Scott County, Minnesota | |
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 Scott County Government Center | |
 Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:44°39′N93°32′W / 44.65°N 93.53°W /44.65; -93.53 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | March 5, 1853[1] |
| Named after | Winfield Scott[2] |
| Seat | Shakopee |
| Largest city | Shakopee |
| Area | |
• Total | 368 sq mi (950 km2) |
| • Land | 356 sq mi (920 km2) |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (31 km2) 3.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 150,928 |
• Estimate (2024) | 157,206 |
| • Density | 424/sq mi (164/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
Scott County is acounty in theU.S. state ofMinnesota. As of the2020 census, the population was 150,928.[3] Itscounty seat isShakopee.[4] The county was organized in 1853 and named in honor of GeneralWinfield Scott. Scott County is part of theMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetropolitan Statistical Area. It is a member of theMetropolitan Council, and shares many of the council's concerns about responsible growth management, advocating for progressive development concepts such as clustering, open-space design, and the preservation of open space and rural/agricultural land.
TheShakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation is entirely within the county and within the cities of Prior Lake and Shakopee. Due to its proximity to major cities, the tribe has earned significant revenue at its gaming casinos and hotel; it has used funds to reinvest in economic development for the tribe and other initiatives.
Historically, the Minnesota River supported the county's fur trading, lumbering, and farming industries in the 19th century. Today, Scott County experiences a growing mix of commercial, industrial, and housing development, but is still primarily rural. Scott County is home to several historical, scenic, and entertainment destinations includingCanterbury Park, The Landing,Minnesota's Largest Candy Store,Elko Speedway,Mystic Lake Casino run by the Shakopee-Mdewakanton Dakota; theRenaissance Festival, andValleyfair Amusement Park.
Scott County was first inhabited by two bands of theSantee Sioux (Dakota) Indians, theMdewakanton andWahpeton. Their semi-nomadic life followed a seasonal cycle. They gathered food, hunted, fished, and planted corn. In the summer the Dakota villages were occupied but in the winter the groups separated for hunting. They had many permanent villages along the Minnesota River. They had many trails leading to these settlements and to theRed River Valley in the North, and the Prairie du Chien to the Southeast. These trails were later used by the fur traders and settlers, and were known as the "ox cart trails." The area of Scott County, as well as much of southern Minnesota, was opened for settlement by two treaties signed atMendota andTraverse des Sioux, in 1851 and 1853. These treaties removed the Dakota Indians toreservations in upper Minnesota.
Scott County was established and organized by an Act passed in the legislature on March 5, 1853. The 369-square-mile (960 km2) county was named after GeneralWinfield Scott. Settlers started entering the area in the mid-1850s. The Minnesota River and the ox cart trails were the primary transportation routes. The first settlers were Yankees, followed by groups ofGermans,Irish,Czechs, andScandinavians. They each brought their own traditions and religions. Most of these settlers became farmers. Fur trading, lumbering, and farming were Minnesota's major industries all throughout the 19th century. With the fast-growing farms, towns sprang up.Shakopee, the county seat, began in 1851 as a trading post by the Dakota Village ofChief Shakopee (or Shakpay). Other towns were established alongside transportation routes. When the railroads came to Minnesota, they became the primary mode of transportation, and eventually highways were developed along the ox cart trails between the communities.
Due to suburbanization, this once-rural county is changing dramatically. Cities are continually growing, as evidenced by an increase in population from roughly 90,000 in 2000 to more than 150,000 today, making Scott County one of Minnesota's fastest-growing counties.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 368 square miles (950 km2), of which 356 square miles (920 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (3.2%) is water.[6] It is the third-smallest county in Minnesota by land area and second-smallest by total area.
