General Info
Goodhue County was named in honor of James Madison Goodhue, the first newspaper editor in Minnesota. The county was established in March of 1853 and included much of the area that is in Wabasha County today. The boundaries for the county were formed in 1855 to their current location. Goodhue County is located in the Driftless Area where much of the county features deep valleys where glaciation did not take place – unlike most of the midwest thousands of years ago. Red Wing was named the county seat and is one of the largest cities in the county. In 1900 the population of Goodhue County reached 31,137 and has continued to thrive. Goodhue County is now a big tourist destination due to the beautiful landscape and rich history of the area. Today Goodhue County is home to approximately 45,897 residents.