Mower County, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
 Mower County Courthouse in Austin | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:43°40′N92°45′W / 43.67°N 92.75°W /43.67; -92.75 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | February 20, 1855 (created) March 1, 1856 (organized) |
| Named after | John Edward Mower |
| Seat | Austin |
| Largest city | Austin |
| Area | |
• Total | 711.5 sq mi (1,843 km2) |
| • Land | 711.3 sq mi (1,842 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km2) 0.03% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 40,029 |
• Estimate (2024) | 40,900 |
| • Density | 56.3/sq mi (21.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Mower County (/ˈmaʊ.ər/)[1] is acounty in theU.S. state ofMinnesota. As of the2020 census, the population was 40,029.[2] The county seat isAustin.[3] Mower County comprises the AustinMicropolitan Statistical Area and is included in theRochester-AustinCombined Statistical Area.Lake Louise State Park is in southeastern Mower County, nearLe Roy.
The federal government establishedWisconsin Territory effective July 3, 1836, and included what is now Minnesota, until its eastern portion was granted statehood (asWisconsin) in 1848.
Congress established theMinnesota Territory effective March 3, 1849. The newly organized territorial legislature created nine counties across the territory in October of that year. Two of the original counties,Dakota andWabashaw (later Wabasha), had portions reassigned on March 5, 1853, to createRice County.
In 1852, Jacob McQuillin's family settled in southern Rice County, beginning a settlement movement that rapidly grew. On February 20, 1855, the territorial legislature created the present county from the southernmost part of Rice County.[4] The new county was named forJohn Edward Mower, a member of theterritorial legislature.[5]
On March 1, 1856, Territorial GovernorWillis A. Gorman signed the legislative act that organized the county. He appointed three commissioners, who first met inFrankford Township. In January 1857 those commissioners designated the permanent seat inAustin Township. In July 1857 the location within Austin Township was further defined, withinAustin village, which had been platted during the spring of 1856.[6]
Mower County lies on Minnesota's border withIowa. TheCedar River flows south through the western part of the county, intoMitchell County, Iowa. TheUpper Iowa River rises in Mower County. Its branches, the Little Iowa and Upper Branch Upper Iowa, merge nearLe Roy and flow east-southeast out of the county's southeast corner into Mitchell County, Iowa. Deer Creek drains the southeastern part of the county, flowing northeast intoFillmore County. Bear Creek drains the northern part of the county, flowing east into Fillmore County. Carey Creek drains the northeastern part of the county, flowing northeast intoOlmsted County. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, etched with drainages and gullies. The area is devoted to agriculture where possible.[8] The terrain slopes to the east and south from an elevated center ridge running west–east,[9] with its highest point 1.6 miles (2.6 km) east ofElkton, at 1,440 ft (440 m) ASL.[10] The county has an area of 712 square miles (1,840 km2), of which 711 square miles (1,840 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is water.[11]
One of only fourcounties in Minnesota without any natural lakes (along with Olmsted, Pipestone, and Rock), Mower County does have four smallponds andlakes created bydams:
TheCedar River (sometimes called the Red Cedar River) flows south into the county from its source inDodge County and continues through the county intoMitchell County, Iowa. It flows through Mower County's four westernmost townships:Udolpho,Lansing,Austin, andLyle.
Source:[8]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 3,217 | — | |
| 1870 | 10,447 | 224.7% | |
| 1880 | 16,799 | 60.8% | |
| 1890 | 18,019 | 7.3% | |
| 1900 | 22,335 | 24.0% | |
| 1910 | 22,640 | 1.4% | |
| 1920 | 25,993 | 14.8% | |
| 1930 | 28,065 | 8.0% | |
| 1940 | 36,113 | 28.7% | |
| 1950 | 42,277 | 17.1% | |
| 1960 | 48,498 | 14.7% | |
| 1970 | 44,919 | −7.4% | |
| 1980 | 40,390 | −10.1% | |
| 1990 | 37,385 | −7.4% | |
| 2000 | 38,603 | 3.3% | |
| 2010 | 39,163 | 1.5% | |
| 2020 | 40,029 | 2.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 40,900 | [12] | 2.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[2] | |||
The county population has declined since its peak in 1960, as younger people have moved to urban areas for economic opportunities.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 29,804 | 74.45% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,613 | 4.03% |
| Native American (NH) | 57 | 0.14% |
| Asian (NH) | 2,052 | 5.13% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 225 | 0.64% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 1,167 | 2.92% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 5,081 | 12.7% |
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 38,603 people, 15,582 households, and 10,315 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 54.3 per square mile (21.0/km2). There were 16,251 housing units at an average density of 22.9 per square mile (8.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.7%White, 0.6%Black orAfrican American, 0.2%Native American, 1.5%Asian, <0.1%Pacific Islander, 2.2% fromother races, and 0.9% from two or more races. 4.3% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 35.9% identified as being ofGerman, 24.4% asNorwegian and 7.0% as ofIrish ancestry.
There were 15,582 households, out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% weremarried couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.
