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Meeker County, Minnesota facts for kids

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Meeker County
U.S. county
Grand Army of the Republic Hall in Litchfield, Minnesota.
Map of Minnesota highlighting Meeker 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 February 23, 1856
Named for Bradley B. Meeker, an associate justice of Minnesota Territorial Court
Seat Litchfield
Largest city Litchfield
Area
 • Total 645 sq mi (1,670 km2)
 • Land 608 sq mi (1,570 km2)
 • Water 37 sq mi (100 km2)  5.7%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 23,400
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 23,490 Increase
 • Density 38.5/sq mi (14.9/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th

Meeker County is a county in the state of Minnesota, USA. It is located in the central part of the state. As of the 2020 census, about 23,400 people lived there. The main town and county seat is Litchfield.

History of Meeker County

Meeker County was created a long time ago, on February 23, 1856. Before it became a county, the land was part of the Minnesota Territory. A "territory" is an area of land that belongs to the United States but is not yet a state.

The county was named after Bradley B. Meeker (1813-1873). He was an important judge in the Minnesota Territory from 1849 to 1853.

When Meeker County was first formed, the town of Forest City was chosen as the county seat. The county seat is the main town where the government offices are located. However, in 1869, the county seat was moved to Litchfield. This happened because a new railroad line, the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, reached Litchfield, making it an easier place for people to get to.

In 1858, a part of Meeker County was used to create Kandiyohi County. Since then, the borders of Meeker County have stayed the same.

The Dakota War of 1862

An important historical event that happened in Meeker County was the start of the Dakota War of 1862. This conflict began on August 17, 1862, in a place called Acton. Later, there was a battle near Acton where soldiers had to retreat. The Dakota people also attacked Forest City. Today, you can find many monuments in the county that remember the people who were affected by this conflict.

Geography of Meeker County

Meeker County has a landscape of gently rolling hills. It has some wooded areas and many lakes and ponds. Most of the land is used for farming. The highest point in the county is about 1,261 feet (384 meters) above sea level, located southwest of Lake Hope.

The county covers a total area of 645 square miles (1,671 square kilometers). Out of this, 608 square miles (1,575 square kilometers) is land, and 37 square miles (96 square kilometers) is water. This means about 5.7% of the county is covered by water.

Greenleaf Lake SRA Soils Wiki Version
Soils of Greenleaf Lake SRA

Main Roads

Many important roads pass through Meeker County, helping people travel around. These include:

  • US 12.svg U.S. Highway 12
  • MN-4.svg Minnesota State Highway 4
  • MN-7.svg Minnesota State Highway 7
  • MN-15.svg Minnesota State Highway 15
  • MN-22.svg Minnesota State Highway 22
  • MN-24.svg Minnesota State Highway 24
  • MN-55.svg Minnesota State Highway 55

Neighboring Counties

Meeker County shares its borders with several other counties:

Nature Areas

Meeker County has several protected areas where nature is preserved. These are great places to explore and enjoy the outdoors:

  • Acton State Wildlife Management Area
  • Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area
  • Greenleaf State Wildlife Management Area
  • Knapp State Wildlife Management Area (part)
  • Madsen State Wildlife Management Area
  • Popular State Wildlife Management Area
  • Wieker State Wildlife Management Area

Population of Meeker County

The population of Meeker County has changed over the years. This information comes from the U.S. Census, which counts how many people live in an area every ten years.

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 928 —
1870 6,090 556.3%
1880 11,739 92.8%
1890 15,456 31.7%
1900 17,753 14.9%
1910 17,022 −4.1%
1920 18,103 6.4%
1930 17,914 −1.0%
1940 19,277 7.6%
1950 18,966 −1.6%
1960 18,887 −0.4%
1970 18,387 −2.6%
1980 20,594 12.0%
1990 20,846 1.2%
2000 22,644 8.6%
2010 23,300 2.9%
2020 23,400 0.4%
2023 (est.) 23,490 0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

Who Lives Here? (2020 Census)

The 2020 census also tells us about the different groups of people living in Meeker County. Most people are White, but there are also people from many other backgrounds.

Meeker County, Minnesota - Demographic Profile
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (not Hispanic) 22,233 21,618 95.42% 92.39%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 68 93 0.29% 0.40%
Native American (not Hispanic) 33 37 0.14% 0.16%
Asian (not Hispanic) 59 59 0.25% 0.25%
Pacific Islander (not Hispanic) 9 2 0.04% 0.01%
Other Race (not Hispanic) 8 49 0.03% 0.21%
Mixed Race (not Hispanic) 123 592 0.53% 2.53%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 767 950 3.29% 4.06%
Total 23,300 23,400 100.00% 100.00%

Note: The U.S. Census counts Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic group. This table separates them from the racial categories.

Towns and Communities

Meeker County has several towns and smaller communities where people live.

Cities

Unincorporated Communities

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

Townships

Townships are smaller divisions of the county, often including rural areas and small communities. In 1888, there were 17 townships in Meeker County:

  • Acton Township
  • Cedar Mills Township
  • Collinwood Township
  • Cosmos Township
  • Danielson Township
  • Darwin Township
  • Dassel Township
  • Ellsworth Township
  • Forest City Township
  • Forest Prairie Township
  • Greenleaf Township
  • Harvey Township
  • Kingston Township
  • Litchfield Township
  • Manannah Township
  • Swede Grove Township
  • Union Grove Township

Notable People from Meeker County

  • Magnus Johnson (1871-1936) - He was a local farmer who became a United States Senator for Minnesota from 1923 to 1925.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Meeker para niños

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