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Freeborn County, Minnesota

Coordinates: 43°40′N 93°21′W / 43.67°N 93.35°W / 43.67; -93.35
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Freeborn County
County
Freeborn County Courthouse
Freeborn County Courthouse
Map of Minnesota highlighting Freeborn County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°40′N 93°21′W / 43.67°N 93.35°W / 43.67; -93.35
Country United States
State Minnesota
FoundedFebruary 20, 1855[1]
Named forWilliam Freeborn
SeatAlbert Lea
Largest cityAlbert Lea
Area
 • Total
722 sq mi (1,870 km2)
 • Land707 sq mi (1,830 km2)
 • Water15 sq mi (40 km2)  2.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
30,895
 • Estimate 
(2023)
30,515 Decrease
 • Density43.7/sq mi (16.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.co.freeborn.mn.us

Freeborn County is a county in the state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,895.[2] Its county seat is Albert Lea.[3] Freeborn County comprises the Albert Lea Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

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Freeborn County was created on February 20, 1855, the territory being separated from Blue Earth and Rice Counties. Twelve other Minnesota counties were created the same day by the Minnesota Territorial Legislature.[4] Freeborn County was named for William Freeborn, an early Minnesota pioneer, merchant, and territorial legislator.[5]

Geography

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Freeborn County lies on Minnesota's border with Iowa. The Shell Rock River flows southward from Albert Lea Lake in central Freeborn County, crossing into Iowa. Turtle Creek flows eastward through the upper eastern part of the county, crossing into Mower County. The terrain is hilly and etched with drainages and gullies. The Le Sueur River, a tributary of the Minnesota River, begins in the northern part of the county and flows northward into Waseca County. The Cobb River and the Maple River, two other small rivers, begin in the extreme northwest corner of the county, the Cobb from Freeborn Lake and the Maple from Penny Lake. Both run generally northwest, emptying into the LeSueur River, just upstream from where the LeSueur empties into the Minnesota River, on the western edge of Mankato. Most of the available land is devoted to agriculture.[6] The terrain generally slopes to the south and east, although the highest point is near the northeast corner, at 1,296 ft (395 m) ASL.[7] The county has an area of 722 square miles (1,870 km2), of which 707 square miles (1,830 km2) is land and 15 square miles (39 km2) (2.1%) is water.[8]

Soils of Freeborn County[9]
Soils of Island in Myhre-Big Island State Park

Lakes

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Source:[6]

  • Albert Lea Lake
  • Bear Lake
  • Church Lake
  • Everhart Lake
  • Fountain Lake
  • Freeborn Lake
  • Geneva Lake
  • Goose Lake
  • Halls Lake
  • Hickory Lake
  • Lower Twin Lake
  • Penny Lake
  • Pickerel Lake
  • School Section Lake
  • State Line Lake
  • Sugar Lake
  • Trenton Lake (part)
  • Upper Twin Lake
  • White Lake

Protected areas

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Source:[6]

  • Bear Lake State Wildlife Management Area
  • Carex State Wildlife Management Area
  • Halls Lake State Wildlife Area
  • Moscow State Game Refuge
  • Myre-Big Island State Park
  • White Woods County Park

Transit

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Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18603,367—
187010,578214.2%
188016,06951.9%
189017,96211.8%
190021,83821.6%
191022,2822.0%
192024,69210.8%
193028,74116.4%
194031,78010.6%
195034,5178.6%
196037,8919.8%
197038,0640.5%
198036,329−4.6%
199033,060−9.0%
200032,584−1.4%
201031,255−4.1%
202030,895−1.2%
2023 (est.)30,515[10]−1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[2]

2020 Census

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Freeborn County Racial Composition[15]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 25,071 81.2%
Black or African American (NH) 460 1.5%
Native American (NH) 76 0.3%
Asian (NH) 1,135 3.7%
Pacific Islander (NH) 5 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 965 3.12%
Hispanic or Latino 3,183 10.3%

2000 census

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2022 US Census population pyramid for Freeborn County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the census of 2000, there were 32,584 people, 13,356 households, and 9,015 families in the county. The population density was 46.1 per square mile (17.8/km2). There were 13,996 housing units at an average density of 19.8 per square mile (7.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.22% White, 0.24% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.92% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 6.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.8% were of Norwegian, 26.2% German and 5.8% Danish ancestry.

There were 13,356 households, of which 29.1% had children under age 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92.

The county population contained 24.0% under 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females 18 and older, there were 95.0 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,964, and the median income for a family was $45,142. Males had a median income of $31,491 versus $21,799 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,325. About 5.6% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under 18 and 9.1% of those over 64.

