Freeborn County, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Freeborn County
U.S. county
Freeborn County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	February 20, 1855
Named for	William Freeborn
Seat	Albert Lea
Largest city	Albert Lea
Area
• Total	722 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Land	707 sq mi (1,830 km2)
• Water	15 sq mi (40 km2)  2.1%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,895
• Estimate  (2023)	30,515
• Density	43.7/sq mi (16.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st

Freeborn County is a place in the state of Minnesota, USA. It's like a district or region within the state. In 2020, about 30,895 people lived here. The main city and government center of Freeborn County is Albert Lea. This county is also part of a larger area called the Albert Lea Micropolitan Statistical Area, which helps describe how cities and towns are connected.

History of Freeborn County

Freeborn County was officially created on February 20, 1855. It was formed from parts of Blue Earth and Rice Counties. On that same day, the Minnesota Territorial Legislature also created twelve other counties in Minnesota. Freeborn County got its name from William Freeborn. He was an early pioneer, a merchant, and a lawmaker in the Minnesota Territory.

Geography of Freeborn County

Freeborn County is located right on Minnesota's border with Iowa. Several rivers flow through the county. The Shell Rock River starts in Albert Lea Lake and flows south into Iowa. Turtle Creek flows east through the upper part of the county into Mower County.

The land here has hills, valleys, and small streams. The Le Sueur River, which is a branch of the Minnesota River, begins in the northern part of the county. It flows north into Waseca County. Other small rivers like the Cobb River and the Maple River also start in the county's northwest corner. Most of the land is used for farming. The highest point in the county is about 1,296 feet (395 meters) above sea level. The county covers about 722 square miles (1,870 square kilometers). Most of this area, 707 square miles (1,831 square kilometers), is land, and 15 square miles (39 square kilometers) is water.

Soils of Island in Myhre-Big Island State Park

Lakes in Freeborn County

Freeborn County has many lakes. Here are some of them:

Protected Natural Areas

These are special places in Freeborn County that are protected to preserve nature and wildlife:

Transportation and Highways

You can get around Freeborn County using different ways.

• Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit is a public transportation service.

Major Highways

Several important highways pass through Freeborn County:

Neighboring Counties

Freeborn County shares its borders with these other counties:

Population and Demographics

The population of Freeborn County has changed over the years. Here's how it has grown and changed since 1860:

2020 Census Information

The 2020 census collected information about the people living in Freeborn County. This table shows the different groups of people who make up the county's population:

Communities in Freeborn County

Freeborn County has several cities and smaller communities where people live.

Cities

These are the main cities in Freeborn County:

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially organized as cities:

Townships

Townships are smaller areas of land within a county, often including rural areas and small communities:

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Freeborn para niños