Faribault County, Minnesota
Faribault County Courthouse in Blue Earth
Location in the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location in the U.S.
Founded	February 20, 1855[1]
Named for	Jean Baptiste Faribault
Seat	Blue Earth
Largest city	Blue Earth
Area
• Total	722 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Land	712 sq mi (1,844 km2)
• Water	9.4 sq mi (24 km2), 1.3%
Population (est.)
• (2016)	13,935
• Density	20/sq mi (8/km2)
Congressional district	1st
Time zone	Central: UTC−6/−5
Website	www.co.faribault.mn.us

Faribault County /ˈfeɪrɪboʊ/ is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,553.^[2] Its county seat is Blue Earth.^[3]

History[edit]

The county was founded in 1855.^[4] It is named for Jean-Baptiste Faribault, a settler and French fur trader among the Sioux Indians.^[5]

Geography[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 722 square miles (1,870 km²), of which 712 square miles (1,840 km²) is land and 9.4 square miles (24 km²) (1.3%) is water.^[6]

Lakes[edit]

• Bass Lake: in Delavan Township
  


• Hart Lake: in Delavan Township


• Minnesota Lake: almost entirely in Minnesota Lake Township, but the extreme northern edge extends into Blue Earth County
  


• Rice Lake: in Delavan Township


• Rice Lake: there is another, smaller Rice Lake in Foster Township
  


• South Walnut Lake: almost entirely in Brush Creek Township, but the northern edge extends into Walnut Lake Township
  


• Walnut Lake: almost entirely in Walnut Lake Township, but the southern edge extends into Brush Creek Township

Major highways[edit]

• 
  Interstate 90
  


• 
  U.S. Highway 169
  


• 
  Minnesota State Highway 22
  


• 
  Minnesota State Highway 109
  


• 
  Minnesota State Highway 253
  


• 
  Minnesota State Highway 254
  

Soils of Faribault County^[7]

Adjacent counties[edit]

• 
  Blue Earth County (north)


• 
  Waseca County (northeast)


• 
  Freeborn County (east)


• 
  Winnebago County, Iowa (southeast)


• 
  Kossuth County, Iowa (southwest)


• 
  Martin County (west)

Demographics[edit]

Age pyramid of county residents based on 2000 U.S. census data

As of the 2000 census,^[13] there were 16,181 people, 6,652 households, and 4,476 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 7,247 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.11% White, 0.24% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 3.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 45.5% were of German, 21.2% Norwegian and 5.1% Irish ancestry.

There were 6,652 households out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 29.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 22.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,440, and the median income for a family was $41,793. Males had a median income of $28,990 versus $20,224 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,193. About 5.50% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.40% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

Communities[edit]

Cities[edit]

Townships[edit]

Unincorporated communities[edit]

• Baroda


• Brush Creek


• Dell


• Guckeen


• Huntley


• Marna


• Pilot Grove

Ghost towns[edit]

• Clayton


• Homedahl

Politics[edit]

See also[edit]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Faribault County

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Faribault County Government's website


• Faribault County info at Rootsweb

Coordinates: 43°41′N 93°57′W / 43.68°N 93.95°W / 43.68; -93.95