Communities

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Cities

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Unincorporated communities

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Townships

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Government and politics

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From 1932 to 2012, Freeborn County voted for the Democratic candidate in all but five elections, four of which were nationwide Republican landslides (1952, 1956, 1972, and 1980), and the fifth was in 1960 in one of the closest elections in American history. After voting for Bill Clinton by at least 15% in both 1992 and 1996, against George W. Bush by at least 10% in both 2000 and 2004, and for Barack Obama by at least 14% in both 2008 and 2012, the 2016 election saw a dramatic swing to the right, as Donald Trump won the county by more than 17%. Though his margin of victory slightly shrank to 16% in 2020, his vote share of nearly 57% was the best for a Republican in the county since 1928.

United States presidential election results for Freeborn County, Minnesota[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 9,578 56.95% 6,889 40.96% 351 2.09%
2016 8,808 54.88% 6,041 37.64% 1,202 7.49%
2012 6,969 41.72% 9,326 55.82% 411 2.46%
2008 6,955 40.25% 9,915 57.38% 410 2.37%
2004 7,681 43.48% 9,733 55.09% 252 1.43%
2000 6,843 42.40% 8,514 52.75% 782 4.85%
1996 5,166 32.31% 8,458 52.90% 2,364 14.79%
1992 5,089 28.57% 7,759 43.56% 4,965 27.87%
1988 7,226 44.56% 8,836 54.48% 156 0.96%
1984 8,413 47.09% 9,338 52.26% 116 0.65%
1980 8,475 47.65% 8,212 46.17% 1,098 6.17%
1976 8,220 45.62% 9,470 52.56% 328 1.82%
1972 9,747 56.90% 7,163 41.82% 220 1.28%
1968 7,315 44.16% 8,671 52.35% 577 3.48%
1964 6,136 36.72% 10,554 63.16% 19 0.11%
1960 8,970 52.73% 8,018 47.14% 22 0.13%
1956 7,632 51.63% 7,138 48.29% 11 0.07%
1952 8,450 56.25% 6,525 43.44% 46 0.31%
1948 5,238 39.45% 7,825 58.94% 213 1.60%
1944 5,728 46.77% 6,486 52.96% 32 0.26%
1940 6,683 48.85% 6,942 50.75% 55 0.40%
1936 4,653 37.81% 7,378 59.96% 274 2.23%
1932 4,931 44.62% 5,838 52.82% 283 2.56%
1928 7,815 72.70% 2,859 26.60% 76 0.71%
1924 6,139 63.75% 480 4.98% 3,011 31.27%
1920 6,772 81.96% 1,131 13.69% 360 4.36%
1916 2,418 60.07% 1,347 33.47% 260 6.46%
1912 672 17.04% 880 22.31% 2,392 60.65%
1908 2,465 61.14% 976 24.21% 591 14.66%
1904 2,876 78.19% 461 12.53% 341 9.27%
1900 2,934 74.17% 838 21.18% 184 4.65%
1896 3,400 72.25% 1,179 25.05% 127 2.70%
1892 2,004 61.27% 743 22.71% 524 16.02%
County Board of Commissioners[17]
Position Name District Next Election
Commissioner Brad Edwin District 1 2024
Commissioner Dawn Kaasa District 2 2026
Commissioner and Chairman John Forman District 3 2024
Commissioner Christopher Shoff District 4 2026
Commissioner Nicole Eckstrom District 5 2024
State Legislature (2021-2023)
Position Name Affiliation District
Senate Gene Dornink[18] Republican District 27
House of Representatives Peggy Bennett[19] Republican District 27A
House of Representatives Patricia Mueller[20] Republican District 27B
U.S Congress (2021-2023)
Position Name Affiliation District
House of Representatives Brad Finstad[21] Republican 1st
Senate Amy Klobuchar[22] Democrat N/A
Senate Tina Smith[23] Democrat N/A

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 198.
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 131.
  6. ^ a b c Freeborn County MN Google Maps (accessed March 8, 2019)
  7. ^ "Find an Altitude/Freeborn County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 8, 2019)
  8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  9. ^ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp 43–48. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2
  10. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  15. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Freeborn County, Minnesota".
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  17. ^ "Board of Commissioners | Freeborn County, MN - Official Website". www.co.freeborn.mn.us. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  18. ^ Stultz, Sarah (November 5, 2020). "Dornink wins District 27 Senate seat". Albert Lea Tribune. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  19. ^ "Rep. Peggy Bennett (27A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  20. ^ "Rep. Patricia Mueller - RELEASE: Mueller Sworn In, Named to House Committees". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  21. ^ "Republican Rep. Brad Finstad sworn in to finish Hagedorn's House term". August 12, 2022.
  22. ^ "U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar". www.klobuchar.senate.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  23. ^ "Home". Senator Tina Smith. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
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43°40′N 93°21′W / 43.67°N 93.35°W / 43.67; -93.35

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