Olivia, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Olivia
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Renville County Courthouse
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| Motto(s):
"The Corn Capital of the World"
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Location of Olivia
within Renville County, Minnesota |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Renville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.45 sq mi (6.35 km2) |
| • Land | 2.45 sq mi (6.35 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,070 ft (330 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 2,363 |
| • Density | 955.16/sq mi (368.83/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
56277
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| Area code(s) | 320 |
| FIPS code | 27-48256 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396057 |
| Website | www.olivia.mn.us |
Olivia is a city in Minnesota, United States. It is the county seat of Renville County. This means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 2,363 people lived there.
Contents
History of Olivia
Olivia was officially started in 1878. It was named after a female train station agent named Olive. A post office has been open in Olivia since 1879. The county seat moved to Olivia from Beaver Falls in 1900.
Geography of Olivia
Olivia covers an area of about 6.35 square kilometers (2.45 square miles). All of this area is land.
Two important roads, U.S. Highways 71 and 212, pass through the city.
Population Changes in Olivia
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 48 | — | |
| 1890 | 263 | 447.9% | |
| 1900 | 970 | 268.8% | |
| 1910 | 960 | −1.0% | |
| 1920 | 1,488 | 55.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,475 | −0.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,788 | 21.2% | |
| 1950 | 2,012 | 12.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,355 | 17.0% | |
| 1970 | 2,553 | 8.4% | |
| 1980 | 2,802 | 9.8% | |
| 1990 | 2,623 | −6.4% | |
| 2000 | 2,570 | −2.0% | |
| 2010 | 2,484 | −3.3% | |
| 2020 | 2,343 | −5.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 2,484 people living in Olivia. There were 1,038 households, which are groups of people living together. The average age of people in the city was about 40.8 years old.
Education in Olivia
Olivia's schools work together with the towns of Bird Island and Lake Lillian. They are known as BOLD Schools. The name BOLD comes from the first letters of the towns: Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian, District.
The BOLD high school is located in Olivia. The elementary school is in Bird Island. The school mascot is the BOLD Warrior.
Olivia: The Corn Capital of the World
The Minnesota Senate has officially named Olivia the "Corn Capital of the World." Olivia started using this nickname in 1973. That's when they built their famous 50-foot tall monument shaped like an ear of corn!
Olivia is very important for corn farming. It has nine special facilities that research corn seeds. The city is also in the middle of Renville County, which grows more corn than any other county in Minnesota.
Corn Capital Days Celebration
Olivia celebrates "Corn Capital Days" every year during the last weekend of July. This fun event includes many activities:
- A big parade
- A corncob toss game
- "Corn-lympics" (fun games related to corn)
- A free corn feed where everyone can eat corn
- A special parade for kids
- A breakfast event for pilots and drivers
- Live music
Notable People from Olivia
Many interesting people have come from Olivia:
- Blix Donnelly (1914–1976), a baseball player
- Michael J. Dowling (1866–1921), who was the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Darwin Hall (1844–1919), a Minnesota state politician
- Paul F. Heard (1913–1964), a producer and director of religious films
- Roger Reinert (born 1970), a member of the Minnesota Senate
- Thomas Joseph Simmons (1932–2002), a Minnesota state politician and lawyer
- Kathleen Winsor (1919–2003), the author of the famous book Forever Amber
- Tom Ruud (born 1953), a football player
Images for kids
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Renville County Courthouse
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Location of Olivia within Renville County, Minnesota
See also
In Spanish: Olivia (Minnesota) para niños
