Le Sueur

Formed March 5, 1853 (13^th county)

Le Sueur County (28,672), Le Center (2,509), Le Sueur (4,213)

An outstanding Richardsonian Romanesque Revival courthouse for Le Sueur County, built in 1896, is on Park, Sharon, Lexington, and Minnesota streets.  Minnesota State Highway 99 is three blocks to the south of the courthouse.  Louis M. Curry & Curry are the architects of this tan brick and stone structure.  The building features a dome with Lady Justice.  The grounds have a gazebo.  The courthouse was restored in 1920 and renovated and enlarged in 1975.  It was enlarged again in 1995.  A Justice Center was added in 2020.  Le Sueur County was formed on March 5, 1853 from Dakota County as the 13^th county.  It is named for explorer Pierre-Charles Le Sueur.  The county seat name is a geographical description of its location in the county.  Le Sueur was the first county seat until 1875 when Le Center became the county seat. 

Le Sueur 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.)  Thirty-nine District Court Judges serve Le Sueur, Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, McLeod, Scott, and Sibley counties (judicial.) The county is in the central part of the state.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is northeast of the county.  The county center is 2.8 miles South-Southwest of Le Center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Scott, Rice, Waseca, Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Sibley counties. 

The area of the county is 448.5 square miles.  It is 73 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 38 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 63.9 persons per square mile making it 22 out of 87 in the state.  Le Sueur County has 61.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 169 clips the northwest corner of the county from Scott County, north, to Sibley County, west.  The county is a number 7 with its leg missing.  Le Center is located near the center of the county.  Le Sueur is on the western border of the county and extends into Nicollet County.  Le Center is the county seat and Le Sueur is the largest city.  Le Center is 8.8% of the county population while Le Sueur is 14.7% of the county population.  The county and largest city are pronounced LE SUR.  The county seat is pronounced LE SEN-TER.