Winona County, Minnesota
Winona County | |
|---|---|
 Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 43°59′N 91°46′W / 43.98°N 91.77°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | February 23, 1854 [1] |
| Named for | Winona, a female cousin of Wabasha, who was the last of three successive chiefs of the Mississippi band of Dakota with that name. |
| Seat | Winona |
| Largest city | Winona |
| Area | |
| • Total | 642 sq mi (1,662 km2) |
| • Land | 626 sq mi (1,622 km2) |
| • Water | 15 sq mi (40 km2) 2.38% |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 49,985 |
| • Density | 80/sq mi (31/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Website | www |
Winona County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2000, the population was 49,985. Its county seat is WinonaTemplate:GR.
History
The name of the county is said to derive from a Dakota legend regarding a woman, referred to Winona, who was betrothed to marry a warrior whom she did not love. Rather than marry him, she is said to have leapt to her death from a rock now called "Maiden's Rock" on Lake Pepin. This legend is colloquially referred to as the Princess Winona legend.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 642 square miles (1,662 km²), of which 626 square miles (1,622 km²) is land and 15 square miles (40 km²) (2.38%) is water.
Bodies of water
- Airport Lake - Winona
- Bartlet Lake - Winona
- Bollers Lake - Goodview
- Hunters Lake - Winona
- Lake Goodview - Goodview
- Lake Winona - Winona
- Rileys Lake - vast majority in Winona, west edge in Goodview
- Mississippi River - forms county's eastern border with Wisconsin
- Whitewater River - flows northeast from the western side of the county
Major Highways
Interstate 90
U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 61
Minnesota State Highway 43
Minnesota State Highway 74
Minnesota State Highway 76
Minnesota State Highway 248
Public Airports
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)
National protected area
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 49,985 people, 18,744 households, and 11,696 families residing in the county. The population density was 80 people per square mile (31/km²). There were 19,551 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile (12/km²). 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 according to Census 2000.
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.
In the county the population was spread out with 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 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 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 9.80% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
| Year | GOP | Dems |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 46.3% 12,686 | 51.9% 14,231 |
| 2000 | 45.0% 10,773 | 46.3% 11,069 |
| 1996 | 36.8% 7,955 | 47.5% 10,272 |
| 1992 | 35.0% 8,585 | 39.6% 9,707 |
| 1988 | 50.9% 11,012 | 47.7% 10,310 |
| 1984 | 55.0% 11,981 | 44.0% 9,577 |
| 1980 | 45.1% 10,332 | 42.9% 9,814 |
| 1976 | 47.6% 10,436 | 49.9% 10,939 |
| 1972 | 56.4% 10,910 | 41.8% 8,080 |
| 1968 | 45.9% 7,998 | 49.5% 8,627 |
| 1964 | 35.7% 6,345 | 64.1% 11,397 |
| 1960 | 52.1% 9,271 | 47.7% 8,484 |
Communities
| Cities | Townships | Unincorporated | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
† La Crescent is in Houston County but extends into Winona County.
‡ Minneiska is located in both Winona County and Wabasha County.
References
Further reading
- DeLorme's Minnesota Atlas and Gazetteer (ISBN 0-89933-333-8)
External links
Places adjacent to Winona County, Minnesota | |
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Municipalities and communities of Winona County, Minnesota, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
