Otter Tail County, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
 TheOtter Tail County Courthouse in Fergus Falls | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:46°24′21″N95°42′52″W / 46.405727°N 95.714581°W /46.405727; -95.714581 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | March 18, 1858 (created) September 12, 1868 (organized) |
| Named after | Otter Tail Lake andOtter Tail River |
| Seat | Fergus Falls |
| Largest city | Fergus Falls |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,224.328 sq mi (5,760.98 km2) |
| • Land | 1,971.635 sq mi (5,106.51 km2) |
| • Water | 252.693 sq mi (654.47 km2) 11.36% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 60,081 |
• Estimate (2024) | 60,884 |
| • Density | 30.873/sq mi (11.920/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 218 |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | ottertailcounty.gov |
Otter Tail County is acounty in theU.S. state ofMinnesota. As of the2020 census, the population was 60,081,[1] and was estimated to be 60,884 in 2024.[2] Thecounty seat and the largest city isFergus Falls.[3]
Otter Tail County comprises the Fergus Fallsmicropolitan statistical area. With 1,048 lakes in its borders, Otter Tail County has more lakes than any other county in the United States.[4]
Native Americans used the area for hunting and fishing and had permanent dwelling sites. TwoNative American tribes were in constant conflict. The Dakota (Sioux) were being pushed from their home area by theOjibwa (Chippewa) during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.Burial mounds and artifacts can still be found. Some of the oldest Native American remains were found nearPelican Rapids, Minnesota. The remains, nicknamed Minnesota Girl, were dated at about 11,000 BC.
The first European men to enter the county wereFrench andBritishfur traders. Efforts were made to set uptrading posts on the Leaf Lakes andOtter Tail Lake. In the late 19th century, most of the towns were built along the railroad lines. Lumber and agriculture were the major industries in the county at that time. The pine and hardwood forests, transportation system, and markets were instrumental in the development of Fergus Falls into a lumber center. TheWisconsin Territory was established by the federal government effective July 3, 1836, and existed until its eastern portion was granted statehood (asWisconsin) in 1848. The federal government set up theMinnesota 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,Dakota, had a section partitioned off in 1851 to createCass County. On March 18, 1858, the outgoing territorial legislature created Otter Tail County from areas partitioned from Cass andPembina, another of the original counties created in 1849. The county was named forOtter Tail Lake and theOtter Tail River.[5] The county was not organized in 1858, nor was a county seat specified. On September 12, 1868, thelegislature completed the county organization, and specified Otter Tail City as county seat.
Otter Tail City began as a waystation on a fur-trade route betweenSaint Paul and the Red River valley. The settlement was of sufficient size that when theMinnesota Territory established a US land office for this part of the territory, the office was sited at Otter Tail City. Thus, the city was named as the seat when the county was organized, but people had begun settling the future Fergus Falls area in 1857, and it grew sufficiently that in fall 1872, the vote was taken to move the county seat there.[6] The Northern Pacific Railroad had initially planned to run a line through Otter Tail City, but complications caused the line to be placed in Fergus Falls, which precipitated the county seat move. The Soo Line later made plans to run a line through Otter Tail City, but when townspeople could not agree on the routing, another route east of the city was constructed. Thus, a new city plat was generated, with the settlement name changing toOttertail.[7]
In 1870, the population of the county was about 2,000. At that time, the principal languages spoken in the county wereNorwegian,Swedish,German, andEnglish.
The people of Fergus Falls organized a new county named Holcomb. In 1872, a legislative act abolished Holcomb County, added additional townships to the west, and established Fergus Falls as Otter Tail County's seat.
The Fergus Falls Telephone Exchange Company organized on March 20, 1882, and was in a room at the First National Bank at the corner of Cascade and Lincoln. The system install was very crude. Efforts were made to have telephones installed in the courthouse but commissioners did not feel it was necessary. Eventually a telephone was installed in the auditor's office through a combination of private and public funds. A clerk in the office was tasked with tracking down the officer who was called. The business was sold to the Northwestern Telephone Exchange Company in 1883.[8]
TheOtter Tail River flows south and west through the central and western parts of the county on its way to form theRed River inWilkin County. It is joined by the south-flowingPelican River west of Fergus Falls. TheLeaf River rises in the county and flows east to its confluence with theCrow Wing River in neighboringWadena County. TheRedeye River flows southeast through the county's northeast section toward its confluence with the Leaf in Wadena. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, heavily wooded through its center section, dotted with lakes and ponds, and carved with drainages and gullies. The available area is devoted to agriculture.[9] The county terrain slopes to the west and south.[10] The highest points on the county terrain are at two different locations:Inspiration Peak, at 1,727 ft (526 m), and Pekan Peak (unofficial name) a summit northeast of the village of Urbank in Folden Township, Section 32, at 1,800 ft (550 m) above sea level.[11]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,224.328 square miles (5,760.98 km2), of which 1,971.635 square miles (5,106.51 km2) is land and 252.693 square miles (654.47 km2) (11.36%) is water.[12] It is the 7th largest county in Minnesota by total area.[13]
Otter Tail is one of 17 Minnesota savanna region counties with more savanna soils than either forest or prairie soils. According to its website, the county contains over 1,000 lakes.
