Olmsted County, Minnesota

Olmsted County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population is 162,847.[1] Its county seat and most populous city is Rochester.[2]

Olmsted County
County
Olmsted County Government Center (pre-expansion)
Olmsted County Government Center (pre-expansion)
Map of Minnesota highlighting Olmsted County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°00′N 92°24′W
Country United States
State Minnesota
FoundedFebruary 20, 1855
Named forDavid Olmsted
SeatRochester
Largest cityRochester
Area
 • Total655 sq mi (1,700 km2)
 • Land653 sq mi (1,690 km2)
 • Water1.5 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total162,847
 • Estimate 
(2022)
164,020 Increase
 • Density249/sq mi (96/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.olmstedcounty.gov

Olmsted County is part of the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Wisconsin Territory was established by the federal government effective July 3, 1836, and existed until its eastern portion was granted statehood (as Wisconsin) in 1848. Therefore, the federal government set up the Minnesota Territory effective March 3, 1849. The newly organized territorial legislature created nine counties across the territory in October of that year. One of those original counties, Wabasha, had portions partitioned off in 1853 to create Fillmore and Rice counties. Then on February 20, 1855,[3] portions of Rice, Wabasha, and Fillmore counties were partitioned off to create the present county, with Rochester (which was also platted that year) as county seat. The county name recognized David Olmsted (1822-1861),[4] a member of the first territorial council and the first mayor of St. Paul.[5][6]

The county boundaries have remained unchanged since 1855.

Geography

Olmsted County is a fairly unusual mix of urban and rural areas in that there's no transition or buffer between the two environments. Rochester, Minnesota's third largest city of roughly 118,000 people, sits in the Zumbro River valley at the center of the county. Outside the valley however, with the exception of a small amount of urban growth in the last few years, remains farmland with small agricultural based communities and no directly adjacent suburbs. Stewartville, the county's second largest city, is slightly over 1/20th the size at roughly 6,000 people, an unusually large gap for a metropolitan area.

Olmsted County is drained by three rivers, all flowing to the Mississippi. The Zumbro River flows northward through the west central part of the county, into Wabasha County. The Whitewater flows northeast from the northeast part of the county into Winona County, and the Root flows east-southeastward through the lower part of the county into Fillmore County. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, etched by drainage gullies and marked by occasional buttes. The available area is devoted to agriculture or is developed for other productive uses.[7] The county terrain slopes to the east and north,[8] and its highest point is a hill 7.5 miles (12.1 km) west of Stewartville, at 1,380 ft (420 m) ASL.[9] The county has a total area of 655 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 653 square miles (1,690 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (0.2%) is water.[10]

Soils of Olmsted County[11]

It is one of four counties in Minnesota that does not have any natural lakes (the other three being Mower, Pipestone, and Rock).

Transit

Major highways

Airports

Adjacent counties

Protected areas[7]
  • Chester Woods Park
  • High Forest Wildlife Management Area
  • Keller Wildlife Management Area
  • Marian Marshall Wildlife Management Area
  • Nelson Fen Wildlife Management Area
  • Oronoco Scientific and Natural Area
  • Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo
  • Root River Park
  • Schumann State Wildlife Management Area
  • Suess State Wildlife Management Area
  • Whitewater Wildlife Management Area (part)

Lakes

Though Olmsted County does not have any natural lakes, it does have six reservoirs created by dams:

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18609,524—
187019,793107.8%
188021,5438.8%
189019,806−8.1%
190023,11916.7%
191022,497−2.7%
192028,01424.5%
193035,42626.5%
194042,65820.4%
195048,22813.1%
196065,53235.9%
197084,10428.3%
198092,0069.4%
1990106,47015.7%
2000124,27716.7%
2010144,24816.1%
2020162,84712.9%
2022 (est.)164,020[12]0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15]
1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,[17] the population was 162,847. The population density was 249.2 inhabitants per square mile (96.2/km2). There were 69,270 housing units at an average density of 106.0 per square mile (40.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.8% White, 6.8% Black or African American, 6.3% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 6.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 5.6% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census
Age pyramid of county residents based on 2000 US census data

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 124,277 people, 47,807 households, and 32,317 families in the county. The population density was 190 per square mile (73/km2). There were 49,422 housing units at an average density of 75.7 per square mile (29.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.33% White, 2.68% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 4.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. 2.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 47,807 households, out of which 35.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.09.

The county population contained 27.00% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 32.20% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $51,316, and the median income for a family was $61,610. Males had a median income of $40,196 versus $29,994 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,939. About 3.80% of families and 6.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Olmsted has historically been a Republican-leaning county. However, rapid population growth in Rochester has made it more competitive in recent years. In 2020, Joe Biden won it by nearly 11 points, the best performance of any Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Since 2000, Olmsted County has voted for the winning presidential candidate in five of the six elections. The exception is 2016, where national electoral winner Donald Trump lost Olmsted County by less than one percent.

