County outline
Where Lyon County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99% of Lyon County’s measured area and water for 1%. Its combined area converts to 1,869.1 square kilometers or approximately 461,868 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 714.411 | 1,850.316 | 457,223 |
| Water | 7.257 | 18.796 | 4,644.5 |
| Total | 721.668 | 1,869.112 | 461,867.5 |
How Lyon County compares
By original Census land area, Lyon County ranks #37 of 87 in Minnesota and #1275 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.059 times the Minnesota county-equivalent median of 674.6 square miles. It accounts for 0.9% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Minnesota ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Lyon County
The Census Bureau estimates that 25,684 people lived in Lyon County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,646 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #41 of 87 in Minnesota. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 25,523, the population has grown by 161 (+0.6%), compared with +2.2% for Minnesota as a whole.
With 714.4 square miles of land, that is 36 people per square mile (14 per km²), placing Lyon County #1,850 nationally for density and #36 in Minnesota. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Minnesota median is 27. Put another way, there are about 18 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 25,429 | 25,500 | 25,521 | 25,587 | 25,785 | 25,684 |
| Change | — | +71 | +21 | +66 | +198 | −101 |
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 Lyon County
Lyon 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 Marshall city, with 14,171 residents (55.2% of the county). The largest by land is Vallers township, at 36.4 mi², or 5.1% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Marshall city grew fastest since then (+2%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall cityCounty seat | 14,171 | +2% | 10.3 | 1.4% |
| Tracy city | 2,039 | −1.6% | 2.396 | 0.3% |
| Minneota city | 1,357 | −1.2% | 1.451 | 0.2% |
| Cottonwood city | 1,138 | −1.1% | 1.002 | 0.1% |
| Balaton city | 578 | −2.4% | 1.451 | 0.2% |
| Lake Marshall township | 558 | −0.5% | 28.3 | 4% |
| Lynd city | 428 | −1.4% | 1.143 | 0.2% |
| Lynd township | 410 | −0.7% | 35.1 | 4.9% |
| Ghent city | 376 | −0.3% | 0.313 | 0% |
| Fairview township | 367 | −0.8% | 32.5 | 4.5% |
| Russell city | 356 | +2.6% | 0.918 | 0.1% |
| Rock Lake township | 276 | −0.4% | 33 | 4.6% |
| Clifton township | 266 | −1.1% | 36 | 5% |
| Sodus township | 262 | 0% | 36.3 | 5.1% |
| Grandview township | 257 | −1.2% | 35.2 | 4.9% |
Show the other 16 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coon Creek township | 247 | −1.2% | 35.8 |
| Westerheim township | 220 | −0.9% | 36.3 |
| Vallers township | 213 | −0.9% | 36.4 |
| Lucas township | 204 | −1% | 33.7 |
| Stanley township | 202 | −1% | 35.2 |
| Amiret township | 199 | −1% | 36.2 |
| Shelburne township | 195 | −0.5% | 35 |
| Eidsvold township | 194 | −1% | 33.6 |
| Lyons township | 190 | −0.5% | 35.2 |
| Nordland township | 185 | −0.5% | 35.2 |
| Monroe township | 183 | −1.1% | 33.7 |
| Custer township | 175 | −1.1% | 35.5 |
| Island Lake township | 170 | −0.6% | 35.7 |
| Taunton city | 130 | −3.7% | 1.007 |
| Garvin city | 117 | −3.3% | 0.28 |
| Florence city | 21 | 0% | 0.108 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Lyon County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Lyon County is a central county of the Marshall, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area. Lyon County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 714.4 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #300 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #476 by population.
ZIP codes
14 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Lyon County; 9 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
5611356115561325615756169561705617556178562295623956258562635626456291
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 Lyon County
Lyon County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is Redwood County (878.6 mi²) and the smallest is Pipestone County (465.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Lyon County forms a block of 4,058.6 mi² of land, of which it holds 17.6%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Lyon | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood County | 878.6 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Yellow Medicine County | 759.1 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Murray County | 704.7 | about the same | Compare |
| Lincoln County | 536.8 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Pipestone County | 465.1 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Lyon County compared with U.S. states?
Lyon County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.4 times as much. Minnesota’s county land could hold about 111 areas the size of Lyon County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 26.7 miles (43 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 Lyon County?
Lyon County has more land than 1,947 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 Lyon County at #1,355 nationally by total area, 80 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%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.2 percentage points lower. 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 Lyon County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1274 | Nobles County, Minnesota | 715.1 | Compare |
| #1275 | Lyon County, Minnesota | 714.4 | This county |
| #1276 | Madison County, Mississippi | 714.2 | 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 44.409195, -95.847268. 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: 1,850,315,170 m²; AWATER: 18,794,794 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 Lyon County?
Lyon County, Minnesota has 714.4 square miles (1,850.3 km²) of land and 7.257 square miles of water, for a total area of 721.7 square miles. It ranks #1275 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Lyon County the largest county in Minnesota?
No. Lyon County ranks #37 of 87 in Minnesota by land area. The largest is St. Louis County, with 6,248.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Lyon County?
Lyon County shares a land border with Yellow Medicine County, Lincoln County, Redwood County, Murray County, and Pipestone County.
What is the population of Lyon County?
The Census Bureau estimates Lyon County had 25,684 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,646 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 36 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Lyon County?
The county seat of Lyon County is Marshall.
What cities and towns are in Lyon County?
Lyon County has 31 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Marshall city, Tracy city, Minneota city, Cottonwood city, and Balaton city.
Is Lyon County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Marshall, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Lyon County?
14 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Lyon County, and 9 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Lyon County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.4 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Lyon County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 457,223 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 461,868 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.