The Minnesota River is the county's boundary in both the north and the west. The broad river valley juts through glacial sediment into some of the oldest rock known. Now mostly farmland, it was an oak savanna and a mixture of grass and clusters of trees that grew parallel to the river valley. The savanna bordered the "Big Woods," a "closed-forest savanna" that covered most of Minnesota before it was logged in the mid-19th century. Scott is one of 17 Minnesota savanna counties with more savanna soils than either forest or prairie soils.One example of native vegetation in Scott County:
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 4,595 | — | |
| 1870 | 11,042 | 140.3% | |
| 1880 | 13,516 | 22.4% | |
| 1890 | 13,831 | 2.3% | |
| 1900 | 15,147 | 9.5% | |
| 1910 | 14,888 | −1.7% | |
| 1920 | 14,245 | −4.3% | |
| 1930 | 14,116 | −0.9% | |
| 1940 | 15,585 | 10.4% | |
| 1950 | 16,486 | 5.8% | |
| 1960 | 21,909 | 32.9% | |
| 1970 | 32,423 | 48.0% | |
| 1980 | 43,784 | 35.0% | |
| 1990 | 57,846 | 32.1% | |
| 2000 | 89,498 | 54.7% | |
| 2010 | 129,928 | 45.2% | |
| 2020 | 150,928 | 16.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 157,206 | [7] | 4.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2020[12] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 109,816 | 115,630 | 84.52% | 76.61% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,298 | 8,137 | 2.53% | 5.39% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 969 | 1,406 | 0.75% | 0.93% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 7,303 | 9,939 | 5.62% | 6.59% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 94 | 64 | 0.07% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 243 | 607 | 0.19% | 0.40% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 2,434 | 6,137 | 1.87% | 4.07% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5,771 | 9,008 | 4.44% | 5.97% |
| Total | 129,928 | 150,928 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
As of thecensus of 2000, the county had 89,498 people, 30,692 households, and 23,970 families. The population density was 251 inhabitants per square mile (97/km2). There were 31,609 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile (34/km2). The county's racial makeup was 93.65%White, 0.92%Black orAfrican American, 0.77%Native American, 2.17%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 1.24% fromother races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 2.66% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 39.6% were ofGerman, 12.6%Norwegian, 8.3%Irish and 5.1%Swedish ancestry.
There were 30,692 households, of which 45.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.90% weremarried couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.90% were non-families. 16.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.25.
31.20% of the county's population was under age 18, 6.70% was from age 18 to 24, 37.30% was from age 25 to 44, 18.60% was from age 45 to 64, and 6.20% was age 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 101.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.00 males.
The county's median household income was $66,612, and the median family income was $72,212 (these figures had risen to $80,968 and $90,489 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $46,593 versus $32,482 for females. The county'sper capita income was $26,418. About 2.00% of families and 3.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.40% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over. However, in 2011, Scott County saw the steepest drop in median income of all the populous counties in Minnesota and household wealth fell by 10 percent.[15]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 760 | 26.86% | 1,937 | 68.47% | 132 | 4.67% |
| 1896 | 1,126 | 38.31% | 1,706 | 58.05% | 107 | 3.64% |
| 1900 | 996 | 37.70% | 1,588 | 60.11% | 58 | 2.20% |
| 1904 | 1,138 | 51.99% | 1,021 | 46.64% | 30 | 1.37% |
| 1908 | 1,045 | 39.29% | 1,548 | 58.20% | 67 | 2.52% |
