County outline
Where Houston County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 97.1% of Houston County’s measured area and water for 2.9%. Its combined area converts to 1,473.3 square kilometers or approximately 364,056 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 552.115 | 1,429.971 | 353,353.6 |
| Water | 16.722 | 43.31 | 10,702.1 |
| Total | 568.837 | 1,473.281 | 364,055.7 |
How Houston County compares
By original Census land area, Houston County ranks #61 of 87 in Minnesota and #1891 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.818 times the Minnesota county-equivalent median of 674.6 square miles. It accounts for 0.7% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Minnesota ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Houston County
The Census Bureau estimates that 18,400 people lived in Houston County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,972 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #51 of 87 in Minnesota. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 18,838, the population has declined by 438 (−2.3%), compared with +2.2% for Minnesota as a whole.
With 552.1 square miles of land, that is 33 people per square mile (13 per km²), placing Houston County #1,909 nationally for density and #37 in Minnesota. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Minnesota median is 27. Put another way, there are about 19 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 18,843 | 18,822 | 18,740 | 18,682 | 18,535 | 18,400 |
| Change | — | −21 | −82 | −58 | −147 | −135 |
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 Houston County
Houston County is divided into 24 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 La Crescent city, with 5,187 residents (28.2% of the county). The largest by land is Yucatan township, at 42.7 mi², or 7.7% of the county’s land. The county seat, Caledonia city, has 2,768 residents.
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crescent city | 5,187 | −1.5% | 3.163 | 0.6% |
| Caledonia cityCounty seat | 2,768 | −3.5% | 2.824 | 0.5% |
| Spring Grove city | 1,206 | −4.4% | 0.994 | 0.2% |
| La Crescent township | 1,037 | −1.6% | 20.2 | 3.7% |
| Houston city | 970 | −3% | 1.231 | 0.2% |
| Caledonia townshipCounty seat | 620 | −1.7% | 33.8 | 6.1% |
| Money Creek township | 569 | −1.6% | 35.6 | 6.4% |
| Mound Prairie township | 560 | −1.6% | 36.3 | 6.6% |
| Brownsville city | 545 | −3.5% | 1.849 | 0.3% |
| Hokah city | 536 | −3.8% | 0.699 | 0.1% |
| Hokah township | 436 | −1.8% | 22.8 | 4.1% |
| Wilmington township | 420 | −1.9% | 35.9 | 6.5% |
| Brownsville township | 402 | −1.5% | 28.2 | 5.1% |
| Houston township | 394 | −2% | 32.9 | 6% |
| Mayville township | 349 | −1.7% | 30.5 | 5.5% |
Show the other 9 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Grove township | 330 | −2.4% | 34.8 |
| Yucatan township | 322 | −2.1% | 42.7 |
| Union township | 320 | −2.1% | 26.2 |
| Sheldon township | 286 | −1.7% | 29.7 |
| Black Hammer township | 269 | −1.8% | 35.6 |
| Eitzen city | 264 | −2.6% | 0.61 |
| Crooked Creek township | 252 | −1.6% | 31.2 |
| Winnebago township | 229 | −2.1% | 35.1 |
| Jefferson township | 129 | −2.3% | 29.3 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Houston County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Houston County is a central county of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 171,182 residents on 1,795.5 square miles of land; Houston County accounts for 30.8% of the land and 10.7% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #176 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #265 by population. It belongs to the La Crosse-Onalaska-Sparta, WI-MN Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| La Crosse CountyWisconsin | 121,339 | 451.8 |
| Vernon CountyWisconsin | 31,443 | 791.6 |
| Houston County | 18,400 | 552.1 |
ZIP codes
9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Houston County; 7 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
559195592155931559415594355947559545597155974
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 Houston County
Houston County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents, including 4 in Iowa and Wisconsin. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Fillmore County (861.3 mi²) and the smallest is La Crosse County (451.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Houston County forms a block of 4,611.9 mi² of land, of which it holds 12%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Houston | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fillmore County | 861.3 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Vernon CountyWisconsin | 791.6 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Winneshiek CountyIowa | 689.8 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Allamakee CountyIowa | 639.1 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Winona County | 626.2 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| La Crosse CountyWisconsin | 451.8 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Houston County compared with U.S. states?
Houston County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.9 times as much. Minnesota’s county land could hold about 144 areas the size of Houston County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23.5 miles (37.8 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 Houston County?
Houston County has more land than 1,331 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 Houston County at #1,939 nationally by total area, 48 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 2.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1.8 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 Houston County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1890 | Logan County, Kentucky | 552.2 | Compare |
| #1891 | Houston County, Minnesota | 552.1 | This county |
| #1892 | Conway County, Arkansas | 552 | 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 43.666990, -91.501556. 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: 1,429,972,088 m²; AWATER: 43,308,604 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 Houston County?
Houston County, Minnesota has 552.1 square miles (1,430 km²) of land and 16.7 square miles of water, for a total area of 568.8 square miles. It ranks #1891 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Houston County the largest county in Minnesota?
No. Houston County ranks #61 of 87 in Minnesota by land area. The largest is St. Louis County, with 6,248.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Houston County?
Houston County shares a land border with Fillmore County, Winona County, Allamakee County, Iowa, Vernon County, Wisconsin, La Crosse County, Wisconsin, and Winneshiek County, Iowa.
What is the population of Houston County?
The Census Bureau estimates Houston County had 18,400 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,972 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 33 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Houston County?
The county seat of Houston County is Caledonia.
What cities and towns are in Houston County?
Houston County has 24 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are La Crescent city, Caledonia city, Spring Grove city, La Crescent township, and Houston city.
Is Houston County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 171,182 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Houston County?
9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Houston County, and 7 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Houston County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Houston County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 353,354 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 364,056 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.