Grant County is a county in Minnesota, United States, in the west-central part of the state. It had a population of 6,074 at the 2020 census and covers 575 square miles (1,490 km2) centred near 45°54′N 95°54′W.
Elbow Lake is the county seat, and its postal code is 56531. The county has seven cities, two unincorporated communities and 16 townships. Grant County observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Grant County
Grant County has nine named places on the map: seven incorporated cities and two unincorporated communities. Population figures below are omitted where the 2020 census does not report a place-level count for that specific settlement.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elbow Lake | City · seat | Elbow Lake | — | 56531 |
| Ashby | City | — | — | 56309 |
| Barrett | City | — | — | 56311 |
| Herman | City | — | — | 56248 |
| Hoffman | City | — | — | 56339 |
| Norcross | City | — | — | 56274 |
| Wendell | City | — | — | 56590 |
| Erdahl | Unincorp. | Erdahl | — | — |
| Charlesville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Charlesville sits partly across the Grant County line; only the portion inside the county is counted here. The rest of the settlement list from the county’s old page — a run of villages such as Bellechester, Cannon Falls, Kenyon, Pine Island, Red Wing, Wanamingo and Zumbrota — belonged to a different Minnesota county page entirely and has been removed; none of those places are in Grant County.
Townships
Grant County is divided into 16 civil townships, which cover the rural area outside the seven cities.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Elbow Lake | — | Elbow Lake (city) |
| Erdahl | — | Erdahl |
| Delaware | — | — |
| Elk Lake | — | — |
| Gorton | — | — |
| Land | — | — |
| Lawrence | — | — |
| Lien | — | — |
| Logan | — | — |
| Macsville | — | — |
| North Ottawa | — | — |
| Pelican Lake | — | — |
| Pomme de Terre | — | — |
| Roseville | — | — |
| Sanford | — | — |
| Stony Brook | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 56531 — Elbow Lake
- 56309 — Ashby
- 56311 — Barrett
- 56248 — Herman
- 56339 — Hoffman
- 56274 — Norcross
- 56590 — Wendell
Erdahl and Charlesville have no post office of their own and are served by the ZIP code of the nearest city.
Geography
Grant County sits on low rolling hills dotted with lakes, land given over mostly to agriculture. Roughly 4.7% of the county, 27 square miles (70 km2), is water. Otter Tail County borders it to the north, Douglas County to the east, Pope County to the southeast, Stevens County to the south, Traverse County to the southwest and Wilkin County to the northwest.
Neighboring counties: Otter Tail County (north), Douglas County (east), Pope County (southeast), Stevens County (south), Traverse County (southwest) and Wilkin County (northwest).
Demographics
Grant County’s population was 6,074 at the 2020 census, spread across roughly 548 square miles of land for a density near 11 people per square mile. Elbow Lake and Hoffman are its two largest communities. The county’s rural, agricultural economy runs below the Minnesota median of $85,086 in household income; Grant County has historically tracked lower than that figure, consistent with other sparsely populated farm counties in the region.
Economy & Local Life
Farming drives the local economy — corn, soybeans, small grains and livestock on the rolling prairie land that makes up most of the county. Elbow Lake, the seat, anchors county government, schools and local retail; the smaller cities of Ashby, Barrett, Herman, Hoffman, Norcross and Wendell serve their surrounding townships with grain elevators, farm-supply businesses and community services.
History
Grant County was created on March 6, 1868, and its government was organized in 1874. It was named for Ulysses S. Grant, the Civil War general and U.S. president. Grant County stayed legally dry, banning alcohol sales countywide, until May 1965 — among the last Minnesota counties to do so.
Getting There
Interstate 94 and U.S. Routes 52 and 59 cross Grant County, along with Minnesota State Highways 9, 27, 55, 78 and 79.
- Fergus Falls, Minnesota — about 30 miles north
- Alexandria, Minnesota — about 25 miles east
- Morris, Minnesota — about 35 miles south
- Wahpeton, North Dakota — about 50 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Hector International Airport in Fargo, North Dakota, roughly 70 miles west.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Grant County, Minnesota?
It’s in the west-central part of Minnesota, bordering North Dakota-facing Wilkin and Traverse counties to the west.
What is the population of Grant County?
6,074 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Grant County?
575 square miles (1,490 km2) total, including 27 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Grant County?
Elbow Lake is the county seat.
How many towns are in Grant County?
Seven incorporated cities — Ashby, Barrett, Elbow Lake, Herman, Hoffman, Norcross and Wendell — plus the unincorporated communities of Erdahl and Charlesville.
What ZIP codes are in Grant County?
56531 (Elbow Lake), 56309 (Ashby), 56311 (Barrett), 56248 (Herman), 56339 (Hoffman), 56274 (Norcross) and 56590 (Wendell).
Why is Grant County named that?
It was named in 1868 for Ulysses S. Grant, the Civil War general who became U.S. president the following year.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Minnesota.