Stearns County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,292. Its county seat and largest city is St. Cloud.

Included within the Minnesota Territory since 1849, the county was founded by European Americans in 1855. It was originally named for Isaac Ingalls Stevens, then renamed for Charles Thomas Stearns. Stearns County is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Combined Statistical Area.

History The Stearns County area was formerly occupied by numerous indigenous tribes, such as the Dakota, Ojibwe, and Ho-chunk. The first large immigration was of German Catholics in the 1850s. Early arrivals also came from eastern states. 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. The original counties had portions partitioned off in 1851 to create Cass County and in 1853 to create Sibley, Pierce, and Nicollet Counties. In 1855 parts of those counties were partitioned off to create Stearns County. It was to be named Stevens County for territorial governor Isaac Ingalls Stevens, who had conducted an expedition through the area in 1853, but due to a clerical error, the county was named for Charles Thomas Stearns, a member of the Territorial Council. (To compensate for this error the area two counties west was later named Stevens County.)

The February 20, 1855, act that created the county directed the naming of three county commissioners and specified St. Cloud as the county seat.

In 1997, historian of American religious architecture Marilyn J. Chiat wrote, "Father Francis X. Pierz, a missionary to Indians in central Minnesota, published a series of articles in 1851 in German Catholic newspapers advocating Catholic settlement in central Minnesota. Large numbers of immigrants, mainly German, but also Slovenian and Polish, responded. Over 20 parishes were formed in what is now Stearns County, each centered on a church-oriented hamlet. As the farmers prospered, the small frame churches were replaced by more substantial buildings of brick or stone such as St. Mary, Help of Christians, a Gothic Revival stone structure built in 1873. Stearns County retains in its German character and is still home to one of the largest rural Catholic populations in Anglo-America."Marilyn J. Chiat (1997), America's Religious Architecture: Sacred Places for Every Community, Preservation Press. Page 146.

Furthermore, according to Kathleen Neils Conzen, "Stearns County Germans early established daughter settlements at West Union in Todd County, Millerville in Douglas County, and Pierz in Morrison County, later flooded into North Dakota (where 'Stearns County German' remains a recognized ethnicity today), and in 1905 negotiated with the Canadian authorities to establish the St. Peter Colony in north-central Saskatchewan." Kathleen Neils Conzen (2003), Germans in Minnesota, Minnesota Historical Society Press. Pages 26-27.

The first courthouse was put into service on July 12, 1864, and remained in use until the present courthouse was dedicated in 1922. In 1913 a campaign was mounted to shift the county seat to Albany, due to its more central location. The effort was not successful.

Stearns County also had many farmers' markets and crop trades, making it one of Minnesota's top-grossing crop-producing counties.

Geography

Stearns County borders nine counties. The Mississippi River flows southeast along its northeast border, and the Sauk River drains the central part of the county into the Mississippi at St. Cloud. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, lightly wooded, dotted with lakes and ponds, and carved with drainages. All available area is devoted to agriculture or has been developed.Stearns County MN Google Maps (accessed 3 May 2019) The terrain slopes to the east and south,"Find an Altitude/Stearns County MN" Google Maps (accessed May 3, 2019) with its highest point a local protuberance at west and south of St. Joseph, at ASL.Stearns County High Point, Minnesota. PeakBaggers.com (accessed May 3, 2019) The county has an area is , of which is land and (3.4%) is water.

The Mississippi River forms Stearns County's northeastern border. The land consists of rolling hills, scenic lakes, prairies, savannas, and woodlands of a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees. Stearns is one of 17 Minnesota savanna region counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils. The county has 166 lakes.

