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Freeborn County
County
Freeborn County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of 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
Founded	February 20, 1855
Named for	William Freeborn
Seat	Albert Lea
Largest city	Albert Lea
Area
• Total	722 sq mi (1,870 km)
• Land	707 sq mi (1,830 km)
• Water	15 sq mi (40 km)  2.1%
Population
• Total	30,895
• Estimate	30,515
• Density	43.7/sq mi (16.9/km)
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. Its county seat is Albert Lea. 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. Freeborn County was named for William Freeborn, an early Minnesota pioneer, merchant, and territorial legislator.

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. 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. The county has an area of 722 square miles (1,870 km), of which 707 square miles (1,830 km) is land and 15 square miles (39 km) (2.1%) is water.

Lakes

Source:

• 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:

• 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

2020 Census

2000 census

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/km). There were 13,996 housing units at an average density of 19.8 per square mile (7.6/km). 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. In 2024, Trump had his best performance yet in Freeborn County, winning by more than 21% and taking nearly 60% of the vote, the best showing for any candidate in the county since 1964.

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

v t e Places adjacent to Freeborn County, Minnesota
Waseca County Steele County Faribault County Freeborn County, Minnesota Mower County Winnebago County, Iowa Worth County, Iowa

v t e Municipalities and communities of Freeborn County, Minnesota, United States
County seat: Albert Lea
Cities	Albert Lea Alden Clarks Grove Conger Emmons Freeborn Geneva Glenville Hartland Hayward Hollandale Manchester Myrtle Twin Lakes
Townships	Albert Lea Alden Bancroft Bath Carlston Freeborn Freeman Geneva Hartland Hayward London Manchester Mansfield Moscow Newry Nunda Oakland Pickerel Lake Riceland Shell Rock
Unincorporated communities	Armstrong Corning‡ Mansfield Gordonsville London Maple Island Moscow Oakland Petran
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Minnesota portal United States portal

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43°40′N 93°21′W / 43.67°N 93.35°W / 43.67; -93.35

• Minnesota counties
• Freeborn County, Minnesota
• 1855 establishments in Minnesota Territory