Editing Stearns County, Minnesota

{{short description|County in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Stearns County
 | state                = Minnesota
 | seal                 = 
 | founded date         = February 20
 | founded year         = 1855
 | seat wl              = St. Cloud
 | largest city         = St. Cloud
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 1390
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 1343
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 47
 | area percentage      = 3.4%
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 158292
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2024
 | population_est       = 163997 {{increase}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | time zone            = Central
 | web                  = www.co.stearns.mn.us
 | named for            = [[Charles Thomas Stearns]]
 | ex image             = Stearns County Courthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = [[Stearns County Courthouse]]
 | district             = 6th
 | district2            = 7th 
}}

'''Stearns County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Minnesota]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 158,292.<ref name="QF">{{Cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/stearnscountyminnesota/PST045222 |access-date=April 8, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] and largest city is [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>

Included within the Minnesota Territory since 1849, the county was founded by European Americans in 1855. It was originally named for [[Isaac Ingalls Stevens]], then renamed for [[Charles Thomas Stearns]]. Stearns County is part of the St. Cloud [[St. Cloud metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which is also included in the [[Minneapolis]]-[[St. Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]] [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul|Combined Statistical Area]].

==History==
The Stearns County area was formerly occupied by numerous indigenous tribes, such as the Sioux ([[Sioux|Dakota]]), Chippewa ([[Ojibwe]]) and Winnebago ([[Ho-chunk]]). The first large immigration was of German Catholics in the 1850s. Early arrivals also came from eastern states. The [[Wisconsin Territory]] was established by the federal government effective July 3, 1836, and existed until its eastern portion was granted statehood (as [[Wisconsin]]) in 1848.

The federal government set up the [[Minnesota Territory]] effective March 3, 1849. The newly organized territorial legislature created nine counties across the territory in October of that year. The original counties had portions partitioned off in 1851 to create [[Cass County, Minnesota|Cass County]] and in 1853 to create [[Sibley County, Minnesota|Sibley]], [[Pierce County, Minnesota|Pierce]], and [[Nicollet County, Minnesota|Nicollet]] counties. In 1855 parts of those counties were partitioned off to create Stearns County. It was to be named Stevens County for territorial governor [[Isaac Ingalls Stevens]], who had conducted an expedition through the area in 1853, but due to a clerical error, the county was named Stearns for Charles Thomas Stearns, a member of the Territorial Council. (To compensate for this error the area two counties west was later named [[Stevens County, Minnesota|Stevens County]].)

The February 20, 1855, act<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Place Names |url=http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/county.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620201420/http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/county.cfm |archive-date=June 20, 2012 |access-date=March 19, 2014 |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society}}</ref> that created the county directed the naming of three county commissioners and specified [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]] as the county seat. 

Writing in 1997, [[Jewish-American]] historian of America's religious architecture [[Marilyn J. Chiat]] commented, "Father [[Francis Xavier Pierz|Francis X. Pierz]], a missionary to Indians in central Minnesota, published a series of articles in 1851 in German Catholic newspapers advocating Catholic settlement in central Minnesota. Large numbers of immigrants, mainly German, but also [[Slovenians|Slovenian]] and [[Polish people|Polish]], responded. Over 20 parishes were formed in what is now Stearns County, each centered on a church-oriented hamlet. As the farmers prospered, the small frame churches were replaced by more substantial buildings of brick or stone such as [[St. Mary Help of Christians Church (St. Augusta, Minnesota)|St. Mary, Help of Christians]], a [[Gothic Revival]] stone structure built in 1873. Stearns County retains in its German character and is still home to one of the largest rural Catholic populations in Anglo-America."<ref>Marilyn J. Chiat (1997), ''America's Religious Architecture: Sacred Places for Every Community'', Preservation Press. Page 146.</ref>

Furthermore, according to Kathleen Neils Conzen, "Stearns County Germans early established daughter settlements at [[West Union, Minnesota|West Union]] in [[Todd County, Minnesota|Todd County]], [[Millerville, Minnesota|Millerville]] in [[Douglas County, Minnesota|Douglas County]], and Pierz in Morrison County, later flooded into [[North Dakota]] (where 'Stearns County German' remains a recognized ethnicity today), and in 1905 negotiated with the Canadian authorities to establish the [[Rural Municipality of St. Peter No. 369|St. Peter Colony]] in north-central [[Saskatchewan]]."<ref> Kathleen Neils Conzen (2003), ''Germans in Minnesota'', [[Minnesota Historical Society]] Press. Pages 26-27.</ref>

