Chippewa

Formed February 20, 1862 (64^th county)

Chippewa County (12,594), Montevideo (5,408)

The stone and concrete Modern building on 11^th Street at Washington Avenue was built in 1957 replacing a classic 1883 courthouse.  Minnesota State Highway 7 passes in front of the building.  Thorshov and Cerny are the building designers.  The county was created on February 20, 1862 from Dakota County and Davis County (which no longer exists) as the 64^th county.  Chippewa County is named for Chippewa River which is named for the Native American tribe.  Montevideo is named for Montevideo, Uruguay.  Chippewa City was the first county seat until 1870 when Montevideo became the county seat. 

Chippewa County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer, an auditor, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Nine District Court Judges serve Chippewa, Big Stone, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine counties (judicial.) The county is situated in northeast Minnesota.  The county is in the southwest part of the state.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is east of the county.  The Minnesota River forms its southern border.  The county center is 15.9 miles Northeast of Montevideo.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Swift, Kandiyohi, Renville, Yellow Medicine, and Lac qui Parle counties. 

The area of the county is 582.8 square miles.  It is 54 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 61 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 21.6 persons per square mile making it 52 out of 87 in the state.  Chippewa County has 69.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 59 passes north to south through the county from Swift County to Lac qui Parle County.  United States Highway 212 goes east to west from Renville County to Yellow Medicine County.  The county is shaped like a plow blade.  Montevideo is located on the western border of the county.  Montevideo is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 42.9% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced MON-TE-VE-DAE-OE.