Although it has trended Democratic at the presidential level, Olmsted County continues to lean Republican in state and local races, with split ticket voting becoming more common locally. Two of the county's three seats in the Minnesota Senate are held by Republicans, as well as two of the five seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Since 1970, Olmsted County has only voted for the DFL candidate for governor thrice: in 1974, 2018 and 2022. In 2018, then-Representative Tim Walz benefitted from high recognition in the district with a reputation at the time of being a moderate politician. Despite Walz winning a majority of the county's vote that election, Republican candidate Doug Wardlow concurrently won the greatest number of votes in Olmsted County in the 2018 Minnesota Attorney General election.

US House of Representatives
Name Congressional District Assumed office Party
Brad Finstad 1st District 2022 Republican

Minnesota Senate
Name District Assumed office Party
Steve Drazkowski District 20 2023 Republican
Carla Nelson District 24 2011 Republican
Liz Boldon District 25 2023 DFL

Minnesota House of Representatives
Name District Assumed office Party
Steve Jacob District 20A 2023 Republican
Duane Quam District 24A 2011 Republican
Tina Liebling District 24B 2005 DFL
Kim Hicks District 25A 2023 DFL
Andy Smith District 25B 2023 DFL
United States presidential election results for Olmsted County, Minnesota[18][19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 39,692 43.43% 49,491 54.16% 2,202 2.41%
2016 35,668 44.51% 36,268 45.26% 8,193 10.22%
2012 36,832 47.03% 39,338 50.23% 2,146 2.74%
2008 36,202 47.34% 38,711 50.62% 1,557 2.04%
2004 37,371 52.21% 33,285 46.50% 919 1.28%
2000 30,641 51.59% 25,822 43.48% 2,929 4.93%
1996 22,860 43.92% 22,857 43.92% 6,327 12.16%
1992 23,404 41.30% 19,039 33.60% 14,219 25.09%
1988 27,683 58.28% 19,423 40.89% 398 0.84%
1984 28,129 62.76% 16,335 36.44% 359 0.80%
1980 22,704 55.50% 13,983 34.18% 4,224 10.32%
1976 24,030 60.66% 14,676 37.04% 911 2.30%
1972 23,806 68.96% 9,817 28.44% 898 2.60%
1968 17,292 54.31% 13,417 42.14% 1,131 3.55%
1964 12,699 43.87% 16,195 55.94% 56 0.19%
1960 16,080 59.41% 10,918 40.34% 67 0.25%
1956 13,789 65.62% 7,172 34.13% 51 0.24%
1952 14,566 67.92% 6,792 31.67% 89 0.41%
1948 8,131 46.55% 9,155 52.41% 181 1.04%
1944 8,355 54.70% 6,873 45.00% 46 0.30%
1940 9,096 51.83% 8,393 47.82% 62 0.35%
1936 5,316 35.63% 8,958 60.04% 645 4.32%
1932 5,254 40.81% 7,340 57.01% 280 2.17%
1928 8,334 63.63% 4,720 36.04% 44 0.34%
1924 5,722 56.50% 857 8.46% 3,548 35.04%
1920 7,130 77.12% 1,756 18.99% 359 3.88%
1916 2,101 49.67% 1,926 45.53% 203 4.80%
1912 720 18.21% 1,542 39.01% 1,691 42.78%
1908 2,472 58.03% 1,621 38.05% 167 3.92%
1904 2,745 68.54% 1,140 28.46% 120 3.00%
1900 2,818 61.62% 1,597 34.92% 158 3.46%
1896 3,201 62.83% 1,741 34.17% 153 3.00%
1892 2,344 50.79% 1,931 41.84% 340 7.37%

Communities
The Helleckson Homestead, built about 1850, preserved in Olmsted County Oxbow Park (Destroyed in 2019 floods)

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  4. Upham, Warren. Minnesota Geographic Names (1920), p. 385 (accessed April 26, 2019)
  5. "History of Olmsted County". www.co.olmsted.mn.us. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  6. "Minnesota Government Series, State Counties". Minnesota House of Representatives. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
  7. Olmsted County MN Google Maps (accessed April 26, 2019)
  8. ""Find an Altitude/Olmsted County MN" Google Maps (accessed 26 April 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  9. Olmsted County High Point - PeakBagger.com (accessed April 26, 2019)
  10. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  11. Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 43 - 48. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
  12. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  13. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  14. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  15. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  16. "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 24, 2014.
  17. "2020 Decennial Census: Olmsted County, Minnesota". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  18. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  19. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,467 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 112 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 93 votes, and Socialist Labor candidate Arthur Reimer received 19 votes.
Wikisource has the text of the 1879 American Cyclopædia article Olmsted.

44.00°N 92.40°W / 44.00; -92.40

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