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County · code 27145

Stearns CountyMinnesota

Stearns County is in Minnesota with its seat in St. Cloud. It was formed on February 20, 1855, from Cass, Nicollet, Pierce, and Sibley Counties, and named after Charles Thomas Stearns.

  • Founded1855
  • County seatSt. Cloud
  • Named forCharles Thomas Stearns
  • Land area1,343 sq mi + 47 sq mi water
  • Population158,292 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped73,186 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Stearns County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

MeekerKandiyohiMorrisonToddBentonWrightPopeSherburneDouglas St. Cloud Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Stearns 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 CountyOtter Tail CountyPennington CountyPine CountyPipestone CountyPolk CountyPope CountyRamsey CountyRed Lake CountyRedwood CountyRenville CountyRice CountyRock CountyRoseau CountySt. Louis CountyScott CountySherburne CountySibley CountySteele CountyStevens CountySwift CountyTodd CountyTraverse CountyWabasha CountyWadena CountyWaseca CountyWashington CountyWatonwan CountyWilkin CountyWinona CountyWright CountyYellow Medicine CountyStearns County Stearns
Counties of Minnesota · Stearns highlighted

History

Formed in 1855 from Cass County, Nicollet County, Pierce County and Sibley County

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

Stearns County was created from Cass, Nicollet, Pierce, and Sibley Counties on February 20, 1855. It was fully organized for county government and judicial purposes on March 3, 1855, with Davis and Todd attached for judicial purposes and Cass detached from Benton and attached to Stearns for the same. Over the following decades, Stearns County's boundaries shifted as adjacent territories were attached and detached for judicial and administrative purposes.