The first courthouse was put into service on July 12, 1864, and it remained in use until the present courthouse was dedicated in 1922. In 1913 a campaign was mounted to shift the county seat to [[Albany, Minnesota|Albany]], due to its more central location. The effort was not successful.<ref>[https://co.stearns.mn.us/Government/AboutStearnsCounty/History History of Stearns County (from county website; accessed May 3, 2019)]</ref>

Stearns County was also founded off of farmers' markets and crop trades, making it one of the top grossing crop producing counties in the state of Minnesota.

==Geography==
{{Stack|[[File:Stearns Co Pie Chart 9-17-16 Wiki Version.pdf|thumb|right|Soils of Stearns County<ref>Nelson, Steven (2011). ''Savanna Soils of Minnesota.'' Minnesota: Self. pp. 49-52. {{ISBN|978-0-615-50320-2}}.</ref>]]}}
[[File:Padua Savannas 2016 Wiki Stearns County.jpg|thumb|Soils of Padua area]]
[[File:SJU Native Vegetation New Wiki Version.JPG|thumb|Soils of [[College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University|St. John's University]] area]]
Stearns County borders nine counties. The [[Mississippi River]] flows southeast along its northeast border, and the [[Sauk River (Minnesota)|Sauk River]] drains the central part of the county into the Mississippi at [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]]. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, lightly wooded, dotted with lakes and ponds, and carved with drainages. All available area is devoted to agriculture or has been developed.<ref name="SCM">[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Stearns+County,+MN/@45.5285205,-94.873768,103340m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x52b4417ec81c54e9:0xc81535466896579e!8m2!3d45.5844792!4d-94.5865603 Stearns County MN Google Maps (accessed 3 May 2019)]</ref> The terrain slopes to the east and south,<ref name="GMSC">[https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm "Find an Altitude/Stearns County MN"  Google Maps (accessed May 3, 2019)]</ref> with its highest point a local protuberance at {{convert|7.6|mi|km}} west and {{convert|1.6|mi|km}} south of [[St. Joseph, Minnesota|St. Joseph]], at {{convert|1,461|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.<ref>[https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=22120 Stearns County High Point, Minnesota. PeakBaggers.com (accessed May 3, 2019)]</ref> The county's total area is {{convert|1390|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1343|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|47|sqmi}} (3.4%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060200/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |access-date=October 25, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

The northeastern border of Stearns County is formed by the Mississippi River. The land consists of rolling hills, scenic lakes, prairies, savannas and woodlands of a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees. Stearns is one of 17 Minnesota savanna region counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils. The county has 166 lakes.

===Major highways===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Image:I-94.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 94 in Minnesota|Interstate 94]]
* [[Image:US 52.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 52 in Minnesota|U.S. Highway 52]]
* [[Image:US 71.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 71#Minnesota|U.S. Highway 71]]
* [[Image:MN-4.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 4]]
* [[Image:MN-15.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 15]]
* [[Image:MN-22.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 22]]
* [[Image:MN-23.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 23]]
* [[Image:MN-24.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 24]]
* [[Image:MN-28.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 28]]
* [[Image:MN-55.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 55]]
* [[Image:MN-237.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 237]]
* [[Image:MN-238.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 238]]
* ''[[County roads in Stearns County, Minnesota|List of county roads]]''
{{div col end}}

===Airports===
Source:<ref name=SCM/>
* [[List of airports in Minnesota|Brooten Municipal Airport]] (6D1) - east of [[Brooten, Minnesota|Brooten]]
* [[List of airports in Minnesota|Paynesville Municipal Airport]] (PEX) - west of [[Paynesville, Minnesota|Paynesville]]
* [[List of airports in Minnesota|Sauk Centre Municipal Airport]] (D39) - south-southeast of [[Sauk Centre, Minnesota|Sauk Centre]]
* [[List of airports in Minnesota|St. Cloud Regional Airport]] (STC) - east-southeast of [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]]

