Lincoln is a county in Minnesota, United States, on the South Dakota border in the southwestern corner of the state. It had a population of 5,640 at the 2020 census and covers 548 square miles (1,420 km2), of which 537 square miles are land and 12 square miles are water, centred near 44°25′N 96°16′W.
Ivanhoe is the county seat and its postal code is 56142. The county has five incorporated cities and fifteen townships, and it sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Lincoln County
Lincoln County has five incorporated cities and one unincorporated community carried over from the county’s own settlement records. All five cities are general-law cities; none is a CDP or village. The table below gives each place’s township and 2020 census population where verified.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivanhoe | City · seat | Limestone | 560 | 56142 |
| Tyler | City | Lake Stay | 1,138 | 56178 |
| Lake Benton | City | Lake Benton | — | 56149 |
| Hendricks | City | Hendricks | — | 56136 |
| Arco | City | Alta Vista | — | 56113 |
| Verdi | Unincorp. | Verdi | — | 56179 |
| Wilno | Unincorp. | Marble | — | — |
Verdi and Wilno are small unincorporated communities rather than cities; Verdi carries its own ZIP code, while Wilno’s mail is handled through a neighboring post office and its exact ZIP could not be confirmed.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Stay | — | Tyler |
| Hendricks | — | Hendricks |
| Lake Benton | — | Lake Benton |
| Limestone | — | Ivanhoe |
| Alta Vista | — | Arco |
| Verdi | — | Verdi |
| Marble | — | Wilno |
| Ash Lake | — | rural |
| Diamond Lake | — | rural |
| Drammen | — | rural |
| Hansonville | — | rural |
| Hope | — | rural |
| Marshfield | — | rural |
| Royal | — | rural |
| Shaokatan | — | rural, Lake Shaokatan |
ZIP Codes
- 56142 — Ivanhoe (county seat)
- 56178 — Tyler
- 56149 — Lake Benton
- 56136 — Hendricks
- 56113 — Arco
Wilno has no confirmed ZIP code of its own; mail there is generally routed through one of the county’s other post offices.
Geography
Lincoln County sits on the Coteau des Prairies, a raised plateau of prairie terrain that runs through southwestern Minnesota into South Dakota. The landscape is rolling farmland dotted with glacial lakes, the largest of which are Lake Benton and Lake Shaokatan. The Yellow Bank and Yellow Medicine river systems both trace headwaters near the county’s northern edge.
Lincoln County borders Yellow Medicine County to the north, Lyon County to the east, Pipestone County to the south, Deuel County, South Dakota to the northwest, Moody County, South Dakota to the west, and Brookings County, South Dakota to the southwest.
Demographics
Lincoln County had a population of 5,640 at the 2020 census, a population density of about 10.5 people per square mile. Tyler is the largest community with 1,138 residents, followed by the county seat, Ivanhoe, with 560. Lincoln County’s median household income runs below the Minnesota median of $85,086, consistent with a small, farm-dependent county in this part of the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, particularly corn, soybeans, and livestock, anchors the county’s economy, supplemented by wind-energy development on the Coteau des Prairies’ exposed ridgeline. Tyler is known locally as “Minnesota’s Danish Heartland,” home to the Danebod historic district and the Danebod Folk School, founded in 1888. The town holds Aebleskiver Days each July, and the Lincoln County Fair takes place in Tyler in early August.
History
Lincoln County was organized on March 6, 1873, and named for President Abraham Lincoln. Ivanhoe, platted in 1901 and named for Sir Walter Scott’s novel, became the county seat in 1902 and is, by some counts, Minnesota’s least populous county seat. Tyler, platted in 1879 and named for land agent and newspaper editor C. B. Tyler, suffered a devastating tornado on August 21, 1918, that killed 36 people — the fourth-deadliest tornado in Minnesota history.
Getting There
U.S. Highways 14 and 75 and Minnesota State Highways 19, 23, 68, and 271 serve the county.
- Marshall, Minnesota — about 25 miles east
- Pipestone, Minnesota — about 25 miles south
- Brookings, South Dakota — about 30 miles southwest
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota — about 60 miles southwest
Tyler maintains a small municipal airport just outside town; the nearest commercial airport is Sioux Falls Regional Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lincoln County, Minnesota?
It is in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, on the South Dakota border, part of the Coteau des Prairies region.
What is the population of Lincoln County?
5,640 at the 2020 census.
How big is Lincoln County?
548 square miles (1,420 km2), of which 12 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Lincoln County?
Ivanhoe is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lincoln County?
Five incorporated cities — Arco, Hendricks, Ivanhoe, Lake Benton, and Tyler — plus small unincorporated communities such as Verdi and Wilno.
What ZIP codes are in Lincoln County?
56113 (Arco), 56136 (Hendricks), 56142 (Ivanhoe), 56149 (Lake Benton), and 56178 (Tyler).
Why is Tyler called “Minnesota’s Danish Heartland”?
The town was settled largely by Danish immigrants and still centers civic life on the Danebod Folk School and its annual Aebleskiver Days festival every July.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Minnesota.