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

  1. 1855
    Stearns County created Stearns created from Cass, Nicollet, Pierce (extinct), and Sibley.
    from Cassfrom Nicolletfrom Piercefrom Sibley
    · Minn. Terr. Laws 1855, ch. 6, sec.18/p. 26
  2. 1858
    Gained territory Stearns gained from Todd, lost to Wright and to creation of Non-County Area 5.
    from Toddfrom Wright
    · Minn. Laws 1857-1858, spec., ch. 62, secs. 1-2/pp. 175-176
  3. 1862
    Eliminated Davis (extinct) attachment to Stearns ended when Davis eliminated as a county.
    into Davis
    · Minn. Laws 1862, spec., ch. 22, secs. 2-3/pp. 257-258
  4. 1866
    Gained territory Stearns gained from Wright and non-county area; lost to Todd; Andy Johnson (now Wilkin), Becker, Clay, and Otter Tail detached from Stearns, attached to Crow Wing "for judicial purposes"; Douglas fully organized, detached from Stearns, attached to Meeker "for judicial purposes"; Monongalia (extinct) detached from Stearns, attached to Meeker "for judicial purposes"; Pope, Stevens, and Traverse attached to Stearns "for judicial purposes."
    from Wrightfrom Toddfrom Andy Johnsonfrom Wilkinfrom Beckerfrom Clayfrom Otter Tailfrom Crow Wingfrom Douglasfrom Meekerfrom Monongaliafrom Popefrom Stevensfrom Traverse
    · Minn. Gen. Stat. 1866, ch. 8, title 1, secs. 1-74/pp. 96-112; ch. 64, title 4, sec. 33/p. 419
  5. 1867
    Lost territory Stearns lost to Morrison and Todd.
    to Morrisonto Todd
    · Minn. Gen. Stat. 1866, ch. 8, title 1, secs. 42, 66/pp. 105, 111; Minn. Laws 1867, gen., ch. 116, secs. 1-2/pp. 162-163
Show all 25 changes (20 more)
  1. 1855
    Stearns County created Stearns created from Cass, Nicollet, Pierce (extinct), and Sibley.
    from Cassfrom Nicolletfrom Piercefrom Sibley
    · Minn. Terr. Laws 1855, ch. 6, sec.18/p. 26
  2. 1855
    Changed Stearns fully organized for county government and judicial purposes; Davis and Todd attached to Stearns "for judicial purposes"; Cass detached from Benton, attached to Stearns "for judicial purposes."
    DavisToddCassBenton
    · Minn. Terr. Laws 1855, ch. 4, secs. 1, 6/pp. 18-19
  3. 1856
    Changed Todd detached from Stearns, attached to Morrison "for judicial purposes."
    ToddMorrison
    · Minn. Terr. Laws 1856, ch. 30, secs. 1, 3/p. 59
  4. 1858
    Changed Meeker authorized to gain from Stearns, dependent upon local referendum that failed (no change).
    Meeker
    · HRS Minn., Meeker, 7-8; Minn. Laws 1857-1858, spec., ch. 46, secs. 1-2/p. 157
  5. 1858
    Changed Monongalia (proposed) authorized to be created from Davis (extinct), Meeker, and Stearns, dependent upon local referendum; creation not effected.
    MonongaliaDavisMeeker
    · Centennial History of Kandiyohi County, 28-30; Minn. Laws 1857-1858, spec., ch. 124, secs. 1, 5/pp. 368-369
  6. 1858
    Changed Cass detached from Stearns, attached to Crow Wing "for judicial purposes."
    CassCrow Wing
    · Minn. Laws 1857-1858, spec., ch. 39, sec. 1/p. 151
  7. 1858
    Gained territory Stearns gained from Todd, lost to Wright and to creation of Non-County Area 5.
    from Toddfrom Wright
    · Minn. Laws 1857-1858, spec., ch. 62, secs. 1-2/pp. 175-176
  8. 1858
    Changed Todd detached from Morrison, attached to Stearns "for judicial and other purposes."
    ToddMorrison
    · Minn. Laws 1857-1858, gen., ch. 67, sec. 2/p. 157
  9. 1860
    Changed Todd detached from Stearns, attached to Morrsion "for judicial purposes."
    ToddMorrsion
    · Minn. Laws 1859-1860, spec., ch. 52, sec. 1/p. 91
  10. 1860
    Changed Stearns authorized to gain from Wright and Non-County Area 5 and lose to Todd, dependent upon local referendum; change not effected.
    WrightTodd
    · Minn. Laws 1859-1860, spec., ch. 66, secs. 1-2/p. 108
  11. 1860
    Changed Todd authorized to gain from Stearns, dependent upon local referendum; change not effected.
    Todd
    · Minn. Laws 1859-1860, spec., ch. 34, secs. 1, 3-4, 7/pp. 63- 64
  12. 1861
    Changed Stearns authorized to gain from Wright, dependent upon local referendum; change not effected.
    Wright
    · Minn. Laws 1861, spec., ch. 21, secs. 1-3/p. 260
  13. 1862
    Eliminated Davis (extinct) attachment to Stearns ended when Davis eliminated as a county.
    into Davis
    · Minn. Laws 1862, spec., ch. 22, secs. 2-3/pp. 257-258
  14. 1862
    Changed Douglas attached to Stearns "for judicial and record purposes."
    Douglas
