0.5% Asian - 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander - 3.7% some other race - 5.1% two or more races Residents of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race, made up 8.9% of the population.[^5] Fewer than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas.[^5] The census counted 5,989 households. Of these, 28.2% included children under 18 and 53.5% were married-couple households.[^5] There were 6,454 housing units, and 7.2% of them stood vacant. Among occupied units, 79.7% were owner-occupied and 20.3% were renter-occupied.[^5] The 2000 census had found 15,356 people, 5,772 households and 4,086 families, a density of 26.1 persons per square mile.[^5] ## Communities The county contains eight cities: - Arlington - Gaylord, the county seat - Gibbon - Green Isle - Henderson - Le Sueur, which lies mostly in Le Sueur County - New Auburn - Winthrop[^6] Assumption (in part), New Rome and Rush River are unincorporated communities.[^6] The county has seventeen townships, among them Arlington, Dryden, Henderson, New Auburn and Transit.[^6] ## Politics Under the Third Party System, Sibley was a strongly Democratic county. Its German and Irish Catholic population opposed the pietism of the [[Republican Party (United States)]].[^4] The county backed Democrats for president until William Jennings Bryan's Free Silver campaign. That campaign had populist support, and it pushed the county's voters to William McKinley.[^4] Since 1896 the county has been firmly Republican, with three exceptions: Robert La Follette in 1924 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in his two 1930s landslides.[^4] In 1964 it was among only four Minnesota counties that chose Barry Goldwater over the incumbent, [[Lyndon Johnson]]. No Democratic presidential nominee has won a majority there since 1936.[^4] In 1992 the county gave Ross Perot his strongest result in Minnesota, and he fell 14 votes short of Bill Clinton.[^4] Clinton's pluralities in 1992 and 1996 are the only Democratic wins in the county since 1940.[^4] ## Education The following school districts serve the county: - Belle Plaine Public School District - Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Public Schools - Central Public School District - Glencoe-Silver Lake School District - [[GFW Schools]] - Le Sueur-Henderson School District - Sibley East School District[^7] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sibley County, Minnesota* (rev. 1375308236, retrieved 2026-10-25) — location, county seat and 2020 census population. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_County,_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sibley County, Minnesota*, History section (rev. 1375308236, retrieved 2026-10-25) — creation date, namesake, Henderson courthouse (1879) and move of the seat to Gaylord (1915). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_County,_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sibley County, Minnesota*, Geography section (rev. 1375308236, retrieved 2026-10-25) — rivers, terrain, elevation, area, highways and adjacent counties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_County,_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sibley County, Minnesota*, Politics section (rev. 1375308236, retrieved 2026-10-25) — presidential voting history from the Third Party System to 1996. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_County,_Minnesota [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sibley County, Minnesota*, Demographics section (rev. 1375308236, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2020 and 2000 census figures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_County,_Minnesota [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sibley County, Minnesota*, Communities section (rev. 1375308236, retrieved 2026-10-25) — cities, unincorporated communities and townships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_County,_Minnesota [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sibley County, Minnesota*, Education section (rev. 1375308236, retrieved 2026-10-25) — school districts serving the county. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_County,_Minnesota