Pope

Formed February 20, 1862 (65^th county)

Pope County (11,309), Glenwood (2,656)

A tan brick and masonry Classical Revival courthouse was erected in 1930 and is on Minnesota Avenue between 1^st and 2^nd streets.  Minnesota State Highway 28 passes in front of the courthouse.  Nairne W. Fisher is the architect.  It was enlarged in 1985 and renovated in 2011.  It sits on a hill with veterans memorials on the grounds.  There have been 1867 and 1879 versions of the courthouse.  The county was formed on February 20, 1862 from parts of Pierce County, which no longer exists, Cass County and Native American Territory as the 65^th county.  Stockdale was the county seat until 1867 when Glenwood assumed the county seat.  The county is named for Civil War General John Pope.  The county seat is named for local woods and glens. 

Pope 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 Pope, Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine counties (judicial.)  The county is in western Minnesota.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is southeast of the county.  The county center is 8.6 miles South-Southwest of Glenwood.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Douglas, Stearns, Kandiyohi, Swift, Stevens, and Grant counties. 

The area of the county is 670.1 square miles.  It is 44 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 64 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 16.9 persons per square mile making it 62 out of 87 in the state.  Pope County has 47.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  Pope County is a rectangle shape.  Glenwood is located in the northern third of the county.  Glenwood is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 23.5% of the county population.

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