Cottonwood County, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cottonwood County
U.S. county
Cottonwood County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	May 23, 1857 (created) July 29, 1870 (organized)
Named for	Cottonwood River
Seat	Windom
Largest city	Windom
Area
• Total	649 sq mi (1,680 km2)
• Land	639 sq mi (1,660 km2)
• Water	10 sq mi (30 km2)  1.5%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,517
• Estimate  (2023)	11,319
• Density	18.0/sq mi (6.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 7th

Cottonwood County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,517. Its county seat is Windom.

History

The county was created on May 23, 1857, named for the river in Germantown Township ("cottonwood" is the English meaning of the Dakota Sioux word "Waraju"). Minnesota Governor Horace Austin appointed three county commissioners when the county was established. They met at a home about six miles northwest of Windom on the Des Moines River at Big Bend. During this meeting, they designated the commissioners' districts and changed various county officers. The county organization was completed on July 29, 1870. The first general election was held in the county that November. The first deed of record was filed on January 10, 1870. The first land assessments were made in 1871, and the first taxes were paid in 1872.

County NRHP listings

• The Cottonwood County Courthouse (1904), an example of Neoclassical architecture, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Mountain Park, southeast of Mountain Lake, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. A 1976 archeological dig unearthed evidence of a Meskwaki habitation there circa 500 B.C., the oldest human habitation to be discovered in Minnesota.
• The Jeffers Petroglyphs, near Jeffers, contain pre-European Native American rock carvings. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

The Heron Lake Outflow flows east through the lower part of Cottonwood County. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, devoted to agriculture. The terrain generally slopes to the east, with the northern portion also sloping north and the lower portion sloping south. The highest point is on the midpoint of the west border, at 1,535 ft (468 m) ASL. The county has an area of 649 square miles (1,680 km²), of which 639 square miles (1,660 km²) is land and 10 square miles (26 km²) (1.5%) is water.

Watersheds

The northeastern part of the county drains north to the Minnesota River through numerous small creeks, the Cottonwood River and Watonwan River. The southwestern part drains south through the Des Moines River. These two watersheds come together at the Mississippi River near Keokuk, Iowa. Most wetlands in the county have been drained for agricultural use.

Lakes

Source:

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Source:

Demographics

2020 Census

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated community

• Delft

Townships

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Cottonwood para niños