Le Sueur County, Minnesota

Le Sueur County, Minnesota
Le Sueur County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,674. Its county seat is Le Center.
Le Sueur County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The Minnesota Territory legislature established several counties in 1853. This county was created on March 5 of that year. It was named for French explorer Pierre-Charles Le Sueur, who visited the area in 1700.
The settlement of Le Sueur (actually two competing settlements, Le Sueur and Le Sueur City) had sprung up on the east bank of the Minnesota River, both being platted in 1852. The legislature named the combined area as the first county seat. However, its remoteness from most of the county meant hardship for most of the area's residents since the county was covered with dense hardwood forest and existing roads were impassable when wet.
Several efforts were made to acquire a more central location. In the early 1870s, Cleveland (established in 1857, inland from the river in the SW part of the county) held a referendum to become the county seat. The referendum passed, but was challenged due to voting irregularities. In 1875 another referendum made Cleveland the county seat (1875-1876). In 1876, another referendum approved moving the seat to the newly created town of Le Sueur Center; the seat was promptly moved there. In the 1870s, businessmen from Waterville gained ownership of a quarter-section of land near the county's center, cleared the timber, and platted the city of Le Sueur Center (1876). The seat was moved there after a county referendum approved it. The county seat has remained in Le Sueur Center (renamed Le Center in 1930) since 1876.
The first railroad entered the county in 1867. This began the era of greater access and mobility. The first purpose-built courthouse in Le Sueur Center was constructed in 1896–7. It has been extensively remodeled and enlarged two times since.
Geography
The Minnesota River flows northeastward along the west border of Le Sueur County, on its way to discharge into the Mississippi. The terrain consists of low rolling hills, dotted with lakes and ponds. The soil is rich and black. The terrain slopes to the north and east, with its highest point near the midpoint of its east border, at ASL. The county has an area of , of which is land and (5.3%) is water. Le Sueur is one of seven Minnesota savanna region counties where no forest soils exist and one of 17 counties where savanna soils dominate.
Lakes
The following lakes are partially or completely within Le Sueur County:
Borer Lake
Bossuot Lake
Clear Lake
Decker Lake
Diamond Lake
Dietz Lake
Dog Lake
Dora Lake
Eggert Lake
Ely Lake
Emily Lake
Fish Lake
German Lake
Goldsmith Lake
Goose Lake (Cordova Township)
Goose Lake (Waterville Township)
Gorman Lake
Greenleaf Lake
Harkridge Lake
Horseshoe Lake (part)
Huoy Lake
Lake Emily
Lake Frances
Lake Henry
Lake Jefferson
Lake Mabel
Lake Pepin
Lake Sanborn
Lake Tustin
Lake Volney
Lake Washington
Mareks Lake
Mary Lake
Mud Lake (Cordova Township)
Mud Lake (Lanesburgh Township)
Mud Lake (Lexington Township)
North Goldsmith Lake
Perch Lake
Rays Lake
Rice Lake
Roemhildts Lake
Round Lake
Sabre Lake
Sakatah Lake (part)
Sanborn Lake
Sasse Lake
Savidge Lake
School Lake
Scotch Lake
Shanghai Lake
Sheas Lake
Silver Lake (Cleveland Township)
Silver Lake (Elysian Township)
Sleepy Eye Lake
Steele Lake
Sunfish Lake
Tetonka Lake (headwaters of Cannon River)
Thomas Lake
Tyler Lake
Protected areas
The following protected areas are within Le Sueur County:
Bardel State Wildlife Management Area
Chadderdon State Wildlife Management Area
Chamberlain Woods Scientific and Natural Area
Diamond Lake State Wildlife Management Area
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Ottawa State Wildlife Management Area
Paddy Marsh State Wildlife Management Area
Saint Thomas State Wildlife Management Area
Sakatah Lake State Park (part)
Seven Mile Creek State Park (part)
Shanghai State Wildlife Area
Sheas Lake State Wildlife Area
Major highways
US Highway 169
Minnesota State Highway 13
Minnesota State Highway 19
Minnesota State Highway 21
Minnesota State Highway 22
Minnesota State Highway 60
Minnesota State Highway 93
Minnesota State Highway 99
List of county roads
Adjacent counties
Scott County - north
Rice County - east
Waseca County - south
Blue Earth County - southwest
Nicollet County - west
Sibley County - northwest
Demographics
2020 Census
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, the county had 25,426 people, 9,630 households, and 6,923 families. The population density was . There were 10,858 housing units at an average density of . The county's racial makeup was 96.56% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.02% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 3.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.9% were of German, 9.0% Czech, 9.0% Norwegian and 8.2% Irish ancestry. 94.0% spoke English, 3.5% Spanish and 1.7% Czech as their first language.
There were 9,630 households, of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.40% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.10.
27.40% of the county's population was under age 18, 7.50% was from age 18 to 24, 27.80% was from age 25 to 44, 23.20% was from age 45 to 64, and 14.10% were age 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.70 males.
The country's median household income was $45,933, and the median family income was $53,000. Males had a median income of $34,196 versus $24,214 for females. The county's per capita income was $20,151. About 4.80% of families and 6.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.50% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Cleveland
Elysian (partial)
Heidelberg
Kasota
Le Center (county seat)
Le Sueur (partial)
Kilkenny
Mankato (partial)
Montgomery
New Prague (partial)
Waterville
Unincorporated communities
Cordova
Greenland
Henderson Station
Lexington
Marysburg (partial)
Ottawa
St. Henry
St. Thomas
Union Hill (partial)
Former communities
Okaman
Townships
Cleveland Township
Cordova Township
Derrynane Township
Elysian Township
Kasota Township
Kilkenny Township
Lanesburgh Township
Lexington Township
Montgomery Township
Ottawa Township
Sharon Township
Tyrone Township
Washington Township
Waterville Township
Politics
Le Sueur County residents usually vote Republican. In 78% of national elections since 1980, the county selected the Republican Party candidate (as of 2020).
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Le Sueur County, Minnesota
References
External links
Le Sueur County government’s website
Minnesota counties
1853 establishments in Minnesota Territory
Populated places established in 1853