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Martin County, Minnesota facts for kids

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Martin County
U.S. county
Martin County Courthouse in Fairmont
Map of Minnesota highlighting Martin 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 May 23, 1857
Named for Henry Martin
Seat Fairmont
Largest city Fairmont
Area
 • Total 730 sq mi (1,900 km2)
 • Land 712 sq mi (1,840 km2)
 • Water 17 sq mi (40 km2)  2.4%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 20,025
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 19,657 Decrease
 • Density 28.1/sq mi (10.8/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st

Martin County is a county in Minnesota, United States. It's located in the southern part of the state, right next to the border with Iowa. As of the 2020 census, about 20,025 people live there. The main town and county seat is Fairmont.

A Look Back in Time

Martin County was officially created by the Minnesota Territory government on May 23, 1857. The town of Fair Mount was also started in 1857 and became the county seat. Its name was later shortened to Fairmont.

There are two ideas about how the county got its name. One idea is that it was named after Morgan Lewis Martin. He was a delegate to the US Congress from the Wisconsin Territory. He helped create the Minnesota Territory.

Another idea, from older residents in 1904, is that it was named for Henry Martin. He was an early settler from Connecticut. Henry Martin ran several businesses before Minnesota became a territory.

Exploring Martin County's Geography

Martin County is located right on Minnesota's border with Iowa. The East Fork of the Des Moines River flows through the lower western part of the county. It moves southeastward.

The county's land has gentle, rolling hills. Many lakes and ponds are scattered across the area. Most of the land is used for farming. The land generally slopes toward the east and north. The highest point is near the southwest corner. It is about 1,407 feet (429 meters) above sea level.

The county covers about 730 square miles (1,891 square kilometers). Of this, 712 square miles (1,844 square kilometers) is land. The remaining 17 square miles (44 square kilometers) is water, making up about 2.4% of the total area.

Main Roads and Travel

  • I-90.svg Interstate 90
  • MN-4.svg Minnesota State Highway 4
  • MN-15.svg Minnesota State Highway 15
  • MN-263.svg Minnesota State Highway 263

Local Airports

  • Fairmont Municipal Airport (FRM)

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

These areas help protect wildlife and nature:

  • Ceylon State Wildlife Management Area
  • Fox Lake Refuge
  • Luedtke State Wildlife Management Area
  • Perch Creek State Wildlife Management Area
  • State Wildlife Management Area
  • Truman Wildlife Area

Lakes of Martin County

Martin County is home to many lakes:

  • Amber Lake
  • Big Twin Lake
  • Bright Lake
  • Budd Lake
  • Buffalo Lake (Cedar Township)
  • Buffalo Lake (Rutland Township)
  • Canright Lake
  • Cedar Lake
  • Clam Lake
  • Clayton Lake
  • Clear Lake
  • Creek Lake
  • Eagle Lake
  • East Chain Lake
  • Fish Lake (Cedar Township)
  • Fish Lake (Lake Belt Township)
  • Fox Lake
  • Hall Lake
  • High Lake
  • Iowa Lake (part)
  • Kiester Lake
  • Lake Charlotte
  • Lake George
  • Lake Imogene
  • Lake Seymour
  • Little Hat Lake
  • Little Twin Lake
  • Martin Lake
  • Mud Lake
  • Murphy Lake
  • North Lake
  • North Silver Lake
  • Okamanpeedan Lake (part)
  • Perch Lake
  • Pierce Lake
  • Rose Lake
  • Round Lake (Fox Lake Township)
  • Round Lake (Waverly Township)
  • Sager Lakes
  • Sisseton Lake
  • South Silver Lake
  • Susan Lake
  • Temperance Lake
  • Tuttle Lake
  • Watkins Lake
  • Wilmert Lake

People of Martin County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 151 —
1870 3,867 2,460.9%
1880 5,249 35.7%
1890 9,408 79.2%
1900 16,936 80.0%
1910 17,518 3.4%
1920 21,085 20.4%
1930 22,401 6.2%
1940 24,656 10.1%
1950 25,655 4.1%
1960 26,986 5.2%
1970 24,316 −9.9%
1980 24,687 1.5%
1990 22,914 −7.2%
2000 21,802 −4.9%
2010 20,840 −4.4%
2020 20,025 −3.9%
2023 (est.) 19,657 −5.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

The population of Martin County has changed over the years. In 1860, only 151 people lived there. By 1960, the population grew to almost 27,000 people. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,025. This shows how the county has grown and changed over time.

Communities in Martin County

Martin County has several cities and smaller communities.

Cities

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially cities:

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas:

  • Cedar Township
  • Center Creek Township
  • East Chain Township
  • Elm Creek Township
  • Fairmont Township
  • Fox Lake Township
  • Fraser Township
  • Galena Township
  • Jay Township
  • Lake Belt Township
  • Lake Fremont Township
  • Manyaska Township
  • Nashville Township
  • Pleasant Prairie Township
  • Rolling Green Township
  • Rutland Township
  • Silver Lake Township
  • Tenhassen Township
  • Waverly Township
  • Westford Township
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Martin County, Minnesota Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.