Freeborn County, Minnesota

Freeborn County
County
Freeborn County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°40′N93°21′W / 43.67°N 93.35°W / 43.67; -93.35
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	February 20, 1855 [1]
Named for	William Freeborn
Seat	Albert Lea
Largest city	Albert Lea
Area
• Total	722 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Land	707 sq mi (1,830 km2)
• Water	15 sq mi (40 km2)  2.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,895
• Estimate  (2023)	30,515
• Density	43.7/sq mi (16.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.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

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

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

Soils of Island in Myhre-Big Island State Park

Lakes

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

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

• Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit

Major highways

• Interstate 35
• Interstate 90
• U.S. Highway 65
• U.S. Highway 69
• Minnesota State Highway 13
• Minnesota State Highway 109
• Minnesota State Highway 251

Adjacent counties

• Steele County - northeast
• Mower County - east
• Worth County, Iowa - south
• Winnebago County, Iowa - southwest
• Faribault County - west
• Waseca County - northwest

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	3,367		—
1870	10,578		214.2%
1880	16,069		51.9%
1890	17,962		11.8%
1900	21,838		21.6%
1910	22,282		2.0%
1920	24,692		10.8%
1930	28,741		16.4%
1940	31,780		10.6%
1950	34,517		8.6%
1960	37,891		9.8%
1970	38,064		0.5%
1980	36,329		−4.6%
1990	33,060		−9.0%
2000	32,584		−1.4%
2010	31,255		−4.1%
2020	30,895		−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

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

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

Cities

• Albert Lea (county seat)
• Alden
• Clarks Grove
• Conger
• Emmons
• Freeborn
• Geneva
• Glenville
• Hartland
• Hayward
• Hollandale
• Manchester
• Myrtle
• Twin Lakes

Unincorporated communities

• Armstrong
• Corning (partial)
• Gordonsville
• Mansfield
• Maple Island
• Moscow
• Oakland
• Petran

Townships

• Albert Lea Township
• Alden Township
• Bancroft Township
• Bath Township
• Carlston Township
• Freeborn Township
• Freeman Township
• Geneva Township
• Hartland Township
• Hayward Township
• London Township
• Manchester Township
• Mansfield Township
• Moscow Township
• Newry Township
• Nunda Township
• Oakland Township
• Pickerel Lake Township
• Riceland Township
• Shell Rock Township

Government and politics

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.	%
2024	10,003	59.88%	6,448	38.60%	253	1.51%
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

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Freeborn County, Minnesota
• Peter Lund Creek

References

1. "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
2. "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. 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.

External links

• Freeborn County website

43°40′N93°21′W / 43.67°N 93.35°W / 43.67; -93.35