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County · code 27011

Big Stone CountyMinnesota

Big Stone County is a county in Minnesota, located in the state's southwestern region with its seat at Ortonville. The county was created on February 20, 1862, from Pierce County and named after Big Stone Lake.

  • Founded1862
  • County seatOrtonville
  • Named forBig Stone Lake
  • Land area499 sq mi + 29 sq mi water
  • Population5,166 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped7,895 checked 16 October 2026
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Updated

TraverseGrant, SDStevensLac qui ParleRoberts, SDSwift Ortonville Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Big Stone on the map of Minnesota

Minnesota has 87 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Aitkin CountyAnoka CountyBecker CountyBeltrami CountyBenton CountyBlue Earth CountyBrown CountyCarlton CountyCarver CountyCass CountyChippewa CountyChisago CountyClay CountyClearwater CountyCook CountyCottonwood CountyCrow Wing CountyDakota CountyDodge CountyDouglas CountyFaribault CountyFillmore CountyFreeborn CountyGoodhue CountyGrant CountyHennepin CountyHouston CountyHubbard CountyIsanti CountyItasca CountyJackson CountyKanabec CountyKandiyohi CountyKittson CountyKoochiching CountyLac qui Parle CountyLake CountyLake of the Woods CountyLe Sueur CountyLincoln CountyLyon CountyMcLeod CountyMahnomen CountyMarshall CountyMartin CountyMeeker CountyMille Lacs CountyMorrison CountyMower CountyMurray CountyNicollet CountyNobles CountyNorman CountyOlmsted CountyOtter Tail CountyPennington CountyPine CountyPipestone CountyPolk CountyPope CountyRamsey CountyRed Lake CountyRedwood CountyRenville CountyRice CountyRock CountyRoseau CountySt. Louis CountyScott CountySherburne CountySibley CountyStearns CountySteele CountyStevens CountySwift CountyTodd CountyTraverse CountyWabasha CountyWadena CountyWaseca CountyWashington CountyWatonwan CountyWilkin CountyWinona CountyWright CountyYellow Medicine CountyBig Stone County Big Stone
Counties of Minnesota · Big Stone highlighted

History

Formed in 1862 from Pierce County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Big Stone County was created from Pierce County in 1862 and initially attached to Renville County for judicial purposes. After boundary adjustments involving Stevens, Traverse, and Lac Qui Parle counties, Big Stone was fully organized for county government in 1881.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1862
    Big Stone County created Big Stone created from Pierce (extinct).
    from Pierce
    · Minn. Laws 1862, spec., ch. 22, sec. 1/p. 257
  2. 1868
    Lost territory Big Stone lost to Stevens. Big Stone lost to Traverse in boundary redefinition that was apparently ignored by local residents; boundary corrected on 2 March 1876.
    to Stevensto Traverse
    · HRS Minn., Big Stone, 9-10; Minn. Laws 1868, gen., ch. 109, sec. 3/pp. 155-156
  3. 1876
    Gained territory Big Stone gained from Traverse, remained attached to Stevens.
    from Traversefrom Stevens
    · Minn. Laws 1876, spec., ch. 159, sec. 1/pp. 234-235
  4. 1938
    Gained territory Big Stone gained from Lac Qui Parle.
    from Lac Qui Parle
    · HRS Minn., Big Stone, 10; Minn. Laws 1937, ch. 423, secs. 1-3/pp. 614-615
  5. 1977
    Lost territory Big Stone lost to Lac Qui Parle (boundary change of 1 January 1938 rescinded in local referendum).
    to Lac Qui Parle
    · Minn. Laws 1977, ch. 48, sec. 1/p. 93
Show all 10 changes (5 more)
  1. 1862
    Big Stone County created Big Stone created from Pierce (extinct).
    from Pierce
    · Minn. Laws 1862, spec., ch. 22, sec. 1/p. 257
  2. 1866
    Changed Big Stone attached to Renville "for judicial purposes."
    Renville
    · Minn. Gen. Stat. 1866, ch. 64, title 4, sec. 33/p. 419
  3. 1868
    Lost territory Big Stone lost to Stevens. Big Stone lost to Traverse in boundary redefinition that was apparently ignored by local residents; boundary corrected on 2 March 1876.
    to Stevensto Traverse
    · HRS Minn., Big Stone, 9-10; Minn. Laws 1868, gen., ch. 109, sec. 3/pp. 155-156
  4. 1873
    Changed Big Stone detached from Renville, attached to Stevens "for judicial and recording purposes."
    RenvilleStevens
    · Minn. Laws 1873, gen., ch. 86, sec. 1/p. 204
  5. 1876
    Gained territory Big Stone gained from Traverse, remained attached to Stevens.
    from Traversefrom Stevens
    · Minn. Laws 1876, spec., ch. 159, sec. 1/pp. 234-235
  6. 1881
    Changed Big Stone fully organized for county government and judicial purposes, detached from Stevens.
    Stevens
    · HRS Minn., Big Stone, 9; Minn. Laws 1881, reg. sess., gen., ch. 106, sec. 1/pp. 129-131
  7. 1938
    Gained territory Big Stone gained from Lac Qui Parle.
    from Lac Qui Parle
    · HRS Minn., Big Stone, 10; Minn. Laws 1937, ch. 423, secs. 1-3/pp. 614-615
  8. 1977
    Lost territory Big Stone lost to Lac Qui Parle (boundary change of 1 January 1938 rescinded in local referendum).
    to Lac Qui Parle
    · Minn. Laws 1977, ch. 48, sec. 1/p. 93
  9. 1979
    Gained territory Big Stone gained from Lac Qui Parle (reenacted boundary change of 1 January 1838).
    from Lac Qui Parle
    · Minn. Laws 1979, ch. 154, sec. 1/p. 226
  10. 1979
    Changed Big Stone authorized to gain small area from Lac Qui Parle (at Ortonville), dependent upon local referendum; change not effected.
    Lac Qui Parle
    · Minn. Laws 1979, ch. 154, sec. 2/p. 226

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Big Stone

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Big Stone by the Census

Population
5,166 2020 Census count
Housing units
2,982 2020 Census count
Land area
499 square miles
Water area
29 square miles
People per sq mi
10 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

GIS and maps

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Big Stone County

When was Big Stone County founded?
Big Stone County was founded in 1862, formed from Pierce County, and named after Big Stone Lake.
What is the county seat of Big Stone County?
The county seat of Big Stone County is Ortonville.
Is there an online parcel map for Big Stone County?
Yes. Big Stone County publishes a parcel map of 7,895 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Big Stone County's boundary or name changed?
Big Stone County was created in 1862 from Pierce County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Lac Qui Parle County, Stevens County and Renville County.
Who issues building permits in Big Stone County?
The county's page on building permits: Online Driveway/Access Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Big Stone County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health department: septic and well.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Big Stone County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door