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Todd County, Minnesota|Todd County]] - north
* [[Morrison County, Minnesota|Morrison County]] - northeast
* [[Benton County, Minnesota|Benton County]] - northeast
* [[Sherburne County, Minnesota|Sherburne County]] - east
* [[Wright County, Minnesota|Wright County]] - southeast
* [[Meeker County, Minnesota|Meeker County]] - south
* [[Kandiyohi County, Minnesota|Kandiyohi County]] - southwest
* [[Pope County, Minnesota|Pope County]] - west
* [[Douglas County, Minnesota|Douglas County]] - northwest
{{div col end}}

===Protected areas===
Sources:<ref name=SCM/><ref name=GMSC/>
{{div col}}
* Avon Hills Forest Scientific and Natural Area
* Birch Lakes State Forest
* Christopher Kurilla Wildlife Management Area
* Cold Spring Heron Colony Scientific and Natural Area
* Crow River Wildlife Management Area
* Edward Raymond Mohs Wildlife Management Area
* Follies Wildlife Management Area (part)
* Lake Koronis Regional Park
* Legacy Marsh Wildlife Management Area
* Miller Wildlife Management Area
* Milton Kjedahl Wildlife Management Area
* Norman T. Dahlman Wildlife Management Area
* Oxcart Crossing Wildlife Management Area
* Padua State Wildlife Management Area
* Patch Woods Scientific and Natural Area
* Quarry Park and Nature Preserve
* Quarry Park Scientific and Natural Area
* Rockville County Park and Nature Preserve
* Roscoe Prairie Scientific and Natural Area
* Saint Wendel Tamarack Bog Scientific and Natural Area
* Sauk River Wildlife Management Area
* Sedan Brook Prairie Scientific and Natural Area
* Stearns Prairie Heritage Wildlife Management Area
* Tamarack State Wildlife Management Area
* Tower State Wildlife Management Area
* Tribute Wildlife Management Area
* Victor Winder Wildlife Management Area
* Warner Lake County Park
* Zion State Wildlife Management Area
{{div col end}}

===Lakes and streams===
{{div col}}
*[[Adley Creek]]
* [[Crow Lake (Stearns County, Minnesota)|Crow Lake]]
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 4505
|1870= 14206
|1880= 21956
|1890= 34844
|1900= 44464
|1910= 47733
|1920= 55741
|1930= 62121
|1940= 67200
|1950= 70681
|1960= 80345
|1970= 95400
|1980= 108161
|1990= 118791
|2000= 133166
|2010= 150642
|2020= 158292
|estyear=2024
|estimate=163997
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=March 18, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |access-date=October 25, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=October 25, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mn190090.txt |access-date=October 25, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=October 25, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="QF" />
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Stearns County, Minnesota - Demographic Profile'''<br> (''NH = Non-Hispanic'')
!Race / Ethnicity
!Pop 2010<ref name="2010CensusP2">{{Cite web |title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Stearns County, Minnesota |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US27145&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref name="2020CensusP2">{{Cite web |title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Stearns County, Minnesota |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US27145&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|136,414
|129,276
|90.56%
|81.67%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|4,595
|13,224
|3.05%
|8.35%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|392
|439
|0.26%
|0.28%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|2,949
|3,159
|1.96%
|2.00%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|38
|61
|0.03%
|0.04%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|107
|435
|0.07%
|0.28%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|1,957
|4,747
|1.30%
|3.00%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|4,190
|6,951
|2.78%
|4.39%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''150,642'''
|'''158,292'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|}
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

===2000 census===
[[File:StearnsCountyMn2022PopPyr.png|thumb|right|2022 US Census [[population pyramid]] for Stearns County, from [[American Community Survey|ACS]] 5-year estimates]]
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|99.2|/mi2|/km2}}. There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of {{convert|37.4|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.99% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.83% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.26% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 1.58% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.47% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.82% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 56.9% were of [[German people|German]] and 9.4% [[norwegian people|Norwegian]] ancestry.

There were 47,604 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.

The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 16.10% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 19.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,426, and the median income for a family was $51,553. Males had a median income of $34,268 versus $23,393 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $19,211. About 4.30% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.