The county population contained 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,654, and the median income for a family was $45,154. Males had a median income of $31,743 versus $23,317 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,795. About 6.3% of families and 9.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
Mower County has a county-council style of government, made up of five county commissioners, each elected from asingle-member district. They are elected to four-year terms, and elected on a staggered basis.[18]
From its first participating election in1860 through1928, Mower County was traditionally Republican, voting for the Republican nominee in every election save1912, when it voted forBull Moose nominee and former Republican presidentTheodore Roosevelt.[19] After theNew Deal realignment in1932, Mower County leaned Democratic for about 80 years, voting for the Democrat in every presidential election through2012 save inEisenhower's two landslides (1952 and1956), and1960, when it voted forNixon overKennedy (despite having only narrowly voted for Eisenhower four years earlier). In2016,Donald Trump became the first Republican to carry the county since 1960, winning a high plurality of 49.8%. In2020, he carried it again, this time with a majority, making it the first time the county had voted Republican two elections in a row since 1956 and 1960. In 2024, Trump increased his vote share again, winning the county by double digits and having the best performance for a Republican since 1928.[20]
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Gene Dornink[21] | Republican | District 27 | |
| House of Representatives | Peggy Bennett[22] | Republican | District 27A | |
| House of Representatives | Patricia Mueller[23] | Republican | District 27B | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Brad Finstad[24] | Republican | 1st | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[25] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[26] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 2,234 | 56.36% | 1,310 | 33.05% | 420 | 10.60% |
| 1896 | 3,379 | 68.83% | 1,407 | 28.66% | 123 | 2.51% |
| 1900 | 3,076 | 70.75% | 1,081 | 24.86% | 191 | 4.39% |
| 1904 | 2,769 | 77.50% | 552 | 15.45% | 252 | 7.05% |
| 1908 | 2,629 | 63.46% | 1,206 | 29.11% | 308 | 7.43% |
| 1912 | 1,321 | 31.63% | 1,228 | 29.40% | 1,628 | 38.98% |
| 1916 | 2,520 | 59.43% | 1,572 | 37.08% | 148 | 3.49% |
| 1920 | 6,339 | 82.06% | 1,061 | 13.73% | 325 | 4.21% |
| 1924 | 5,061 | 55.69% | 564 | 6.21% | 3,463 | 38.11% |
| 1928 | 6,209 | 63.09% | 3,587 | 36.45% | 46 | 0.47% |
| 1932 | 4,005 | 37.79% | 6,421 | 60.58% | 173 | 1.63% |
| 1936 | 4,743 | 35.17% | 8,228 | 61.01% | 516 | 3.83% |
| 1940 | 7,169 | 47.11% | 7,988 | 52.49% | 60 | 0.39% |
| 1944 | 6,588 | 47.62% | 7,199 | 52.03% | 48 | 0.35% |
| 1948 | 5,672 | 37.07% | 9,468 | 61.88% | 161 | 1.05% |
| 1952 | 9,862 | 53.16% | 8,551 | 46.09% | 138 | 0.74% |
| 1956 | 9,570 | 50.66% | 9,219 | 48.80% | 101 | 0.53% |
| 1960 | 11,040 | 52.40% | 9,961 | 47.28% | 67 | 0.32% |
| 1964 | 6,510 | 32.32% | 13,573 | 67.39% | 57 | 0.28% |
| 1968 | 7,736 | 39.70% | 11,022 | 56.56% | 728 | 3.74% |
| 1972 | 9,929 | 48.36% | 10,286 | 50.10% | 315 | 1.53% |
| 1976 | 8,163 | 37.99% | 12,837 | 59.74% | 487 | 2.27% |
| 1980 | 7,908 | 38.91% | 10,538 | 51.85% | 1,879 | 9.24% |
| 1984 | 8,054 | 39.01% | 12,498 | 60.53% | 95 | 0.46% |
| 1988 | 6,969 | 36.63% | 11,893 | 62.51% | 163 | 0.86% |
| 1992 | 5,147 | 25.47% | 9,935 | 49.16% | 5,128 | 25.37% |
| 1996 | 4,994 | 27.65% | 10,413 | 57.65% | 2,656 | 14.70% |
| 2000 | 6,873 | 37.19% | 10,693 | 57.86% | 914 | 4.95% |
| 2004 | 7,591 | 37.54% | 12,334 | 60.99% | 297 | 1.47% |
| 2008 | 7,075 | 36.87% | 11,605 | 60.48% | 507 | 2.64% |
| 2012 | 6,938 | 37.42% | 11,129 | 60.03% | 472 | 2.55% |
| 2016 | 8,823 | 49.81% | 7,437 | 41.98% | 1,455 | 8.21% |
| 2020 | 10,025 | 51.82% | 8,899 | 46.00% | 421 | 2.18% |
| 2024 | 10,297 | 54.28% | 8,312 | 43.82% | 360 | 1.90% |
Mower County's land is divided into 20 townships that each contain 36 square miles (six miles on a side). Mower County is five townships wide (30 miles (48 km) west to east) and four townships from north to south (24 miles).
Places adjacent to Mower County, Minnesota | |
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Municipalities and communities ofMower County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
