Winona

Formed February 23, 1854 (19^th county)

Winona County (49,662), Winona (26,003)

The outstanding stone Richardsonian Romanesque facility was built in 1889 at 3^rd and Washington streets.  Minnesota State Highway 43 is one block to the south of the courthouse.  Charles G. Maybury & Son and James A. Tawney are the architects.  The building was remodeled in 1973, 1981, and 2003.  The courthouse features a tower and turrets.  Winona County was formed on February 23, 1854 from parts of Fillmore and Wabasha counties as the 19^th county with Winona as the only county seat.  The county and county seat are named for a Native American princess. 

Winona County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Twenty-seven District Court Judges serve Winona, Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, and Waseca counties.  The county is in the southeast part of the state.  Its eastern border is Wisconsin.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is northwest of the county.  The county center is 9.3 miles Southwest of Winona nearer Stockton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wisconsin and Houston, Fillmore, Olmsted, and Wabasha counties. 

The area of the county is 626.3 square miles.  It is 49 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 19 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 79.3 persons per square mile making it 18 out of 87 in the state.  Winona County has 77.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 90 goes east to west in the county from Wisconsin to Olmsted County.  United States Highway 14 enters from the east joined with Interstate Highway 90, Houston County, splits and travels west, Olmsted County.  United States Highway 61 travels north to south from Wabasha County to Houston County.  The county looks like a triangle.  The City of Winona is on the eastern border of the county.  Winona is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 52.4% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced WI-NOE-NA.  This county is in the Winona Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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