Yellow Medicine County is a county in Minnesota, United States, in the state’s southwestern farm belt along the Minnesota River. It had a population of 9,528 at the 2020 census and covers 763 square miles (1,980 km2), of which 759 square miles is land, centred near 44°43′N 95°52′W.
Granite Falls is the county seat, and its postal code is 56241. The county has nine incorporated cities and 21 townships. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Yellow Medicine County
Nine cities and four unincorporated communities are spread across the county’s townships. Granite Falls, the seat, straddles the Yellow Medicine–Chippewa county line on the Minnesota River.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Falls | City · seat | — | 2,737 | 56241 |
| Canby | City | — | 1,695 | 56220 |
| Clarkfield | City | — | 852 | 56223 |
| Echo | City | Echo | — | — |
| Hanley Falls | City | — | — | — |
| Hazel Run | City | Hazel Run | — | — |
| Porter | City | — | — | — |
| St. Leo | City | — | — | — |
| Wood Lake | City | Wood Lake | — | — |
| Burr | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lorne | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Normania | Unincorp. | Normania | — | — |
| Spring Creek | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Townships
Twenty-one civil townships cover the unincorporated county outside the nine cities. Most take an early settler surname, a Norwegian home-district name, or a river feature.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Burton | — | — |
| Echo | — | Echo |
| Florida | — | — |
| Fortier | — | — |
| Friendship | — | — |
| Hammer | — | — |
| Hazel Run | — | Hazel Run |
| Lisbon | — | — |
| Minnesota Falls | — | — |
| Norman | — | — |
| Normania | — | Normania |
| Omro | — | — |
| Oshkosh | — | — |
| Posen | — | — |
| Sandnes | — | — |
| Sioux Agency | — | Upper Sioux Indian Reservation |
| Stony Run | — | — |
| Swede Prairie | — | — |
| Tyro | — | — |
| Wergeland | — | — |
| Wood Lake | — | Wood Lake |
ZIP Codes
- 56241 — Granite Falls (also serves the Upper Sioux Indian Reservation)
- 56220 — Canby
- 56223 — Clarkfield
Echo, Hanley Falls, Hazel Run, Porter, St. Leo and Wood Lake are small enough that a confirmed standalone ZIP was not available for this profile; residents there use a neighbouring town’s post office.
Geography
Yellow Medicine County sits in the rolling prairie of southwestern Minnesota, where the Minnesota River cuts a wooded valley along the county’s eastern edge. The Yellow Medicine River, which gives the county its name, crosses the eastern townships before it joins the Minnesota River near Granite Falls. Farmland covers most of the interior; the highest ground, about 1,732 feet, lies along the western county line. The county borders:
- Lac qui Parle County to the north
- Chippewa County to the northeast
- Renville County to the east
- Redwood County to the southeast
- Lyon County to the south
- Lincoln County to the southwest
- Deuel County, South Dakota, to the west
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 9,528 residents, a figure that has held roughly steady, with a 2025 estimate of 9,477. Granite Falls (2,737) and Canby (1,695) are the two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs below Minnesota’s statewide 2023 ACS figure of $85,086. Population density is about 12.6 people per square mile, and the county is entirely rural — no community here reaches Census-defined urban size.
Economy & Local Life
Grain and livestock farming anchor the county’s economy, with corn and soybeans dominating the cropland. Granite Falls Energy LLC, a corn ethanol plant built in 2005, is one of the county’s larger industrial employers and buys directly from local growers. Granite Falls is also home to public television station KWCM, part of Minnesota’s Pioneer PBS network. Small-town retail, agricultural services and county government round out local employment.
History
Yellow Medicine County was established on March 6, 1871, carved from land ceded by the Dakota under the 1851 Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. The county takes its name from the Yellow Medicine River, itself named for a moonseed plant whose yellow root the Dakota used medicinally. The Upper Sioux Indian Reservation, tied to the historic Yellow Medicine Agency, lies entirely within the county and remains an active Dakota community today. Granite Falls was named the county seat by the Minnesota legislature the same year the county was organized.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 212 and Minnesota State Highways 23 and 67 serve Granite Falls and connect the county to the wider region.
- Marshall, Minn. — 30 miles south
- Willmar, Minn. — 35 miles northeast
- Montevideo, Minn. — 20 miles north
- Redwood Falls, Minn. — 25 miles southeast
The nearest commercial air service is Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport in Marshall. Amtrak does not serve Yellow Medicine County; the closest station is in St. Paul.
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is Granite Falls, Minnesota in?
Granite Falls is the seat of Yellow Medicine County, though the city itself extends slightly into neighboring Chippewa County.
What is the Granite Falls postcode?
Granite Falls uses ZIP code 56241.
How big is Yellow Medicine County?
The county covers 763 square miles (1,980 km2), of which 759 square miles is land.
What is the population of Yellow Medicine County?
The 2020 census counted 9,528 residents; the 2025 estimate is 9,477.
How did Yellow Medicine County get its name?
It is named for the Yellow Medicine River, itself named for a yellow-rooted plant the Dakota used for medicine.
What Native American reservation is in Yellow Medicine County?
The Upper Sioux Indian Reservation lies entirely within the county, tied to the historic Yellow Medicine Agency.
When was Yellow Medicine County established?
The Minnesota legislature organized the county on March 6, 1871.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Minnesota.