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County · code 27111

Otter Tail CountyMinnesota

Otter Tail County is in Minnesota and was established on March 18, 1858, from parts of Cass and Pembina counties, with its county seat in Fergus Falls. The county was named after Otter Tail Lake.

  • Founded1858
  • County seatFergus Falls
  • Named forOtter Tail Lake
  • Land area1,972 sq mi + 253 sq mi water
  • Population60,081 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped67,035 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Otter Tail County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

BeckerDouglasGrantWadenaWilkinToddClay Fergus Falls Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Otter Tail 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 CountyBig Stone 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 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 CountyOtter Tail County Otter Tail
Counties of Minnesota · Otter Tail highlighted

History

Formed in 1858 from Cass County, Pembina County and Kittson County

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

Otter Tail County was created from Cass and Pembina (now Kittson) on March 18, 1858, and gained territory from Breckenridge (now Clay) and Wilkin in the following years. The county was organized for government in 1868 and became fully organized and independent in 1870.

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

  1. 1858
    Otter Tail County created Otter Tail created from Cass and Pembina (now Kittson).
    from Cassfrom Pembinafrom Kittson
    · Minn. Laws 1857-1858, spec., ch. 34, secs. 1, 4/pp. 144-145
  2. 1860
    Gained territory Otter Tail gained from Breckenridge (now Clay), exchanged with Toombs (now Wilkin).
    from Breckenridgefrom Clayfrom Toombsfrom Wilkin
    · Minn. Laws 1859-1860, spec., ch. 33, secs. 3, 6/pp. 61-62; Minn. Laws 1862, spec., ch. 32, sec. 1/pp. 272-273
  3. 1864
    Changed Otter Tail attached to Stearns "for judicial purposes, and for the purpose of assessment and collection of taxes."
    Stearns
    · Minn. Laws 1864, gen., ch. 67, sec. 1/p. 125
  4. 1866
    Changed Otter Tail detached from Stearns, attached to Crow Wing "for judicial purposes."
    StearnsCrow Wing
    · Minn. Gen. Stat. 1866, ch. 64, title 4, sec. 33/p. 419
  5. 1872
    Gained territory Otter Tail gained from Wilkin.
    from Wilkin
    · Minn. Laws 1872, gen., ch. 83, sec. 1/pp. 151-152, and ch. 87, secs. 1-2/pp. l58-159; Minn. Stat. 1873, ch. 2, title 1, secs. 47, 73/pp. 103, 110
Show all 14 changes (9 more)
  1. 1858
    Otter Tail County created Otter Tail created from Cass and Pembina (now Kittson).
    from Cassfrom Pembinafrom Kittson
    · Minn. Laws 1857-1858, spec., ch. 34, secs. 1, 4/pp. 144-145
  2. 1860
    Gained territory Otter Tail gained from Breckenridge (now Clay), exchanged with Toombs (now Wilkin).
    from Breckenridgefrom Clayfrom Toombsfrom Wilkin
    · Minn. Laws 1859-1860, spec., ch. 33, secs. 3, 6/pp. 61-62; Minn. Laws 1862, spec., ch. 32, sec. 1/pp. 272-273
  3. 1861
    Changed Otter Tail boundaries defined (no change). · Minn. Laws 1861, spec., ch. 29, secs. 1-2/p. 270; Minn. Laws 1862, spec., ch. 32, sec. 1/ pp. 272-273
  4. 1862
    Changed Otter Tail's boundaries confirmed (no change). · Minn. Laws 1862, spec., ch. 32, sec. 1/pp. 272-273
  5. 1864
    Changed Otter Tail attached to Stearns "for judicial purposes, and for the purpose of assessment and collection of taxes."
    Stearns
    · Minn. Laws 1864, gen., ch. 67, sec. 1/p. 125
  6. 1866
    Changed Otter Tail detached from Stearns, attached to Crow Wing "for judicial purposes."
    StearnsCrow Wing
    · Minn. Gen. Stat. 1866, ch. 64, title 4, sec. 33/p. 419
  7. 1867
    Changed Otter Tail detached from Crow Wing, attached to Douglas "for judicial and record purposes."
    Crow WingDouglas
    · Minn. Laws 1867, gen., ch. 113, secs. 1-3/pp. 159-160
  8. 1868
    Changed Otter Tail organized for county government. · HRS Minn., Otter Tail, 10, 31
  9. 1870
    Changed Otter Tail fully organized, detached from Douglas.
    Douglas
    · Minn. Laws 1870, spec., ch. 94, sec. 2/p. 391
  10. 1871
    Changed Holcomb (proposed) authorized to be created from Otter Tail and Wilkin, dependent upon local referendum that failed; county never created.
    HolcombWilkin
    · HRS Minn., Otter Tail, 11; Minn. Laws 1871, gen., ch. 99, secs. 1-3/pp. 168-170; Minn. Stat. 1873, ch. 2, title 1, p. 111
  11. 1872
    Changed Wilkin detached from Douglas, attached to Otter Tail "for judicial and recording purposes."
    WilkinDouglas
    · Minn. Laws 1872, gen., ch. 88, secs. 1-2/p. 159
  12. 1872
    Gained territory Otter Tail gained from Wilkin.
    from Wilkin
    · Minn. Laws 1872, gen., ch. 83, sec. 1/pp. 151-152, and ch. 87, secs. 1-2/pp. l58-159; Minn. Stat. 1873, ch. 2, title 1, secs. 47, 73/pp. 103, 110
  13. 1873
    Changed Wilkin fully organized, detached from Otter Tail.
    Wilkin
    · Minn. Laws 1873, gen., ch. 89, secs. 1-3/p. 206
  14. 1873
    Changed Wadena authorized to gain 25 adjoining townships of Otter Tail, dependent upon local referendum; change not effected.
    Wadena
    · HRS Minn., Otter Tail, 9; Minn. Laws 1873, gen., ch. 95, secs. 1-2/pp. 214-215

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Otter Tail

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

Otter Tail by the Census

Population
60,081 2020 Census count
Housing units
36,506 2020 Census count
Land area
1,972 square miles
Water area
253 square miles
People per sq mi
30 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.

Permits

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Otter Tail County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Otter Tail County

When was Otter Tail County founded?
Otter Tail County was founded in 1858, formed from Cass County, Pembina County and Kittson County, and named after Otter Tail Lake.
What is the county seat of Otter Tail County?
The county seat of Otter Tail County is Fergus Falls.
Is there an online parcel map for Otter Tail County?
Yes. Minnesota Geospatial Commons publishes a parcel map of 67,035 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Otter Tail County's boundary or name changed?
Otter Tail County was created in 1858 from Cass County, Pembina County and Kittson County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Wilkin County, Douglas County and Crow Wing County.
Who issues building permits in Otter Tail County?
The county's page on building permits: Licenses, Permits, Records & Inspections. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Otter Tail 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