County outline
Where Benton County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 98.9% of Benton County’s measured area and water for 1.1%. Its combined area converts to 1,069.8 square kilometers or approximately 264,350 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 408.303 | 1,057.5 | 261,313.9 |
| Water | 4.744 | 12.287 | 3,036.2 |
| Total | 413.047 | 1,069.787 | 264,350.1 |
How Benton County compares
By original Census land area, Benton County ranks #83 of 87 in Minnesota and #2474 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.605 times the Minnesota county-equivalent median of 674.6 square miles. It accounts for 0.5% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Minnesota ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Benton County
The Census Bureau estimates that 41,744 people lived in Benton County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,182 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #25 of 87 in Minnesota. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 41,377, the population has grown by 367 (+0.9%), compared with +2.2% for Minnesota as a whole.
With 408.3 square miles of land, that is 102 people per square mile (39 per km²), placing Benton County #972 nationally for density and #14 in Minnesota. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Minnesota median is 27. Put another way, there are about 6.3 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 41,355 | 41,545 | 41,533 | 41,580 | 41,769 | 41,744 |
| Change | — | +190 | −12 | +47 | +189 | −25 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Benton County
Benton County is divided into 19 municipalities and townships. In Minnesota, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Sauk Rapids city, with 13,768 residents (33% of the county). The largest by land is Langola township, at 39.7 mi², or 9.7% of the county’s land. The county seat, Foley city, has 2,650 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Rice city grew fastest since then (+11.5%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sauk Rapids city | 13,768 | −0.7% | 6.288 | 1.5% |
| St. Cloud city | 7,148 | +0.7% | 3.458 | 0.8% |
| Watab township | 3,478 | +2.2% | 20.3 | 5% |
| Foley cityCounty seat | 2,650 | −2% | 2.781 | 0.7% |
| Rice city | 2,212 | +11.5% | 5.702 | 1.4% |
| Sartell city | 2,142 | +0.4% | 1.094 | 0.3% |
| Minden township | 1,543 | +1.6% | 33.6 | 8.2% |
| St. George township | 1,295 | +1.7% | 36.6 | 9% |
| Langola township | 1,025 | +1.7% | 39.7 | 9.7% |
| Maywood township | 984 | +1.3% | 35.7 | 8.7% |
| Mayhew Lake township | 883 | +1.7% | 36.7 | 9% |
| Gilmanton township | 868 | +1.4% | 33.3 | 8.2% |
| Glendorado township | 807 | +1.9% | 36.5 | 8.9% |
| Alberta township | 802 | +2% | 36 | 8.8% |
| Granite Ledge township | 766 | +1.7% | 35.4 | 8.7% |
Show the other 4 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham township | 596 | +1.7% | 36.7 |
| Sauk Rapids township | 518 | +1.4% | 7.393 |
| Gilman city | 255 | −3.4% | 0.711 |
| Royalton city | 4 | 0% | 0.332 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Benton County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Benton County is a central county of the St. Cloud, MN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2 county equivalents have 205,854 residents on 1,751.2 square miles of land; Benton County accounts for 23.3% of the land and 20.3% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #179 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #235 by population. It belongs to the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Stearns County | 164,110 | 1,342.9 |
| Benton County | 41,744 | 408.3 |
ZIP codes
9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Benton County; 4 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
553715630456329563305635756367563735637756379
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Benton County
Benton County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. Each of them has more land than Benton County. The largest neighbor is Stearns County (1,342.9 mi²) and the smallest is Sherburne County (432.9 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Benton County forms a block of 3,881.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 10.5%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Benton | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stearns County | 1,342.9 | 3.3× larger | Compare |
| Morrison County | 1,125.1 | 2.8× larger | Compare |
| Mille Lacs County | 572.3 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Sherburne County | 432.9 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
How big is Benton County compared with U.S. states?
Benton County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.5 times as much. Minnesota’s county land could hold about 195 areas the size of Benton County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 20.2 miles (32.5 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Benton County?
Benton County has more land than 748 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Benton County at #2,523 nationally by total area, 49 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 1.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2%. The two percentages are within 0.1 percentage points of each other. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Benton County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2473 | Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi | 408.4 | Compare |
| #2474 | Benton County, Minnesota | 408.3 | This county |
| #2475 | Buchanan County, Missouri | 408.3 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 45.701225, -94.001440. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,057,499,868 m²; AWATER: 12,286,829 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Benton County?
Benton County, Minnesota has 408.3 square miles (1,057.5 km²) of land and 4.744 square miles of water, for a total area of 413 square miles. It ranks #2474 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Benton County the largest county in Minnesota?
No. Benton County ranks #83 of 87 in Minnesota by land area. The largest is St. Louis County, with 6,248.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Benton County?
Benton County shares a land border with Morrison County, Sherburne County, Mille Lacs County, and Stearns County.
What is the population of Benton County?
The Census Bureau estimates Benton County had 41,744 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,182 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 102 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Benton County?
The county seat of Benton County is Foley.
What cities and towns are in Benton County?
Benton County has 19 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Sauk Rapids city, St. Cloud city, Watab township, Foley city, and Rice city.
Is Benton County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the St. Cloud, MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 2 county equivalents and 205,854 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Benton County?
9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Benton County, and 4 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Benton County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.5 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Benton County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 261,314 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 264,350 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.