Source:[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 240 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,968 | 720.0% | |
| 1880 | 18,675 | 848.9% | |
| 1890 | 34,232 | 83.3% | |
| 1900 | 45,375 | 32.6% | |
| 1910 | 46,036 | 1.5% | |
| 1920 | 50,818 | 10.4% | |
| 1930 | 51,006 | 0.4% | |
| 1940 | 53,192 | 4.3% | |
| 1950 | 51,320 | −3.5% | |
| 1960 | 48,960 | −4.6% | |
| 1970 | 46,097 | −5.8% | |
| 1980 | 51,937 | 12.7% | |
| 1990 | 50,714 | −2.4% | |
| 2000 | 57,159 | 12.7% | |
| 2010 | 57,303 | 0.3% | |
| 2020 | 60,081 | 4.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 60,884 | [16] | 1.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[17] 1790–1960[18] 1900–1990[19] 1990–2000[20] 2010–2020[2] | |||
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Otter Tail County was $270,005.[21]
As of the 2023American Community Survey, there are 25,181 estimated households in Otter Tail County with an average of 2.34 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $70,912. Approximately 10.6% of the county's population lives at or below thepoverty line. Otter Tail County has an estimated 61.2% employment rate, with 27.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 94.0% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (95.7%), Spanish (2.5%), Indo-European (1.1%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.1%), and Other (0.6%).
The median age in the county was 46.3 years.
Otter Tail County, Minnesota – racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.
| Race / ethnicity(NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[22] | Pop. 1990[23] | Pop. 2000[24] | Pop. 2010[25] | Pop. 2020[26] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 51,468 (99.10%) | 50,052 (98.69%) | 55,137 (96.46%) | 54,244 (94.66%) | 54,362 (90.48%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 24 (0.05%) | 27 (0.05%) | 160 (0.28%) | 422 (0.74%) | 843 (1.40%) |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 121 (0.23%) | 226 (0.45%) | 269 (0.47%) | 261 (0.46%) | 284 (0.47%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 134 (0.26%) | 182 (0.36%) | 250 (0.44%) | 264 (0.46%) | 334 (0.56%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 13 (0.02%) | 29 (0.05%) | 17 (0.03%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 48 (0.09%) | 3 (0.01%) | 5 (0.01%) | 13 (0.02%) | 149 (0.25%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 368 (0.64%) | 580 (1.01%) | 1,876 (3.12%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 142 (0.27%) | 224 (0.44%) | 957 (1.67%) | 1,490 (2.60%) | 2,216 (3.69%) |
| Total | 51,937 (100.00%) | 50,714 (100.00%) | 57,159 (100.00%) | 57,303 (100.00%) | 60,081 (100.00%) |
As of the 2024 estimate, there were 60,884 people and 25,181 households residing in the county. There were 36,922 housing units at an average density of 18.73 per square mile (7.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.3% White(92.0% NH White), 1.6% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.9% of the population.[27]
As of the2020 census, there were 60,081 people, 25,123 households, and 16,512 families residing in the county.[28] Thepopulation density was 30.5 inhabitants per square mile (11.8/km2). There were 36,506 housing units at an average density of 18.52 per square mile (7.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.39%White, 1.42%African American, 0.54%Native American, 0.56%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 1.80% from some other races and 4.26% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.69% of the population.[29]
As of the2010 census, there were 57,303 people, 24,055 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 29.1 inhabitants per square mile (11.2/km2). There were 35,594 housing units at an average density of 18.05 per square mile (7.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.12%White, 0.75%African American, 0.49%Native American, 0.47%Asian, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 0.89% from some other races and 1.22% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.60% of the population.
As of the2000 census, there were 57,159 people, 22,671 households, and 15,779 families in the county. The population density was 29.0 inhabitants per square mile (11.2/km2). There were 33,862 housing units at an average density of 17.0 per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.11%White, 0.29%African American, 0.51%Native American, 0.44%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.84% from some other races and 0.78% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.67% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 35.5% were ofGerman and 31.2%Norwegian.
There were 22,671 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% weremarried couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.
The county population contained 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,395, and the median income for a family was $42,740. Males had a median income of $30,151 versus $20,930 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $18,014. About 6.7% of families and 10.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 2,140 | 37.40% | 1,642 | 28.70% | 1,940 | 33.90% |
| 1896 | 3,544 | 42.73% | 4,482 | 54.04% | 268 | 3.23% |
| 1900 | 3,446 | 47.19% | 3,257 | 44.60% | 600 | 8.22% |
| 1904 | 4,642 | 73.69% | 869 | 13.80% | 788 | 12.51% |
| 1908 | 3,964 | 58.07% | 2,320 | 33.99% | 542 | 7.94% |
| 1912 | 755 | 11.53% | 1,739 | 26.57% | 4,052 | 61.90% |
| 1916 | 4,328 | 54.33% | 2,858 | 35.88% | 780 | 9.79% |
| 1920 | 11,084 | 78.50% | 1,741 | 12.33% | 1,294 | 9.16% |
| 1924 | 7,557 | 55.45% | 568 | 4.17% | 5,504 | 40.38% |
| 1928 | 11,624 | 68.28% | 4,990 | 29.31% | 411 | 2.41% |
| 1932 | 7,416 | 43.72% | 8,805 | 51.90% | 743 | 4.38% |
| 1936 | 8,899 | 49.14% | 8,642 | 47.72% | 569 | 3.14% |
| 1940 | 13,737 | 63.51% | 7,705 | 35.62% | 187 | 0.86% |
| 1944 | 12,351 | 67.55% | 5,823 | 31.85% | 110 | 0.60% |
| 1948 | 11,131 | 61.25% | 6,546 | 36.02% | 495 | 2.72% |
| 1952 | 16,447 | 75.03% | 5,388 | 24.58% | 86 | 0.39% |
| 1956 | 12,764 | 65.88% | 6,571 | 33.91% | 40 | 0.21% |
| 1960 | 13,747 | 62.94% | 8,054 | 36.87% | 42 | 0.19% |
| 1964 | 10,542 | 51.26% | 9,997 | 48.61% | 26 | 0.13% |
| 1968 | 12,483 | 60.30% | 7,400 | 35.75% | 818 | 3.95% |
| 1972 | 13,519 | 62.21% | 7,881 | 36.27% | 331 | 1.52% |
| 1976 | 12,113 | 49.42% | 11,881 | 48.47% | 516 | 2.11% |
| 1980 | 15,091 | 57.74% | 9,108 | 34.85% | 1,939 | 7.42% |
| 1984 | 15,664 | 61.30% | 9,714 | 38.02% | 173 | 0.68% |
| 1988 | 14,015 | 56.96% | 10,373 | 42.16% | 216 | 0.88% |
| 1992 | 11,074 | 41.52% | 9,176 | 34.41% | 6,420 | 24.07% |
| 1996 | 11,808 | 45.68% | 10,519 | 40.69% | 3,523 | 13.63% |
| 2000 | 16,963 | 59.50% | 9,844 | 34.53% | 1,704 | 5.98% |
| 2004 | 19,734 | 61.33% | 12,038 | 37.41% | 406 | 1.26% |
| 2008 | 18,077 | 55.30% | 13,856 | 42.39% | 754 | 2.31% |
| 2012 | 18,860 | 59.55% | 12,165 | 38.41% | 645 | 2.04% |
| 2016 | 20,939 | 64.43% | 9,340 | 28.74% | 2,221 | 6.83% |
| 2020 | 23,800 | 65.39% | 11,958 | 32.85% | 641 | 1.76% |
| 2024 | 24,276 | 66.08% | 11,752 | 31.99% | 708 | 1.93% |
Otter Tail is a Republican stronghold inU.S. presidential elections, having voted for the party's candidates in every election since 1936.[31] The only Democrats to win the county since Minnesota became a state in 1858 have beenFranklin D. Roosevelt inhis first election victory, and unsuccessful candidateWilliam Jennings Bryan in 1896.
During theGreat Depression, there was acommunist faction within the county. The areas where the movement was centered are quite desolate today, but in mid-1932 over 900 people were involved in one of the state's communist organizations at what was a historic low point for farmers. The members of the communist party were very active in the New York Mills area of Newton, Leaf Lake, Blowers, Deer Creek and Paddock Townships. They held meetings, recruited members, placed candidates on local and state tickets, and distributed propaganda. They held dances in Heinola, Menahga, and Sebeka where the Soviet hammer and sickle was proudly displayed and ran a summer camp on East Leaf Lake.[32]
By the time Franklin Roosevelt implemented hisNew Deal programs in the county, the communist movement began to lose steam. In addition, theWinter War in Europe between Finland and the U.S.S.R. soured many Finnish immigrants on communism (Finns had been a large proportion of the local communists). Carl Peltoniemi, a former local communist, said, "The communist movement within the Finnish community basically ended at the start of the Winter War in 1939–1940."
In theMinnesota House of Representatives, Otter Tail County is divided into two districts, 8A and 8B. They are represented byRepublicans Bud Nornes (8A) and Mary Franson (8B). Districts 8A and 8B make upMinnesota State Senate district 8, which is represented by Republican State Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen.
School districts include:[33]
Places adjacent to Otter Tail County, Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofOtter Tail County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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