==Communities==
===Cities===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Albany, Minnesota|Albany]]
* [[Avon, Minnesota|Avon]]
* [[Belgrade, Minnesota|Belgrade]]
* [[Brooten, Minnesota|Brooten]] (part)
* [[Clearwater, Minnesota|Clearwater]] (part)
* [[Cold Spring, Minnesota|Cold Spring]]
* [[Eden Valley, Minnesota|Eden Valley]] (part)
* [[Elrosa, Minnesota|Elrosa]]
* [[Freeport, Minnesota|Freeport]]
* [[Greenwald, Minnesota|Greenwald]]
* [[Holdingford, Minnesota|Holdingford]]
* [[Kimball, Minnesota|Kimball]]
* [[Lake Henry, Minnesota|Lake Henry]]
* [[Meire Grove, Minnesota|Meire Grove]]
* [[Melrose, Minnesota|Melrose]]
* [[New Munich, Minnesota|New Munich]]
* [[Paynesville, Minnesota|Paynesville]]
* [[Richmond, Minnesota|Richmond]]
* [[Rockville, Minnesota|Rockville]]
* [[Roscoe, Minnesota|Roscoe]]
* [[St. Anthony, Stearns County, Minnesota|Saint Anthony]]
* [[St. Augusta, Minnesota|Saint Augusta]]
* [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|Saint Cloud]] (county seat; partial)
* [[St. Joseph, Minnesota|Saint Joseph]]
* [[St. Martin, Minnesota|Saint Martin]]
* [[St. Rosa, Minnesota|Saint Rosa]]
* [[St. Stephen, Minnesota|Saint Stephen]]
* [[Sartell, Minnesota|Sartell]] (part)
* [[Sauk Centre, Minnesota|Sauk Centre]]
* [[Spring Hill, Minnesota|Spring Hill]]
* [[Waite Park, Minnesota|Waite Park]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated place===
* [[Fairhaven, Minnesota|Fairhaven]]
* [[St. John's University, Minnesota (CDP)|St. John's University]]

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Collegeville, Minnesota|Collegeville]]
* [[Farming, Minnesota|Farming]]
* [[Five Points, Minnesota|Five Points]]
* [[Georgeville, Minnesota|Georgeville]]
* [[Jacobs Prairie, Minnesota|Jacobs Prairie]]
* [[Marty, Minnesota|Marty]]
* [[Opole, Minnesota|Opole]]
* [[Padua, Minnesota|Padua]]
* [[St. Anna, Minnesota|Saint Anna]]
* [[St. Francis, Stearns County, Minnesota|Saint Francis]]
* [[St. Nicholas, Minnesota|Saint Nicholas]]
* [[St. Wendel, Minnesota|Saint Wendel]]
{{div col end}}

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Albany Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Albany Township]]
* [[Ashley Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Ashley Township]]
* [[Avon Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Avon Township]]
* [[Brockway Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Brockway Township]]
* [[Collegeville Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Collegeville Township]]
* [[Crow Lake Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Crow Lake Township]]
* [[Crow River Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Crow River Township]]
* [[Eden Lake Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Eden Lake Township]]
* [[Fair Haven Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Fair Haven Township]]
* [[Farming Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Farming Township]]
* [[Getty Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Getty Township]]
* [[Grove Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Grove Township]]
* [[Holding Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Holding Township]]
* [[Krain Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Krain Township]]
* [[Lake George Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Lake George Township]]
* [[Lake Henry Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Lake Henry Township]]
* [[Le Sauk Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Le Sauk Township]]
* [[Luxemburg Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Luxemburg Township]]
* [[Lynden Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Lynden Township]]
* [[Maine Prairie Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Maine Prairie Township]]
* [[Melrose Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Melrose Township]]
* [[Millwood Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Millwood Township]]
* [[Munson Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Munson Township]]
* [[North Fork Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|North Fork Township]]
* [[Oak Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Oak Township]]
* [[Paynesville Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Paynesville Township]]
* [[Raymond Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Raymond Township]]
* [[St. Joseph Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Saint Joseph Township]]
* [[St. Martin Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Saint Martin Township]]
* [[St. Wendel Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Saint Wendel Township]]
* [[Sauk Centre Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Sauk Centre Township]]
* [[Spring Hill Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Spring Hill Township]]
* [[Wakefield Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Wakefield Township]]
* [[Zion Township, Stearns County, Minnesota|Zion Township]]
{{div col end}}

==Politics and government==
In its early history, Stearns County was heavily Democratic due to being largely German Catholic and opposed to the pietistic Scandinavian Lutheran Republican Party [[Third Party System|of that era]]. It did not vote Republican until [[Theodore Roosevelt]] swept every Minnesota county in 1904.<ref>Menendez, Albert J.; ''The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004'', pp. 228-233 {{ISBN|0786422173}}</ref> Anti-[[Woodrow Wilson]] feeling from [[World War I]] caused the county to shift overwhelmingly to Warren G. Harding in 1920 before swinging to [[Robert M. La Follette]], coreligionist [[Al Smith]] and fellow [[Prohibition in the United States|“wet” Democrat]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]].{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

