Winona County, Minnesota

Winona County, Minnesota
Winona County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, its population was 49,671. Its county seat is Winona. Winona County comprises the Winona, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The Wisconsin Territory was established by the federal government effective July 3, 1836, and existed until its eastern portion was granted statehood (as Wisconsin) in 1848. The federal government set up the Minnesota 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, Wabasha, had its southern section partitioned off on March 5, 1853, into a new county, Fillmore. On February 23, 1854, the legislature partitioned the northern part of Fillmore County, plus a small section of Wabasha, to create Winona County, with the village of Winona as county seat. The county name was taken from the village name, which is said to derive from a Dakota legend about a woman, Winona, (a relative of Chief Wabasha) who was betrothed to a warrior she did not love. Rather than marry him, she jumped to her death from a rock on Lake Pepin now called "Maiden's Rock". This is known as the Winona legend.
The county boundaries have remained unchanged since 1854.
Geography
Winona County lies on Minnesota's border with Wisconsin and is part of the driftless area that defines southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois. The Mississippi, flowing south-southeast, defines the county's eastern border. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (St. Paul District) maintains the lock and dam system in this region.
The Whitewater River flows north-northeast through the northwest part of the county toward its discharge into the Mississippi just above Winona County. The eastern part of the county is drained into the Mississippi by east-flowing streams including Rollingstone Creek, Garvin Brook, Cedar Creek, and Big Trout Creek. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills with the east portion particularly etched by drainages, and lightly sprinkled with lakes. The land is devoted to agriculture where possible. The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest point at ASL on a hill east of Wilson. The county has an area of , of which is land and (2.4%) is water.
Within Minnesota, Winona County borders Wabasha County, Olmsted County, Fillmore County and Houston County.
Transit
Winona Transit Service
Jefferson Lines
Amtrak (Empire Builder)
Major highways
Interstate 90
U.S. Highway 14
U.S. Highway 61
Minnesota State Highway 43
Minnesota State Highway 74
Minnesota State Highway 76
Minnesota State Highway 248
Public airports
Winona Municipal Airport (ONA) (Max Conrad Field), NW of Winona
Adjacent counties
Wabasha County - northwest
Buffalo County, Wisconsin - north
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin - northeast
La Crosse County, Wisconsin - east
Houston County - south
Fillmore County - southwest
Olmsted County - west
Protected areas
Great River Bluffs State Park
John A Latsch State Park
Richard John Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (part)
Whitewater State Park
Whitewater State Wildlife Management Area (part)
Callahan Unit
McCarthy Ravine Unit
South Branch Unit
Upper South Branch Unit
Lakes
Airport Lake
Bartlet Lake
Bollers Lake
Hunters Lake
Lake Goodview
Lake Winona
Rileys Lake
Demographics
2020 census
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,985 people, 18,744 households, and 11,696 families in the county. The population density was . There were 19,551 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.80% White, 0.77% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 41.8% were of German, 13.9% Norwegian, 9.9% Polish and 7.4% Irish ancestry.
There were 18,744 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.30% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.60% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% 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 3.04.
The county population contained 22.80% under the age of 18, 18.60% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,700, and the median income for a family was $49,845. Males had a median income of $31,926 versus $23,406 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,077. About 5.60% of families and 12.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
In 2016, Winona County planning commissioners voted to approve new permits for existing commercial dog breeding operations, also known as "puppy mills", despite overwhelming evidence of animal cruelty and neglect. Due to the high number of kennels in the county, Winona county has earned the dubious title "Puppy Mill Capital of Minnesota".
Micropolitan Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated Winona County as the Winona, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area (µSA), with Winona as its principal city. The US Census Bureau ranked this µSA as the 591st most populous Core Based Statistical Area of the United States as of April 1, 2020.
Politics
Winona County has historically been a swing county at the federal level, but in the 21st century leans Democratic. Winona County's seat is considered a college town due to the presence of Winona State University and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. In 2016, the county backed Donald Trump, the first time a Republican presidential nominee carried the county since 1988. In 2020, the county backed Joe Biden by a plurality. In the 2022 elections, Winona County voted for the Republican nominee for all statewide offices.
Winona County is represented in the Minnesota House of Representatives by Steve Jacob (R) and Gene Pelowski (DFL). Jeremy Miller (R) and Steve Drazkowski (R) represent it in the Minnesota Senate. Winona County is in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, which is represented by Brad Finstad (R).
Communities
Cities
Altura
Dakota
Elba
Goodview
La Crescent (mostly in Houston County)
Lewiston
Minneiska (partly in Wabasha County)
Minnesota City
Rollingstone
St. Charles
Stockton
Utica
Winona (county seat)
Census-designated place
Homer
Unincorporated communities
Bethany
Centerville
Clyde
Donehower
Dresbach
Fremont
Lamoille
Nodine
Oakridge
Pickwick
Pine Creek
Ridgeway
Saratoga
Troy
Whitman
Wilson
Witoka
Wyattville
Ghost towns
Ashton
Beaver
Enterprise
Grover
Whitewater Falls
Clyde
Townships
Dresbach
Elba
Fremont
Hart
Hillsdale
Homer
Mount Vernon
New Hartford
Norton
Pleasant Hill
Richmond
Rollingstone
Saint Charles
Saratoga
Utica
Warren
Whitewater
Wilson
Wiscoy
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Winona County, Minnesota
References
Further reading
DeLorme's Minnesota Atlas and Gazetteer
External links
Winona County
Winona County Health and Demographic Data
Winona County Board
Minnesota placenames of Native American origin
1854 establishments in Minnesota Territory
Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River