Le Sueur County is a county in Minnesota, United States, centred on the Minnesota River in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 28,674 at the 2020 census and covers 474 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 449 square miles are land and 25 square miles are water, centred near 44°22′N 93°44′W.
Le Center is the county seat; its postal code is 56057. The county has nine cities (including two shared with neighboring counties), nine unincorporated communities, and fourteen townships, and sits in the Central time zone. Le Sueur County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan statistical area.
Towns & Villages in Le Sueur County
Le Sueur County has nine cities, two of them shared with a neighboring county (marked “partial” below), plus nine named unincorporated communities. The table below lists incorporated places (City) and unincorporated communities (Unincorp.) carried over from county records.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Center | City · seat | — | — | 56057 |
| Le Sueur | City | — | — | 56058 |
| Cleveland | City | Cleveland | — | 56017 |
| Elysian | City (partial) | Elysian | — | 56028 |
| Heidelberg | City | — | — | — |
| Kasota | City | Kasota | — | 56050 |
| Kilkenny | City | Kilkenny | — | — |
| Montgomery | City | Montgomery | — | 56069 |
| Waterville | City | Waterville | — | 56096 |
| New Prague | City (partial) | — | — | — |
| Cordova | Unincorp. | Cordova | — | — |
| Greenland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Henderson Station | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lexington | Unincorp. | Lexington | — | — |
| Marysburg | Unincorp. (partial) | — | — | — |
| Ottawa | Unincorp. | Ottawa | — | — |
| St. Henry | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| St. Thomas | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Union Hill | Unincorp. (partial) | — | — | — |
Elysian and New Prague are shared with neighboring counties, so only the portion inside Le Sueur County is described here. Marysburg and Union Hill are likewise split communities whose built-up core sits partly across the county line.
Townships
Le Sueur County is organized into fourteen civil townships, most named for the city or settlement at their center.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | — | Cleveland |
| Cordova | — | Cordova (unincorporated) |
| Derrynane | — | rural, no incorporated settlement |
| Elysian | — | Elysian (partial) |
| Kasota | — | Kasota |
| Kilkenny | — | Kilkenny |
| Lanesburgh | — | rural, no incorporated settlement |
| Lexington | — | Lexington (unincorporated) |
| Montgomery | — | Montgomery |
| Ottawa | — | Ottawa (unincorporated) |
| Sharon | — | rural, no incorporated settlement |
| Tyrone | — | rural, no incorporated settlement |
| Washington | — | rural, no incorporated settlement |
| Waterville | — | Waterville |
ZIP Codes
- 56057 — Le Center (county seat)
- 56058 — Le Sueur
- 56017 — Cleveland
- 56028 — Elysian
- 56050 — Kasota
- 56069 — Montgomery
- 56096 — Waterville
Heidelberg and Kilkenny use ZIP codes centered on neighboring post office towns rather than their own; the county’s other unincorporated communities are served by the ZIP code of their nearest city.
Geography
Le Sueur County lies in the rolling farmland of south-central Minnesota, on the eastern edge of the Minnesota River valley. The Minnesota River runs along the county’s western border, and the county sits in a savanna transition zone: it is one of only a handful of Minnesota counties with no forest-soil areas, while savanna soils dominate much of its farmland. Land use is overwhelmingly agricultural outside the small cities along the river and along U.S. Route 169.
Le Sueur County borders Scott County to the north, Rice County to the east, Waseca County to the south, Blue Earth County to the southwest, Nicollet County to the west, and Sibley County to the northwest.
Demographics
Le Sueur County had 28,674 residents at the 2020 census, spread over 449 square miles of land for a density of roughly 64 people per square mile. Le Sueur and Le Center, the county’s largest two cities, anchor population along the river corridor, with Montgomery and Waterville as the other significant population centers. County-level median household income figures were not independently verified this session; Minnesota’s statewide 2023 ACS median household income is $85,086, and Le Sueur County’s largely agricultural, small-town economy typically runs close to or somewhat below that statewide figure.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — corn, soybeans, and livestock — remains the backbone of the county’s economy, supported by grain elevators and farm-supply businesses in Le Center, Le Sueur, and Montgomery. Le Sueur is historically tied to food processing; the city has long been home to a major vegetable-canning operation founded by the Green Giant company, which originated in Le Sueur County in the early 20th century. Kasota is known regionally for limestone quarrying, and Waterville, on the shore of Lake Tetonka, draws seasonal lake tourism.
History
Le Sueur County was organized on March 5, 1853, and is named for Pierre-Charles Le Sueur, a French explorer and fur trader who traveled the Minnesota River valley around 1700. The county seat began in the city of Le Sueur before relocating to the more centrally located Le Center in 1876. The county’s first railroad line arrived in 1867, and its Le Center courthouse, built in 1896–97, still serves as the seat of county government.
Getting There
U.S. Route 169 runs north-south through the county along the Minnesota River, linking Le Sueur and Kasota to the Twin Cities and to Mankato. Minnesota state highways 13, 19, 21, 22, 60, and 93 cross the county and connect its smaller cities.
- Mankato — about 15 miles southwest
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul — about 55 miles north
- Faribault — about 20 miles east
- New Ulm — about 30 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Le Sueur County?
It is in south-central Minnesota, along the Minnesota River, part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan area.
What is the population of Le Sueur County?
28,674 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Le Sueur County?
474 square miles (1,230 km2) in total, of which 449 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Le Sueur County?
Le Center.
How many towns are in Le Sueur County?
Nine cities, two shared with neighboring counties, plus nine unincorporated communities across fourteen townships.
What ZIP codes are in Le Sueur County?
56057 (Le Center), 56058 (Le Sueur), 56017 (Cleveland), 56028 (Elysian), 56050 (Kasota), 56069 (Montgomery), and 56096 (Waterville).
Why is Le Sueur County named that?
For Pierre-Charles Le Sueur, a French explorer who traveled the Minnesota River valley around 1700, decades before the county was organized.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Minnesota.