Rock County, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rock County
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Rock County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
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 Minnesota's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | May 23, 1857 (created) March 5, 1870 (organized) |
| Named for | Rock outcrop on Rock River |
| Seat | Luverne |
| Largest city | Luverne |
| Area | |
| • Total | 483 sq mi (1,250 km2) |
| • Land | 482 sq mi (1,250 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) 0.06%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,704 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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9,551  |
| • Density | 20.1/sq mi (7.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Rock County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Minnesota. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,704. The county seat is Luverne. It is located within the Sioux Falls MSA.
Contents
History
The county was established on May 23, 1857, by an act of the territorial legislature, although it was not organized at that time. Originally, the area was designated as Pipestone County, and the name Rock County was given to what is now Pipestone County. However, in 1862, the Minnesota state legislature changed the designations, assigning the present names to the respective counties. On March 5, 1870, the state legislature passed an act that finalized the organization of Rock County and designated Luverne as its county seat. The county derived its name from the Rock River, which was named after a prominent rocky outcrop referred to as "The Rock" on an 1843 map of the area. This outcrop is composed of reddish-gray quartzite and is located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Luverne. The mound stands out dramatically amidst the surrounding low prairie. Another source suggests that the county's name is attributed to its rocky soil.
Geography
Rock County is located at the southwestern corner of Minnesota. Its western border shares a boundary with the eastern border of South Dakota, while its southern border is adjacent to the northern border of Iowa. The county is characterized by the flow of the Rock River, which runs southward through its east central part, and Beaver Creek, which flows southward through its west central region. The landscape primarily consists of low rolling hills with various drainages. The county's predominant land use is agriculture. The terrain gradually slopes southward, with the highest point situated near the midpoint of the county's northern boundary, reaching an elevation of 1,759 ft (536 m) above sea level. Rock County spans an area of 483 square miles (1,250 km2), of which 482 square miles (1,250 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.06%) is water. The entire county falls within the hot summer humid continental climate zone (Dfa).
Lakes
One of Minnesota's nicknames is "Land of 10,000 Lakes", and it is speckled with bodies of water large and small. But four of the state's counties do not contain a natural lake; Rock County is one of them. Rock County did host a manmade lake from 1938 until 2014: a WPA work project constructed a small dam (the "Lower Dam") on Blue Mounds Creek in 1938, creating a small lake in Blue Mounds State Park. This continued until June 2014, when the dam was damaged by rain and floodwaters, allowing the pond to drain. In June 2016 the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced its decision not to rebuild the dam.
Major highways
Interstate 90
U.S. Highway 75
Minnesota State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 269
Minnesota State Highway 270
Adjacent counties
- Pipestone County – north
- Murray County – northeast
- Nobles County – east
- Lyon County, Iowa – south
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota – west
- Moody County, South Dakota – northwest
Protected areas
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 23 | — | |
| 1870 | 138 | 500.0% | |
| 1880 | 3,669 | 2,558.7% | |
| 1890 | 6,817 | 85.8% | |
| 1900 | 9,668 | 41.8% | |
| 1910 | 10,222 | 5.7% | |
| 1920 | 10,965 | 7.3% | |
| 1930 | 10,962 | 0.0% | |
| 1940 | 10,933 | −0.3% | |
| 1950 | 11,278 | 3.2% | |
| 1960 | 11,864 | 5.2% | |
| 1970 | 11,346 | −4.4% | |
| 1980 | 10,703 | −5.7% | |
| 1990 | 9,806 | −8.4% | |
| 2000 | 9,721 | −0.9% | |
| 2010 | 9,687 | −0.3% | |
| 2020 | 9,704 | 0.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,551 | −1.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 9,239 | 8,886 | 95.38% | 91.57% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 58 | 50 | 0.60% | 0.51% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 31 | 48 | 0.32% | 0.50% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 53 | 62 | 0.55% | 0.64% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 10 | 0.01% | 0.10% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 4 | 0 | 0.04% | 0.00% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 284 | 3,889 | 0.11% | 0.29% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 197 | 364 | 2.03% | 3.75% |
| Total | 9,687 | 9,704 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Communities
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Cities
Unincorporated communities
Ghost towns
Townships
- Battle Plain Township
- Beaver Creek Township
- Clinton Township
- Denver Township
- Kanaranzi Township
- Luverne Township
- Magnolia Township
- Martin Township
- Mound Township
- Rose Dell Township
- Springwater Township
- Vienna Township
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Rock (Minnesota) para niños
