County outline
Where Douglas County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 88.4% of Douglas County’s measured area and water for 11.6%. Its combined area converts to 1,865.3 square kilometers or approximately 460,914 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 636.882 | 1,649.517 | 407,604.5 |
| Water | 83.296 | 215.736 | 53,309.4 |
| Total | 720.178 | 1,865.252 | 460,913.9 |
How Douglas County compares
By original Census land area, Douglas County ranks #48 of 87 in Minnesota and #1496 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.944 times the Minnesota county-equivalent median of 674.6 square miles. It accounts for 0.8% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Minnesota ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Douglas County
The Census Bureau estimates that 40,120 people lived in Douglas County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,208 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #27 of 87 in Minnesota. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 39,004, the population has grown by 1,116 (+2.9%), compared with +2.2% for Minnesota as a whole.
With 636.9 square miles of land, that is 63 people per square mile (24 per km²), placing Douglas County #1,352 nationally for density and #25 in Minnesota. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Minnesota median is 27. Put another way, there are about 10 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 39,095 | 39,312 | 39,662 | 39,873 | 39,953 | 40,120 |
| Change | — | +217 | +350 | +211 | +80 | +167 |
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 Douglas County
Douglas County is divided into 31 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 Alexandria city, with 15,045 residents (37.5% of the county). The largest by land is Spruce Hill township, at 35.9 mi², or 5.6% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Alexandria township grew fastest since then (+5.2%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria cityCounty seat | 15,045 | +4.6% | 17.2 | 2.7% |
| La Grand township | 4,309 | +1.8% | 24.9 | 3.9% |
| Alexandria townshipCounty seat | 3,114 | +5.2% | 19.2 | 3% |
| Carlos township | 2,261 | +1.8% | 30 | 4.7% |
| Osakis city | 1,599 | −1.7% | 1.595 | 0.3% |
| Ida township | 1,432 | +1.8% | 28 | 4.4% |
| Lake Mary township | 1,185 | +2% | 28.1 | 4.4% |
| Hudson township | 962 | +2% | 33.2 | 5.2% |
| Miltona township | 936 | +2% | 27.1 | 4.3% |
| Holmes City township | 812 | +1.9% | 30.8 | 4.8% |
| Moe township | 781 | +2.1% | 30.4 | 4.8% |
| Brandon township | 779 | +2% | 30.5 | 4.8% |
| Osakis township | 704 | +2% | 31.4 | 4.9% |
| Evansville city | 584 | −2.7% | 0.784 | 0.1% |
| Brandon city | 509 | +1.4% | 0.483 | 0.1% |
Show the other 16 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos city | 482 | −3.2% | 0.449 |
| Spruce Hill township | 471 | +2.2% | 35.9 |
| Miltona city | 454 | +5.3% | 0.671 |
| Millerville township | 419 | +1.9% | 32 |
| Leaf Valley township | 413 | +1.7% | 33.5 |
| Lund township | 353 | +1.7% | 28.3 |
| Orange township | 352 | +1.7% | 34.7 |
| Belle River township | 345 | +1.5% | 35.8 |
| Garfield city | 339 | −2.3% | 0.805 |
| Urness township | 277 | +1.8% | 31.9 |
| Kensington city | 270 | +1.5% | 0.358 |
| Solem township | 236 | +1.3% | 34.2 |
| Evansville township | 227 | +2.3% | 32.6 |
| Forada city | 187 | +9.4% | 0.537 |
| Nelson city | 186 | +2.8% | 0.661 |
| Millerville city | 97 | −3% | 0.861 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Douglas County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Douglas County is a central county of the Alexandria, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area. Douglas County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 636.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #331 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #319 by population.
ZIP codes
17 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Douglas County; 8 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
5630856309563155631956326563275633256334563395634356349563545635556360563615638556446
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 Douglas County
Douglas County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Otter Tail County (1,971.6 mi²) and the smallest is Grant County (547.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Douglas County forms a block of 6,118.9 mi² of land, of which it holds 10.4%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Douglas | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail County | 1,971.6 | 3.1× larger | Compare |
| Stearns County | 1,342.9 | 2.1× larger | Compare |
| Todd County | 945.1 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Pope County | 674.6 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Grant County | 547.8 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Douglas County compared with U.S. states?
Douglas County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.6 times as much. Minnesota’s county land could hold about 125 areas the size of Douglas County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 25.2 miles (40.6 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 Douglas County?
Douglas County has more land than 1,726 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 Douglas County at #1,363 nationally by total area, 133 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 11.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 10.4 percentage points higher. 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 Douglas County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1495 | Genesee County, Michigan | 636.9 | Compare |
| #1496 | Douglas County, Minnesota | 636.9 | This county |
| #1497 | DeSoto County, Florida | 636.7 | 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 45.936757, -95.461572. 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: 1,649,517,455 m²; AWATER: 215,735,297 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 Douglas County?
Douglas County, Minnesota has 636.9 square miles (1,649.5 km²) of land and 83.3 square miles of water, for a total area of 720.2 square miles. It ranks #1496 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Douglas County the largest county in Minnesota?
No. Douglas County ranks #48 of 87 in Minnesota by land area. The largest is St. Louis County, with 6,248.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Douglas County?
Douglas County shares a land border with Otter Tail County, Pope County, Grant County, Todd County, and Stearns County.
What is the population of Douglas County?
The Census Bureau estimates Douglas County had 40,120 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,208 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 63 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Douglas County?
The county seat of Douglas County is Alexandria.
What cities and towns are in Douglas County?
Douglas County has 31 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Alexandria city, La Grand township, Alexandria township, Carlos township, and Osakis city.
Is Douglas County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Alexandria, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Douglas County?
17 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Douglas County, and 8 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Douglas County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.6 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Douglas County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 407,604 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 460,914 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.