Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Yellow Medicine County
U.S. county
Yellow Medicine County Courthouse in Granite Falls in 2007
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	March 6, 1871
Named for	Yellow Medicine River
Seat	Granite Falls
Largest city	Granite Falls
Area
• Total	763 sq mi (1,980 km²)
• Land	759 sq mi (1,970 km²)
• Water	4.1 sq mi (11 km²) 0.5%%
Population (2020)
• Total	9,528
• Estimate (2023)	9,467
• Density	12.6/sq mi (4.9/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th

Yellow Medicine County is a county located in the southwestern part of Minnesota, a state in the United States. The Minnesota River forms its eastern border. In 2020, about 9,528 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Granite Falls.

The Upper Sioux Indian Reservation is completely inside Yellow Medicine County. This reservation is connected to the historical Yellow Medicine Agency, which was once in this area. It was created in 1851 by the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. Through this treaty, the Dakota people gave up a lot of their land in the region to the United States.

History of Yellow Medicine County
Geography of Yellow Medicine County
Population and People
- Population in 2020
Towns and Communities
Images for kids
See also

History of Yellow Medicine County

The state of Minnesota officially created Yellow Medicine County on March 6, 1871. Granite Falls was chosen as its county seat. The county gets its name from the Yellow Medicine River, which flows through the eastern part of the county and into the Minnesota River. The river itself was named after a plant called Menispermum canadense, also known as the moonseed plant. Its yellow roots were used by the native Dakota people for medicine.

In 1878, there was a plan to create a new county called Canby County. This new county would have been made from parts of Yellow Medicine, Lincoln, and Lac qui Parle counties. The state government approved this idea, and Governor Pillsbury signed the plan on February 27, 1879. However, the people living in the three counties did not vote for it, so Canby County was never formed.

Geography of Yellow Medicine County

Yellow Medicine County is located on the western side of Minnesota. Its western border touches the state of South Dakota. The Minnesota River flows east-southeast along the county's northeast side. It eventually flows into the Mississippi River. The Yellow Medicine River flows northeast through the eastern part of the county. It joins the Minnesota River near the middle of the county's eastern border.

Other smaller rivers and creeks also flow through the county. These include Stony Run Creek, Florida Creek, and the Lac qui Parle River. The land in the county has rolling hills, which have been shaped by these waterways. Most of the land is used for farming. The highest point in the county is on its western border, reaching about 1,732 feet (528 meters) above sea level. Yellow Medicine County covers about 763 square miles (1,976 square kilometers). Of this, 759 square miles (1,966 square kilometers) is land, and 4.1 square miles (11 square kilometers) is water.

Lakes in the County

Burton Lake
Culver Lake (part)
Curtis Lake
Highbank Lake
Kvistid Lake
Lake Louie
Lone Tree Lake
Miedd Lake
Miller Lake
Mud Lake
Spellman Lake
Timm Lake
Tyson Lake
Wood Lake

Rivers and Creeks

Main Roads and Highways

U.S. Highway 59
U.S. Highway 75
U.S. Highway 212
Minnesota State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 67
Minnesota State Highway 68
Minnesota State Highway 167
Minnesota State Highway 274 (this road was removed in 2022)

Neighboring Counties

Lac qui Parle County - north
Chippewa County - northeast
Renville County - east
Redwood County - southeast
Lyon County - south
Lincoln County - southwest
Deuel County, South Dakota - west

Protected Natural Areas

Bigrock State Wildlife Management Area
Christopherson State Wildlife Management Area
Clawson State Wildlife Management Area
Flinks State Wildlife Management Area
Miller-Richter State Wildlife Management Area
Mound Springs Prairie Scientific and Natural Area
Omro State Wildlife Management Area
Oshkosh State Wildlife Management Area
Penthole State Wildlife Management Area
Posen State Wildlife Management Area
Saint Leo State Wildlife Management Area
Sioux Nation State Wildlife Management Area
Stokke State Wildlife Management Area
Stony Run State Wildlife Management Area
Swedes Forest Scientific and Natural Area (part)
Upper Sioux Agency State Park

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	5,884	—
1890	9,854	67.5%
1900	14,602	48.2%
1910	15,406	5.5%
1920	16,550	7.4%
1930	16,625	0.5%
1940	16,917	1.8%
1950	16,279	−3.8%
1960	15,523	−4.6%
1970	14,418	−7.1%
1980	13,653	−5.3%
1990	11,684	−14.4%
2000	11,080	−5.2%
2010	10,438	−5.8%
2020	9,528	−8.7%
2023 (est.)	9,467	−9.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

Population in 2020

In 2020, the United States Census collected information about the people living in Yellow Medicine County. Here's a breakdown of the different groups: