County · code 27147
Steele CountyMinnesota
Steele County is a county in Minnesota with its seat in Owatonna. It was created on February 20, 1855, and named after Franklin Steele.
- Founded1855
- County seatOwatonna
- Named forFranklin Steele
- Land area430 sq mi + 2.7 sq mi water
- Population37,406 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped20,206 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Steele on the map of Minnesota
Minnesota has 87 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1855 from Blue Earth County, Le Sueur County and Rice County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Steele County was created on February 20, 1855, from Blue Earth, Le Sueur, and Rice counties. It was fully organized for county government and judicial purposes on February 29, 1856, and gained land from Dodge County on the same date. On February 27, 1857, Steele County lost land to the creation of Waseca County.
- 1855Steele County created Steele created from Blue Earth, Le Sueur, and Rice. · Minn. Terr. Laws 1855, ch. 6, sec. 7/p. 24
- 1856Gained territory Steele fully organized for county government and judicial purposes; Steele gained from Dodge. · Minn. Terr. Laws 1856, ch. 49, secs. 2-4/pp. 78-79
- 1857Lost territory Steele lost to the creation of Waseca. · Minn. Terr. Laws 1857, ch. 57, secs. 1-2/pp. 228-230
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Steele
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 20,206 parcels from Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 16,087 in all from Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), Minnesota Geospatial Commons.
checked 13 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- 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
Steele by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Steele County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Steele County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Steele 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.
Questions
Common questions about Steele County
- When was Steele County founded?
- Steele County was founded in 1855, formed from Blue Earth County, Le Sueur County and Rice County, and named after Franklin Steele.
- What is the county seat of Steele County?
- The county seat of Steele County is Owatonna.
- Is there an online parcel map for Steele County?
- Yes. Minnesota Geospatial Commons publishes a parcel map of 20,206 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Steele County's boundary or name changed?
- Steele County was created in 1855 from Blue Earth County, Le Sueur County and Rice County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Dodge County and Waseca County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Steele County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby