the region

Eighteen counties make up the Southwest Region. Occasionally information at the regional level may include fewer or more counties because of how the data are collected. When this is the case, it is noted.

Support for this region of Minnesota Compass is provided by Southwest Initiative Foundation.

At a glance

Big Stone – Located at the edge of Big Stone Lake on the Western Minnesota border, Big Stone County has a population of nearly 5,500 and is primarily an agricultural community. Its county seat is Ortonville.

Chippewa – Chippewa County is located 120 miles west of Minneapolis, and has a population of nearly 12,500. Montevideo is its county seat. During the 1700s, Europeans established a fur-trading post in the area, but after Montevideo was platted, it became an agricultural center.

Cottonwood – This county is named after the Cottonwood river. It has a population of around more than 11,000, and its county seat is Windom.

Jackson – Established in 1857, this county has a population of nearly 11,000. Its county seat is Jackson, the site of the first white settlement within the area of the county. It was originally named Springfield when founded in 1856.

Kandiyohi – Kandiyohi County is named after a Dakota word meaning "where the buffalo fish come." It has a population of nearly 41,000, and its county seat is Willmar.

Lac qui Parle – This name is French for “the lake that talks,” and the county has within it a lake of the same name. The county's northern boundary is defined by the Minnesota River. Its county seat is Madison, Minnesota, and it has a population of more than 7,000.

Lincoln – Named in honor of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln County has a population of nearly 6,000. Its county seat is Ivanhoe.

Lyon – The county seat of Marshall was established in 1872 by the Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company and other railroads. Today, it remains a regional trade center and university town in the southwest region. Lyon County has a population of nearly 25,000.

Mcleod – Named for Martin McLeod, a Scotsman who was one of the first settlers in the area, McLeod County was created by the territorial legislature in 1856. Today, it has a population of more than 37,000. Its county seat is Glencoe.

Meeker – Home to the state’s largest dairy and poultry operations, Meeker County also contains rolling farmland and more than 100 swimming and fishing lakes as well. It has a population of more than 23,000 and its county seat is Litchfield.

Murray – Named for William Pitt Murray, this county is home to rolling prairie land. It has a population of nearly 8,500 and its county seat is Slayton.

Nobles – Located along the Iowa border, Nobles County has a population of more than 20,000. Its county seat is Worthington. Famous Worthington natives include novelist Tim O’Brien and founder of Dayton’s Department Store, George Dayton.

Pipestone – Located in the very southwestern part of the state, Pipestone County borders on South Dakota to the west. It is named for red pipestone, also called calamite, which is found in the county. It has a population of more than 9,000 and its county seat is Pipestone.

Redwood – Both this county and its county seat – Redwood Falls – are named for the Redwood River. Redwood falls is home to Alexander Ramsey Park, the largest municipal park in Minnesota, with 217 acres along the Minnesota River Valley. The county is also the site of Walnut Grove and Plum Creek, made famous by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It has a population of around 15,500.

Renville – Established in 1855, Renville County is known for its agricultural innovations, including crop and animal cooperatives, seed crop breeding and production and experiments with newly developed agricultural technology. It has a population of nearly 16,000 and its county seat is Olivia.

Rock – Located in the very southwest corner of the state, Rock County borders South Dakota and Iowa. It was named because of the immense quantities of rock within its borders, which were formed by glaciers. It has a population of nearly 9,500 and its county seat is Luverne.

Swift – Named honor of Henry Swift, the third Governor of Minnesota, Swift County has a population of more than 11,000. Agriculture is the main industry in Swift County. Its county seat is Benson.

Yellow Medicine – Hammer shaped, this county’s land is well watered and drained by the Minnesota River and its tributaries; the Lac Qui Parle and the Yellow Medicine River. From two waterfalls of the Minnesota River, waterpower was developed early in the county's history. It has a population of nearly 10,000. The county seat is Granite Falls. The Upper Sioux Indian Reservation is entirely within the county.