Lincoln County, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lincoln County
U.S. county
Lincoln County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	March 6, 1873
Named for	Abraham Lincoln
Seat	Ivanhoe
Largest city	Tyler
Area
• Total	548 sq mi (1,420 km2)
• Land	537 sq mi (1,390 km2)
• Water	12 sq mi (30 km2)  2.1%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,640
• Estimate  (2023)	5,521
• Density	10.292/sq mi (3.974/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th

Lincoln County is a county located in the state of Minnesota in the United States. In 2020, about 5,640 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, where the county government is located, is Ivanhoe.

History of Lincoln County

How Lincoln County Got Its Name

After the American Civil War, lawmakers in Minnesota wanted to name a county after President Abraham Lincoln. They tried several times to make this happen, in 1861, 1866, and 1870. But each time, the idea either failed to get enough votes or the people in the county didn't agree with it.

When Lincoln County Was Formed

Finally, on March 6, 1873, a new law was passed. This law split Lyon County into two parts. The western half was then named Lincoln County. The people living in the county voted to approve this change in November 1873. On December 5, 1873, Governor Horace Austin officially announced that Lincoln County now existed. At first, the county seat was in a town called Lake Benton.

Moving the County Seat to Ivanhoe

In 1900, a new town was planned closer to the center of Lincoln County. In 1902, the county seat was moved to this new settlement, which is now Ivanhoe.

Geography of Lincoln County

Lincoln County is located right on Minnesota's border with South Dakota. The land here has rolling hills and is mostly used for farming. The Lac qui Parle River flows through the upper eastern part of the county, heading towards the Minnesota River. The highest point in the county is about 1,991 feet (607 meters) above sea level, located on its lower western border. Lincoln County covers about 548 square miles (1,419 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 537 square miles (1,391 square kilometers), is land, and 12 square miles (31 square kilometers) is water.

Lakes in Lincoln County

Lincoln County has many beautiful lakes, including:

• Ash Lake
• Curtis Lake
• Dead Coon Lake
• Drietz Lake
• Gislason Lake
• Hawks Nest Lake
• Lake Benton
• Lake Hendricks (part)
• Lake Shaokatan
• Lake Stay
• Oak Lake
• Perch Lake
• Steep Bank Lake
• Twin Lakes
• West Lake Stay

Major Roads and Highways

Several important highways pass through Lincoln County, connecting its communities:

• U.S. Highway 14
• U.S. Highway 75
• Minnesota State Highway 19
• Minnesota State Highway 23
• Minnesota State Highway 68
• Minnesota State Highway 271

Neighboring Counties

Lincoln County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Deuel County, South Dakota - northwest
• Yellow Medicine County - north
• Lyon County - east
• Pipestone County - south
• Moody County, South Dakota - southwest
• Brookings County, South Dakota - west

Protected Natural Areas

Lincoln County is home to several protected areas, many of which are State Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). These areas help protect local wildlife and their habitats:

• Altona State Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Ash Lake State Wildlife Management Area
• Blue Wing State Wildlife Management Area
• Bohemian State Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Chen-Bay State Wildlife Management Area
• Christine State Wildlife Management Area
• Collinson State Wildlife Management Area
• Dorer State Wildlife Management Area
• Emerald State Wildlife Management Area
• Expectation State Wildlife Management Area
• Hendricks State Wildlife Management Area
• Hole in the Mountain County Park
• Hope State Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Iron Horse State Wildlife Management Area
• Ivanhoe State Wildlife Management Area
• Johnson State Wildlife Management Area
• Kvermo State Wildlife Management Area
• Minn-Kota State Wildlife Management Area
• Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge
• Platyrhynchos State Wildlife Management Area
• Poposki State Wildlife Management Area
• Prairie Dell State Wildlife Management Area
• Shaokatan State Wildlife Management Area
• Sioux Lookout State Wildlife Management Area
• Sokota State Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Suhr State Wildlife Management Area
• Two Sloughs State Wildlife Management Area

Population of Lincoln County

The number of people living in Lincoln County has changed over the years. Here's how the population has grown and shrunk since 1880:

According to the 2020 census, the population was 5,640 people. Most of the people living in Lincoln County are White.

Communities in Lincoln County

Lincoln County has several towns and smaller communities:

Cities

• Arco
• Hendricks
• Ivanhoe (This is the county seat)
• Lake Benton
• Tyler

Unincorporated Communities

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

• Marshfield
• Thompsonburg
• Verdi
• Wilno

Townships

Townships are local government areas that cover rural parts of the county:

• Alta Vista Township
• Ash Lake Township
• Diamond Lake Township
• Drammen Township
• Hansonville Township
• Hendricks Township
• Hope Township
• Lake Benton Township
• Lake Stay Township
• Limestone Township
• Marble Township
• Marshfield Township
• Royal Township
• Shaokatan Township
• Verdi Township

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Lincoln (Minnesota) para niños