# Watonwan County, Minnesota *County in the U.S. state of Minnesota* Watonwan County is a county in the U.S. state of [[Minnesota]]. The 2020 census counted 11,253 residents, and St. James is the county seat.[^1] The county was formed on February 25, 1860, from the southern part of Brown County under the spelling "Watanwan", with Madelia as its first county seat. It is named for the [[Watonwan River]].[^2] After an 1878 county vote, the county seat moved from Madelia to St. James. St. James has been the site of the [[Watonwan County Courthouse]] since then.[^3] At the 2020 census, Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 28.7% of the population.[^4] As of 2020, county voters had given a majority to the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]'s presidential ticket in two-thirds of presidential election years since 1980.[^3] ## History In 1849 the legislature of the newly organized [[Minnesota Territory]] authorized nine large counties. In 1853 a large area of one of them, Dakota County, was set off to form Blue Earth County. In 1855 the western part of Blue Earth County became Brown County.[^2] On February 25, 1860, the southern part of Brown County was partitioned as the county of Watanwan, and Madelia was designated its first county seat.[^2] The county takes its name from the Watonwan River. That river is a tributary of the [[Blue Earth River]], whose waters pass into the [[Minnesota River]] and then the [[Mississippi River]]. The name reflects the Dakota word "watanwan", glossed as "fish bait" or "plenty of fish". The river's name first appears in the modern written record on an 1843 map of the area.[^2] The first European settlers reached the site of the future town of St. James in 1869. The following year an extension of the St. Paul and Sioux City Railway ended at the village, and railway officials named the terminus Saint James. By 1878 the town had grown enough that a countywide vote was held on moving the county seat and courthouse there from Madelia.[^2] ## Geography Watonwan County is a landscape of low, rolling hills cut by drainage channels and scattered with lakes and ponds. Land is farmed wherever the terrain permits. The ground falls away to the north and east from a high point of 1,293 feet (394 m) above sea level near the southwest corner.[^5] [[United States Census Bureau]] figures put the county's total area at 439.730 square miles (1,138.90 km²). Of that, 434.947 square miles is land and 4.783 square miles (1.1%) is water.[^5] The Watonwan River and its tributaries drain the county, and the main stream runs east across the county's northern part.[^5] The county's major highways are [[Minnesota State Highway 4]], [[Minnesota State Highway 15]], [[Minnesota State Highway 30]] and [[Minnesota State Highway 60]]. [[St. James Municipal Airport]] (JYG) lies 3 miles (4.8 km) east of St. James.[^5] Neighboring counties are Brown County to the north, Blue Earth County to the east, Martin County to the south, Jackson County to the southwest and Cottonwood County to the west.[^5] The county has five state wildlife management areas: Bergdahl, Lewisville, Turtle Marsh, Wilson and Woodlake. Its lakes include Bergdahl, Bullhead, Butterfield, Case, Cottonwood, Ewy, Fedji, Irish, Long, Mary, Mud, Kansas, Saint James, School, Sulem and Wilson lakes, and part of Wood Lake.[^5] ## Demographics The 2020 census counted 11,253 residents, with a median age of 39.5 years. Of these residents, 25.2% were under 18 and 19.8% were 65 or older. There were 99.8 males for every 100 females, and 99.3 males for every 100 females aged 18 and over.[^4] The census reported a racial makeup of 72.9% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, and 0.9% Asian. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents were under 0.1%, some other race 15.5%, and two or more races 9.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 28.7% of the population.[^4] The 2023 American Community Survey estimated 4,314 households averaging 2.55 persons each. It reported a median household income of $70,593, with about 10.0% of residents at or below the poverty line.[^6] The same section gives an employment rate of 65.4%. It reports 88.4% of the population holding a high school diploma and 18.2% holding a bachelor's degree or higher.[^6] It also states a median age of 40.6 years without naming the source of that figure; the 2020 census figure is 39.5 years.[^4] The median home value in the third quarter of 2024 was $162,740.[^6] ## Communities The county's cities are Butterfield, Darfur, La Salle, Lewisville, Madelia, Odin, Ormsby (partly in Martin County) and St. James, the county seat. Its unincorporated communities are Echols, Godahl (partial), Grogan, South Branch, Sveadahl and Tenmile Corner.[^7] Its townships are Adrian, Antrim, Butterfield, Fieldon, Long Lake, Madelia, Nelson, Odin, Riverdale, Rosendale, St. James and South Branch.[^7] ## Government and politics The county seat and courthouse have been in St. James since 1878. Before then they were in Madelia, which had been the seat since the county's partition from Brown County.[^3] As of 2020, a majority of county voters had chosen the Republican presidential and vice-presidential nominees in two-thirds of the presidential election years since 1980. Republican, Democratic-Farmer-Labor and independent voters all have active organizations in the county.[^3] ## In the Minnesota record ### Where - Bordered by Brown, Blue Earth, Martin, Jackson and Cottonwood counties; drained by the Watonwan River.[^5] ### When - February 25, 1860: partitioned from the southern part of Brown County, with Madelia as county seat.[^2] - 1878: county seat and courthouse moved from Madelia to St. James after a county vote.[^3] ### How many - 11,253 residents at the 2020 census.[^4] - 4,314 estimated households in the 2023 American Community Survey.[^6] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Watonwan County, Minnesota* (revision 1375334840, retrieved 2026-10-25), lead section — establishes the 2020 census population and the county seat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watonwan_County,_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Watonwan County, Minnesota* (revision 1375334840, retrieved 2026-10-25), "History" section — establishes the county lineage of 1849–1860, the 1860 partition, the origin of the name, the 1869 settlement, the 1870 railway terminus and the 1878 vote. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watonwan_County,_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Watonwan County, Minnesota* (revision 1375334840, retrieved 2026-10-25), "Government and politics" section — establishes the county seat and courthouse location since 1878, the presidential voting pattern since 1980 (as of 2020) and the party organizations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watonwan_County,_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Watonwan County, Minnesota* (revision 1375334840, retrieved 2026-10-25), "Demographics: 2020 census" section — establishes the 2020 population, age, sex ratio, racial makeup and Hispanic or Latino share. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watonwan_County,_Minnesota [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Watonwan County, Minnesota* (revision 1375334840, retrieved 2026-10-25), "Geography" section — establishes the terrain, high point, Census Bureau area figures, drainage, highways, airport, adjacent counties, wildlife management areas and lakes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watonwan_County,_Minnesota [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Watonwan County, Minnesota* (revision 1375334840, retrieved 2026-10-25), "Demographics" section — establishes the 2023 American Community Survey household, income, poverty, employment and education figures and the 2024 median home value. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watonwan_County,_Minnesota [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Watonwan County, Minnesota* (revision 1375334840, retrieved 2026-10-25), "Communities" section — establishes the cities, unincorporated communities and townships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watonwan_County,_Minnesota