Major highways

Interstate 94 U.S. Highway 52 U.S. Highway 71 Minnesota State Highway 4 Minnesota State Highway 15 Minnesota State Highway 22 Minnesota State Highway 23 Minnesota State Highway 24 Minnesota State Highway 28 Minnesota State Highway 55 Minnesota State Highway 237 Minnesota State Highway 238 List of county roads

Airports Source: Brooten Municipal Airport (6D1) - east of Brooten Paynesville Municipal Airport (PEX) - west of Paynesville Sauk Centre Municipal Airport (D39) - south-southeast of Sauk Centre St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC) - east-southeast of St. Cloud

Adjacent counties

Todd County - north Morrison County - northeast Benton County - northeast Sherburne County - east Wright County - southeast Meeker County - south Kandiyohi County - southwest Pope County - west Douglas County - northwest

Protected areas Sources:

Avon Hills Forest Scientific and Natural Area Birch Lakes State Forest Christopher Kurilla Wildlife Management Area Cold Spring Heron Colony Scientific and Natural Area Crow River Wildlife Management Area Edward Raymond Mohs Wildlife Management Area Follies Wildlife Management Area (part) Lake Koronis Regional Park Legacy Marsh Wildlife Management Area Miller Wildlife Management Area Milton Kjedahl Wildlife Management Area Norman T. Dahlman Wildlife Management Area Oxcart Crossing Wildlife Management Area Padua State Wildlife Management Area Patch Woods Scientific and Natural Area Quarry Park and Nature Preserve Quarry Park Scientific and Natural Area Rockville County Park and Nature Preserve Roscoe Prairie Scientific and Natural Area Saint Wendel Tamarack Bog Scientific and Natural Area Sauk River Wildlife Management Area Sedan Brook Prairie Scientific and Natural Area Stearns Prairie Heritage Wildlife Management Area Tamarack State Wildlife Management Area Tower State Wildlife Management Area Tribute Wildlife Management Area Victor Winder Wildlife Management Area Warner Lake County Park Zion State Wildlife Management Area

Lakes and streams

Adley Creek Crow Lake

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 158,292. The median age was 36.5 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.7 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 82.7% White, 8.4% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.2% from some other race, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.4% of the population.

62.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 38.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 60,448 households in the county, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.3% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 65,684 housing units, of which 8.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.8% were owner-occupied and 31.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.

Racial and ethnic composition +Stearns County, Minnesota – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)106,798116,726126,764136,414129,27698.74%98.26%95.19%90.56%81.67%Black or African American alone (NH)1534081,0644,59513,2240.14%0.34%0.80%3.05%8.35%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1982943283924390.18%0.25%0.25%0.26%0.28%Asian alone (NH)4558212,0862,9493,1590.42%0.69%1.57%1.96%2.00%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census383861xx0.03%0.03%0.04%Other race alone (NH)20030641074350.18%0.03%0.05%0.07%0.27%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census9951,9574,747xx0.75%1.30%3.00%Hispanic or Latino (any race)3575121,8274,1906,9510.33%0.43%1.37%2.78%4.39%Total108,161118,791133,166150,642158,292 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families in the county. The population density was . There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.99% White, 0.83% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 56.9% were of German and 9.4% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 47,604 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.

The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 16.10% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 19.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,426, and the median income for a family was $51,553. Males had a median income of $34,268 versus $23,393 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,211. About 4.30% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over. Communities Cities

Albany Avon Belgrade Brooten (part) Clearwater (part) Cold Spring Eden Valley (part) Elrosa Freeport Greenwald Holdingford Kimball Lake Henry Meire Grove Melrose New Munich Paynesville Richmond Rockville Roscoe Saint Anthony Saint Augusta Saint Cloud (county seat; partial) Saint Joseph Saint Martin Saint Rosa Saint Stephen Sartell (part) Sauk Centre Spring Hill Waite Park

Census-designated place Fairhaven St. John's University

Unincorporated communities

Collegeville Farming Five Points Georgeville Jacobs Prairie Marty Opole Padua Saint Anna Saint Francis Saint Nicholas Saint Wendel

Townships

Albany Township Ashley Township Avon Township Brockway Township Collegeville Township Crow Lake Township Crow River Township Eden Lake Township Fair Haven Township Farming Township Getty Township Grove Township Holding Township Krain Township Lake George Township Lake Henry Township Le Sauk Township Luxemburg Township Lynden Township