Chippewa County, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chippewa County
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Chippewa County Bank in Montevideo.
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Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
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 Minnesota's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | February 20, 1862 (created) 1868 (organized) |
| Named for | Chippewa River |
| Seat | Montevideo |
| Largest city | Montevideo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 588 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
| • Land | 581 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Water | 6.7 sq mi (17 km2) 1.1%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,598 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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12,172  |
| • Density | 21.7/sq mi (8.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
Chippewa County (/ˈtʃɪpəˌwɑː/ chip-Ə-wah) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,598. Its county seat is Montevideo. The county was formed in 1862, and was organized in 1868.
Contents
History
Chippewa County was organized on March 5, 1868, after having been part of Renville County. The northern boundary change separating it from Swift County led to reorganization on February 18, 1870. The first three county commissioners, appointed by the governor, were Daniel S. Wilkins, Ole Thorson and M. Davidson. The county commissioners first met at Wilkins's cabin on January 9, 1869. Wilkins was appointed chairman of the board. The first officers appointed were J.D. Baker as auditor; J.C. Eldred as register of deeds; Samuel J. Sargant as treasurer; George W. Daniels as judge of probate; Edward Alcorn as sheriff; J.D. Baker as superintendent of schools; Horace W. Griggs as coroner; George W. Frink as justice of the peace; and F.W. Palmer and M. Morris as constables.
County seat
Chippewa City was the first village to be laid out in Chippewa County. It was on the west side of the Chippewa River, just north of the confluence with the Minnesota River. Daniel S. Wilkins was the first settler to arrive in 1865, and he laid out Chippewa City in autumn 1868. Wilkins's cabin there was the location of the first county commissioners' meeting.
George W. Frink arrived in Chippewa County in 1867 and made claim to land on the east side of the Chippewa River, where he built a log house in Montevideo. With towns on both sides of the river, there was debate over which should be the county seat. L. R. Moyer reported that some men from Montevideo went to Chippewa City and took the county records, "lock, stock and barrel". They also stole the post office, and G. W. Fink was named postmaster. The state of Minnesota legalized the move and Montevideo remains the county seat.
Geography
The upper part of the county's western boundary is formed by the outline of Lac qui Parle reservoir, which was formed when the Minnesota River was dammed in 1939. The Minnesota River flows southeast from the lake, along the county's southwestern border, while the Chippewa River flows south through the western part of the county to discharge into the Minnesota at the county's southern border. The Dry Weather Creek drains the west-central part of the county into the Chippewa, while the Palmer Creek drains the lower central part of the county into the Minnesota near the county's southernmost point. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, devoted to agriculture. The terrain generally slopes to the south, and locally to the river valleys. The county's highest point is near its southeastern corner, section 23 of Rheiderland Township, at 1,142 ft (348 m) The county has a total area of 588 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 581 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 6.7 square miles (17 km2) (1.1%) is water.
Lakes
- Carlton Lake
- Long Lake
- Norboro Lake
- Round Lake
- Shakopee Lake
- Watson Sag
Major highways
U.S. Highway 59
U.S. Highway 212
Minnesota State Highway 7
Minnesota State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 29
Minnesota State Highway 40
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Adjacent counties
- Swift County - north
- Kandiyohi County - northeast
- Renville County - southeast
- Yellow Medicine County - southwest
- Lac qui Parle County - west
Protected areas
- Boike State Wildlife Management Area
- Franko State Wildlife Management Area
- Gneiss Outcrops Scientific and Natural Area
- Minnesota River Valley Overlook
- Spartan State Wildlife Management Area
Climate and weather
| Weather chart for Montevideo, Minnesota | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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0.9
22
2
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1
27
7
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1.8
39
19
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2.5
56
33
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3
69
46
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4.2
78
56
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3.7
83
61
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3.4
81
58
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3.3
72
48
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2.3
59
35
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1.7
41
21
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0.9
25
7
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| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: The Weather Channel |
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Metric conversion
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In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Montevideo have ranged from a low of 2 °F (−17 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −37 °F (−38 °C) was recorded in January 1970 and a record high of 110 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 0.86 inches (22 mm) in December to 4.24 inches (108 mm) in June.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,467 | — | |
| 1880 | 5,408 | 268.6% | |
| 1890 | 8,555 | 58.2% | |
| 1900 | 12,499 | 46.1% | |
| 1910 | 13,458 | 7.7% | |
| 1920 | 15,720 | 16.8% | |
| 1930 | 15,762 | 0.3% | |
| 1940 | 16,927 | 7.4% | |
| 1950 | 16,739 | −1.1% | |
| 1960 | 16,320 | −2.5% | |
| 1970 | 15,109 | −7.4% | |
| 1980 | 14,941 | −1.1% | |
| 1990 | 13,228 | −11.5% | |
| 2000 | 13,088 | −1.1% | |
| 2010 | 12,441 | −4.9% | |
| 2020 | 12,598 | 1.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 12,172 | −2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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2020 Census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (NH) | 10,473 | 83.13% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 75 | 0.6% |
| Native American (NH) | 102 | 0.8% |
| Asian (NH) | 44 | 0.34% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 296 | 2.4% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 365 | 2.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,243 | 9.9% |
Communities
Cities
- Clara City
- Granite Falls (partial)
- Maynard
- Milan
- Montevideo (county seat)
- Watson
Unincorporated communities
Townships
- Big Bend Township
- Crate Township
- Grace Township
- Granite Falls Township
- Havelock Township
- Kragero Township
- Leenthrop Township
- Lone Tree Township
- Louriston Township
- Mandt Township
- Rheiderland Township
- Rosewood Township
- Sparta Township
- Stoneham Township
- Tunsberg Township
- Woods Township
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Chippewa (Minnesota) para niños