In 1936, the county's isolationism gave strong support to [[William Lemke]]’s [[Union Party (United States)|Union Party]].<ref>Phillips, Kevin P.; ''The Emerging Republican Majority'', pp. 428-430 {{ISBN|978-0-691-16324-6}}</ref> Stearns County turned Republican until another Catholic nominee, [[John F. Kennedy]], returned it to the Democratic ranks after being one of only 130 counties nationwide to back [[George McGovern]] in 1972.{{Cn|date=May 2025}} Since the “Reagan Revolution”, Stearns County has voted reliably Republican, with no Democrat gaining a majority since [[Jimmy Carter]] in 1976, and [[Bill Clinton]] in 1996 the only one to manage a plurality.{{Cn|date=May 2025}} The county's growing social conservative bent has fueled the Republican trend.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

In 2016, [[Donald Trump]] won the county with 59.8% of the vote, the highest percentage any presidential candidate has received since President [[Dwight Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] in 1956.{{Cn|date=May 2025}} He improved on that in 2020 with 60.1% of the vote.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

As of 2024, one city in the county leans Democratic: [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]], the largest city.<ref name="Leip">{{Cite web |last=Leip |first=David |title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |access-date=October 10, 2018 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Stearns County, Minnesota|whig=no|source1=<ref name="Leip" />}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|53,932|30,829|1,871|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|50,959|31,879|1,997|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|47,617|25,576|6,399|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|43,015|33,551|1,911|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|41,194|35,690|1,872|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|41,726|32,659|1,192|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|32,402|24,800|5,274|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|21,474|24,238|9,333|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|22,502|21,451|15,387|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|27,529|23,798|766|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|30,216|20,944|485|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|24,888|21,862|4,772|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|19,574|25,027|3,220|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1972|Democratic|18,951|19,315|3,134|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|15,422|15,990|2,168|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|13,009|19,063|94|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|13,522|19,026|33|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|17,364|9,829|64|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|18,267|9,907|39|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|10,153|15,261|292|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|13,298|8,647|84|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|16,027|9,305|102|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|5,262|12,760|4,558|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|4,499|18,293|258|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|6,459|16,104|52|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1924|Progressive|6,469|1,354|9,491|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|13,566|1,616|532|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|4,312|3,350|259|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,134|3,317|1,983|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|2,614|3,835|296|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,849|2,625|175|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|2,460|4,244|216|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|2,873|4,911|183|Minnesota}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Democratic|1,624|4,461|774|Minnesota}}

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Stearns County, Minnesota]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Mitchell, William Bell. ''History of Stearns County, Minnesota'' (2vols.) H.C. Cooper Jr., 1915. Online. [https://books.google.com/books?id=1J8yAQAAMAAJ Volume 1] and [https://books.google.com/books?id=XqAyAQAAMAAJ Volume 2]
* Simpson, Lee M. A. ''Stearns County, Minnesota''. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2000. Print.  {{ISBN|9780738508337}}, {{OCLC|45709208}}

==External links==
* [http://www.co.stearns.mn.us/ Stearns County official website]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnsartel/ Sartell Historical Society] - Sartell, MN
* [http://www.stearns-museum.org/ Stearns History Museum official website]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Stearns County, Minnesota
|North     = [[Todd County, Minnesota|Todd County]]
|Northeast = [[Morrison County, Minnesota|Morrison County]]
|East      = [[Benton County, Minnesota|Benton County]] and [[Sherburne County, Minnesota|Sherburne County]]
|Southeast = [[Wright County, Minnesota|Wright County]]
|South     = [[Meeker County, Minnesota|Meeker County]]
|Southwest = [[Kandiyohi County, Minnesota|Kandiyohi County]]
|West      = [[Pope County, Minnesota|Pope County]]
|Northwest = [[Douglas County, Minnesota|Douglas County]]
}}

{{Stearns County, Minnesota}}
{{St. Cloud metropolitan area}}
{{Minnesota}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|45.55|-94.61|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MN_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Stearns County, Minnesota| ]]
[[Category:St. Cloud, Minnesota metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River]]
[[Category:1855 establishments in Minnesota Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1855]]