    · Minn. Laws 1862, gen., ch. 56, sec. 1/p. 112
  15. 1864
    Changed Andy Johnson (now Wilkin), Becker, Clay, and Otter Tail attached to Stearns "for judicial purposes, and for the purpose of assessment and collection of taxes."
    Andy JohnsonWilkinBeckerClayOtter Tail
    · Minn. Laws 1864, gen., ch. 67, sec. 1/p. 125
  16. 1865
    Changed Monongalia (extinct) attached to Stearns "for judicial purposes."
    Monongalia
    · Minn. Laws 1865, spec., ch. 83, sec. 1/p. 242
  17. 1866
    Gained territory Stearns gained from Wright and non-county area; lost to Todd; Andy Johnson (now Wilkin), Becker, Clay, and Otter Tail detached from Stearns, attached to Crow Wing "for judicial purposes"; Douglas fully organized, detached from Stearns, attached to Meeker "for judicial purposes"; Monongalia (extinct) detached from Stearns, attached to Meeker "for judicial purposes"; Pope, Stevens, and Traverse attached to Stearns "for judicial purposes."
    from Wrightfrom Toddfrom Andy Johnsonfrom Wilkinfrom Beckerfrom Clayfrom Otter Tailfrom Crow Wingfrom Douglasfrom Meekerfrom Monongaliafrom Popefrom Stevensfrom Traverse
    · Minn. Gen. Stat. 1866, ch. 8, title 1, secs. 1-74/pp. 96-112; ch. 64, title 4, sec. 33/p. 419
  18. 1867
    Lost territory Stearns lost to Morrison and Todd.
    to Morrisonto Todd
    · Minn. Gen. Stat. 1866, ch. 8, title 1, secs. 42, 66/pp. 105, 111; Minn. Laws 1867, gen., ch. 116, secs. 1-2/pp. 162-163
  19. 1867
    Changed Stevens and Traverse detached from Stearns, attached to Douglas "for judicial and record purposes."
    StevensTraverseDouglas
    · Minn. Laws 1867, gen., ch. 113, secs. 1-3/pp. 159-160
  20. 1868
    Changed Pope fully organized, detached from Stearns.
    Pope
    · Minn. Laws 1868, gen., ch. 104, sec. 2/p. 147
  21. 1868
    Changed Todd authorized to gain from Stearns, dependent upon local referendum that failed (no change).
    Todd
    · Minn. Laws 1868, gen., ch. 114, secs. 1-2/pp. 162-165; Minn. Stat. 1873, ch. 2, title 1, p. 111
  22. 1870
    Changed Morrison and Todd authorized to gain small areas from Stearns; boundary cannot be demarcated as described, and is thus not drawn (no change).
    MorrisonTodd
    · Minn. Laws 1870, gen., ch. 98, secs. 1-3/pp. 172-173; Minn. Stat. 1873, ch. 2., title 1, sec. 66/p. 108
  23. 1872
    Changed Franklin (proposed) authorized to be created from Stearns and Todd, dependent upon local referendum that failed; county never created.
    FranklinTodd
    · Minn. Laws 1872, gen., ch. 81, secs. 1-4/pp. 147-150; Minn. Stat. 1873, ch. 2, title 1, p. 111
  24. 1874
    Changed Boundary between Stearns and Todd defined (no change).
    Todd
    · Minn. Laws 1874, gen., ch. 102, sec. 1/pp. 248-249; Minn. Stat. 1873, ch. 2, title 1, secs. 62, 66/pp. 107-108
  25. 1889
    Changed Stearns authorized to gain small area from Sherburne (4 sq. mi. at northwest corner of Sherburne), dependent upon local referendum that failed (no change).
    Sherburne
    · Minn. Gen. Stat. 1894, ch. 8, title 1, sec. 605/p. 175; Minn. Laws 1889, gen., ch. 169, secs. 1-2/pp. 277-278

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Stearns

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

Stearns by the Census

Population
158,292 2020 Census count
Housing units
65,684 2020 Census count
Land area
1,343 square miles
Water area
47 square miles
People per sq mi
118 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.

Records

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Stearns 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 Stearns County

When was Stearns County founded?
Stearns County was founded in 1855, formed from Cass County, Nicollet County, Pierce County and Sibley County, and named after Charles Thomas Stearns.
What is the county seat of Stearns County?
The county seat of Stearns County is St. Cloud.
Is there an online parcel map for Stearns County?
Yes. Minnesota Geospatial Commons publishes a parcel map of 73,186 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Stearns County's boundary or name changed?
Stearns County was created in 1855 from Cass County, Nicollet County, Pierce County and Sibley County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 19 later changes, chiefly involving Todd County, Morrison County and Wright County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Stearns 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