Douglas County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,006. Its county seat is Alexandria.

Douglas County comprises the Alexandria, Minnesota, Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Douglas County is the home of Minnesota's only wine-grape appellation, the Alexandria Lakes AVA.

History The territorial legislature created Douglas County on March 8, 1858, shortly before Minnesota attained statehood. It was named for political figure Stephen A. Douglas, who was serving as a US Senator from Illinois at the time of the county's creation. The county organization was completed in 1866.

Geography Spruce Creek flows southeast through northeastern Douglas county. The county consists of rolling hills, heavily dotted with lakes and ponds, especially in its north-to-south central portion. The hilly terrain generally slopes to the south and west; its highest point is near the northeast corner, at ASL."Find an Altitude/Douglas County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 7, 2019) The county has an area of , of which is land and (11%) is water. It contains more than 250 lakes.

The county includes two of Minnesota's biomes: prairie grassland in the west and southeast, savannas (also prairie ecosystems) in the middle, and temperate deciduous forest in the south-central, north, and east. Douglas is one of 17 Minnesota counties where savanna soils predominate.

Major highways

Interstate 94 U.S. Highway 52 Minnesota State Highway 27 Minnesota State Highway 29 Minnesota State Highway 55 Minnesota State Highway 79 Minnesota State Highway 114

Airports Alexandria Municipal Airport ("Chandler Field"), city-owned public-use airport

Adjacent counties

Otter Tail County - north Todd County - east Stearns County - southeast Pope County - south Stevens County - southwest Grant County - west

Protected areas

Anderson State Wildlife Management Area Balgaard State Wildlife Management Area Chermak State Wildlife Management Area Herberger Lake State Wildlife Management Area Kensington State Wildlife Management Area La Grand State Wildlife Management Area Lake Carlos State Park Osakis State Wildlife Management Area North Unit (part) Red Rock Wildlife Management Area Roger M. Holmes State Wildlife Management Area Schnepf State Wildlife Management Area Thornberg State Wildlife Management Area Urness State Wildlife Management Area

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Douglas County, Minnesota – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)27,59528,40932,21634,97436,62999.12%99.08%98.16%97.13%93.91%Black or African American alone (NH)414581462230.01%0.05%0.18%0.41%0.57%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)457374941040.16%0.25%0.23%0.26%0.27%Asian alone (NH)911001301632270.33%0.35%0.40%0.45%0.58%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 Census9311xx0.03%0.01%0.03%Other race alone (NH)33037600.12%0.00%0.01%0.02%0.15%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census138281937xx0.42%0.78%2.40%Hispanic or Latino (any race)71781933418150.26%0.27%0.59%0.95%2.09%Total27,83928,67432,82136,00939,006 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 39,006. The median age was 43.8 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.2 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 94.6% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.1% of the population.

48.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 51.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 16,557 households in the county, of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.4% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 21,769 housing units, of which 23.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.0% were owner-occupied and 25.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 32,821 people, 13,276 households, and 9,027 families in the county. The population density was . There were 16,694 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.49% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.5% were of German, 24.6% Norwegian and 8.1% Swedish ancestry.

There were 13,276 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.93.

The county population contained 24.00% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,703, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $30,968 versus $21,240 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,850. About 5.60% of families and 8.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.30% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.

Communities Cities

Alexandria (county seat) Brandon Carlos Evansville Forada Garfield Kensington Millerville Miltona Nelson Osakis (part)

Unincorporated communities

Belle River Holmes City Leaf Valley Rose City

Townships

Alexandria Township Belle River Township Brandon Township Carlos Township Evansville Township Holmes City Township Hudson Township Ida Township La Grand Township Lake Mary Township Leaf Valley Township Lund Township Millerville Township Miltona Township Moe Township Orange Township Osakis Township Solem Township Spruce Hill Township Urness Township

Government and politics Douglas County traditionally votes Republican. In only one presidential election since 1964 has it selected the Democratic candidate. In recent years the Republican tilt in the county has increased, with Donald Trump receiving 67% of the county's vote in 2024, the best performance for a Republican presidential candidate since Theodore Roosevelt in 1904.

+County Board of CommissionersPositionNameDistrictCommissionerKeith EnglundDistrict 1CommissionerTim KalinaDistrict 2CommissionerJerry RappDistrict 3CommissionerCharlie MeyerDistrict 4CommissionerShane SchmidtDistrict 5 +State Legislature (2018-2020)PositionNameAffiliationDistrictSenateBill IngebrigtsenRepublicanDistrict 8SenateTorrey WestromRepublicanDistrict 12House of RepresentativesMary FransonRepublicanDistrict 8BHouse of RepresentativesJeff BackerRepublicanDistrict 12AHouse of RepresentativesPaul AndersonRepublicanDistrict 12B +U.S Congress (2021-2023)PositionNameAffiliationDistrictHouse of RepresentativesMichelle FischbachRepublican7thSenateAmy KlobucharDFLN/ASenateTina SmithDFLN/A

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Douglas County, Minnesota

References

External links Douglas County website Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission website Douglas County MN Area Manufacturing & Healthcare Opportunities