| 1912 | 462 | 20.25% | 1,172 | 51.36% | 648 | 28.40% |
| 1916 | 972 | 40.86% | 1,361 | 57.21% | 46 | 1.93% |
| 1920 | 3,015 | 68.96% | 1,253 | 28.66% | 104 | 2.38% |
| 1924 | 1,324 | 29.29% | 829 | 18.34% | 2,367 | 52.37% |
| 1928 | 1,732 | 28.11% | 4,419 | 71.71% | 11 | 0.18% |
| 1932 | 1,134 | 18.75% | 4,878 | 80.64% | 37 | 0.61% |
| 1936 | 1,528 | 23.30% | 3,861 | 58.87% | 1,170 | 17.84% |
| 1940 | 4,241 | 59.13% | 2,910 | 40.57% | 21 | 0.29% |
| 1944 | 3,326 | 54.08% | 2,786 | 45.30% | 38 | 0.62% |
| 1948 | 2,583 | 37.25% | 4,278 | 61.69% | 74 | 1.07% |
| 1952 | 4,277 | 56.23% | 3,315 | 43.58% | 14 | 0.18% |
| 1956 | 4,148 | 54.59% | 3,431 | 45.16% | 19 | 0.25% |
| 1960 | 3,671 | 37.68% | 6,061 | 62.21% | 11 | 0.11% |
| 1964 | 3,311 | 31.32% | 7,248 | 68.57% | 11 | 0.10% |
| 1968 | 4,632 | 39.13% | 6,656 | 56.23% | 549 | 4.64% |
| 1972 | 7,310 | 50.85% | 6,745 | 46.92% | 321 | 2.23% |
| 1976 | 7,154 | 40.66% | 9,912 | 56.34% | 527 | 3.00% |
| 1980 | 9,018 | 45.00% | 9,115 | 45.49% | 1,905 | 9.51% |
| 1984 | 12,573 | 56.81% | 9,452 | 42.71% | 108 | 0.49% |
| 1988 | 13,050 | 52.87% | 11,405 | 46.20% | 230 | 0.93% |
| 1992 | 10,936 | 33.95% | 11,225 | 34.84% | 10,055 | 31.21% |
| 1996 | 12,734 | 38.77% | 14,657 | 44.62% | 5,456 | 16.61% |
| 2000 | 23,954 | 54.70% | 17,503 | 39.97% | 2,336 | 5.33% |
| 2004 | 36,055 | 59.46% | 23,958 | 39.51% | 626 | 1.03% |
| 2008 | 36,724 | 54.70% | 29,208 | 43.51% | 1,200 | 1.79% |
| 2012 | 40,323 | 56.28% | 29,712 | 41.47% | 1,612 | 2.25% |
| 2016 | 39,948 | 53.24% | 28,502 | 37.99% | 6,579 | 8.77% |
| 2020 | 45,872 | 52.15% | 40,040 | 45.52% | 2,053 | 2.33% |
| 2024 | 47,837 | 53.07% | 40,214 | 44.61% | 2,090 | 2.32% |
In its early history Scott County was heavily Democratic due to being largely German Catholic and opposed to the pietistic Scandinavian Lutheran Republican Partyof that era. It would never vote Republican untilTheodore Roosevelt swept every Minnesota county in 1904[17] but anti-Woodrow Wilson feeling fromWorld War I caused the county to shift overwhelmingly toWarren G. Harding in 1920 before swinging toRobert La Follette, coreligionistAl Smith and fellow“wet” DemocratFranklin D. Roosevelt.
In 1936 the county's isolationism gave a powerful vote toWilliam Lemke’sUnion Party,[18] and apart fromHarry Truman’s Farm Belt appeal in the 1948 election Scott County would turn Republican until another Catholic nominee,John F. Kennedy, returned it to the Democratic ranks. However, since the “Reagan Revolution”, Scott County has become solidly Republican voting, with no Democrat gaining a majority of the county's vote sinceJimmy Carter in 1976, although Carter in 1980 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 won pluralities.
Although a conservative stronghold in modern times, the suburban voters of Scott County, like those elsewhere, tend to be more liberal on social issues. For example, while Mitt Romney handily won Scott County in 2012, voters also rejected a proposed amendment to the Minnesota constitution that would have bannedsame-sex marriage.[19]
The Majority of Scott County is in the 55th Senate District. Small portions of the county are in the 20th and 56th Districts.
The Majority of the County take place within the 55A & 55B Districts.Shakopee is in the 55A district and most of the rest of the county is within the 55B District. Small portions of the county are in the 20A & 56A House Districts.
Scott County is Located in the First Judicial District ofMinnesota District Court
Executive
Hennepin County,Dakota County, and Scott County share a jointMedical Examiner
There are also many departments in the county
Legislative: Scott County Board of Commissioners
Judicial
Places adjacent to Scott County, Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofScott County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns/Neighborhoods | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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