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Fillmore County, Minnesota facts for kids

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Fillmore County
Fillmore County Courthouse
Fillmore County Courthouse
Map of Minnesota highlighting Fillmore County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Minnesota
Founded March 5, 1853
Named for Millard Fillmore
Seat Preston
Largest city Spring Valley
Area
 • Total 862 sq mi (2,230 km2)
 • Land 861 sq mi (2,230 km2)
 • Water 0.8 sq mi (2 km2)  0.09%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 21,228
 • Estimate 
(2023)
21,522 Increase
 • Density 24.6/sq mi (9.5/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st

Fillmore County is a beautiful area in the state of Minnesota, USA. It's known for its rolling hills and pretty rivers. A "county" is like a smaller division of a state, helping to organize local government.

As of the 2020 census, about 21,228 people live here. The main town, or "county seat," where the local government offices are, is Preston. Fillmore County is also part of the larger Rochester area.

History of Fillmore County

Fillmore County was officially created on March 5, 1853. It was named after Millard Fillmore, who was the 13th president of the United States.

This county was one of the first places in Minnesota where European-American settlers came to live. This happened after the United States made agreements with the Dakota Native American nations in 1851. Many people from Norway came to settle here. In 1860, Fillmore County was actually the most populated county in all of Minnesota!

Geography and Landscape

Fillmore County is located right on Minnesota's border with Iowa. The Root River is a major river that flows through the county, heading east. Many smaller streams, like the North Branch, Middle Branch, South Branch, Bear Creek, and Willow Creek, join the Root River. The Upper Iowa River also briefly enters the county near its southern edge.

The land in Fillmore County has rolling hills and valleys. Much of the area is used for farming. The highest point in the county is about 1,378 feet (420 meters) above sea level. The county covers a total area of about 862 square miles (2,233 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with only a tiny bit of water.

This area is part of something called the Driftless Area. This means it was not covered by ice during the last ice age. Because of this, Fillmore County also has a special type of landscape called karst topography. This means there are many caves, sinkholes, and underground rivers formed by water dissolving the bedrock.

Main Roads in Fillmore County

  • US 52.svg U.S. Highway 52
  • US 63.svg U.S. Highway 63
  • MN-16.svg Minnesota State Highway 16
  • MN-30.svg Minnesota State Highway 30
  • MN-43.svg Minnesota State Highway 43
  • MN-44.svg Minnesota State Highway 44
  • MN-56.svg Minnesota State Highway 56
  • MN-74.svg Minnesota State Highway 74
  • MN-80.svg Minnesota State Highway 80
  • MN-139.svg Minnesota State Highway 139
  • MN-250.svg Minnesota State Highway 250
  • List of county roads

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

Fillmore County is home to several important natural areas, including:

  • Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
  • Mystery Cave State Park
  • Pin Oak Prairie Scientific and Natural Area
  • Rushford Sand Barrens Scientific and Natural Area
  • Wycoff Balsam Fir Scientific and Natural Area

People and Population (Demographics)

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 13,542
1870 24,887 83.8%
1880 28,162 13.2%
1890 25,996 −7.7%
1900 28,288 8.8%
1910 25,680 −9.2%
1920 25,330 −1.4%
1930 24,748 −2.3%
1940 25,830 4.4%
1950 24,465 −5.3%
1960 23,768 −2.8%
1970 21,916 −7.8%
1980 21,930 0.1%
1990 20,777 −5.3%
2000 21,122 1.7%
2010 20,866 −1.2%
2020 21,228 1.7%
2023 (est.) 21,522 3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

Population in 2020

In 2020, the population of Fillmore County was 21,228 people. Most residents, about 95%, identified as White. Smaller groups included Black or African American, Asian, and people of mixed races. About 1.6% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Population in 2010

FillmoreCountyMn2022PopPyr
This chart shows the age groups of people living in Fillmore County in 2022.

In 2010, there were 20,866 people living in Fillmore County. The population density was about 24 people per square mile. Most people (98.2%) were White.

About 29.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.40 people. The median age in the county was 43 years old. This means half the people were older than 43, and half were younger.

Communities in Fillmore County

Cattle grazing, Fillmore County, Minnesota
County landscape in autumn, showing farms and hills.

Cities in Fillmore County

Smaller Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially cities:

Townships in Fillmore County

Townships are another type of local government area, often covering rural land:

  • Amherst Township
  • Arendahl Township
  • Beaver Township
  • Bloomfield Township
  • Bristol Township
  • Canton Township
  • Carimona Township
  • Carrolton Township
  • Chatfield Township
  • Fillmore Township
  • Forestville Township
  • Fountain Township
  • Harmony Township
  • Holt Township
  • Jordan Township
  • Newburg Township
  • Norway Township
  • Pilot Mound Township
  • Preble Township
  • Preston Township
  • Spring Valley Township
  • Sumner Township
  • York Township

Education in Fillmore County

Students in Fillmore County attend schools in various school districts, including:

  • Chatfield Public Schools
  • Fillmore Central School District
  • Kingsland Public School District
  • Lanesboro Public School District
  • LeRoy-Ostrander Public Schools
  • Mabel-Canton Public School District
  • Rushford-Peterson Public Schools
  • St. Charles Public School District
  • Stewartville Public School District

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Fillmore (Minnesota) para niños

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