Jackson is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Jackson County,
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, United States.
The population was 3,323 at the
2020 census.
History
For centuries, many indigenous peoples called this area home, including the
Cheyenne,
Ioway, and
Dakota tribes. In 1851, the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux opened the region to white settlement in exchange for government payments.
Jackson was originally called Springfield, and was laid out under that name in 1856. The first settlers in what is now Jackson County—William, George, and Charles Wood—established a trading post near the Des Moines River around the same time. A post office called Jackson has been in operation since 1858.
On March 26, 1857, the
Wahpekute Dakota Chief
Inkpaduta and his band attacked the settlement in the
Spirit Lake Massacre. There were 11 able-bodied men in Springfield, and three men, three children, and a woman died in the attack. Also lost to the raiders were 12 horses,
dry goods,
lead
Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
and
powder. The attack's sole survivor was 14-year-old
Abbie Gardner. Terrified of a possible second attack, the beleaguered residents abandoned the area.
Two months later, the Minnesota legislature organized the area into a county, naming it after Saint Paul merchant Henry Jackson. The temporary county seat was at the townsite of Springfield, now renamed Jackson. But the area was still depopulated, and resettlement was slow due to continued hostility. In August 1862, the Dakota, angry at late payments from the government, skirmished with settlers; one such skirmish compelled some Dakota leaders to attack government buildings in the Minnesota River, starting the
U.S.-Dakota War. By August 24, the war's effects had reached Jackson County. Warriors raided a community of Norwegian immigrants in Belmont Township, north of Jackson, killing 13 and wounding three. As in 1857, the remaining settlers fled, leaving Jackson County depopulated again.
After the Civil War, resettlement in Jackson County began again. A stockade was built on the east side of the river, encouraging further immigration. Immigrants came mainly from northern and central Europe. They built homes from native timber and prairie sod. Life remained difficult; there were no wagon roads, no bridges, no churches, and only one school. The threat of attack remained, and the region was susceptible to disasters, including prairie fires, severe blizzards, crop failures, and plagues of grasshoppers. But the pioneers survived and helped establish the agricultural and industrial community Jackson is today.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.
The city lies along
Interstate 90, which runs east to west the entire width of Minnesota. Interstate 90 and
U.S. Highway 71 are two of the main routes in the city. Jackson is near the center of Jackson County. To the south is the Iowa Lakes region, which comprises
Spirit Lake,
West Okoboji Lake, and several other small lakes.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 3,299 people, 1,489 households, and 856 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 1,635 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.3%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.5%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.4%
Native American, 3.4%
Asian, 0.8% from
other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 1,509 households, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were
married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age in the city was 40.8 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 19.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 3,501 people, 1,487 households, and 887 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 1,659 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.03%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.26%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.17%
Native American, 4.03%
Asian, 0.77% from
other races, and 0.74% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
There were 1,487 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were
married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,452, and the median income for a family was $42,553. Males had a median income of $30,503 versus $21,676 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $18,444. About 4.6% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Historic sites
* Ashley Park Olson-Slaabakken cabin, Jackson County's oldest structure.
* Fort Belmont 1873 farmhouse, blacksmith shop, log cabin and stockade, 1902 Delafield Lutheran Church.
* Jackson County Fair Village 20 historical buildings and is located at the
Jackson County Fairgrounds
* Jackson County Historical Society and Museum west of Jackson at
Lakefield, Minnesota, provides a look back at the County's history.
* Jackson County Courthouse Constructed in 1908 with murals adorning the Court Room and Rotunda, listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
Economy
Though largely a farming community, Jackson has a large industrial park with such businesses as
AGCO, Last-Deck, USF Holland, New Fashion Pork, HitchDoc, and Pioneer. AGCO and Challenger tractors are manufactured in Jackson.
Government
Jackson is in
Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by
Republican Brad Finstad. At the state level, Jackson is in
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
District 22, represented by
Republican Doug Magnus, and
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
District 22B, represented by Republican
Brian Pfarr.
Education
The Jackson County School Board operates the county's public schools.

Jackson is home to Minnesota West Community and Technical Community College, which is affiliated with the
Minnesota State system of colleges and universities.
Transportation
The city-owned
Jackson Municipal Airport is 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north of Jackson's
central business district.
Media
Television
Notable people
*
Gary Amdahl, author
*
Jeffrey Bullock, president of the
University of Dubuque
*
Stephen Censky, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2020
*
David Ellefson, former
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
bassist
*
Willis H. Flygare, professor of chemistry at the
University of Illinois
*
Bjarne Elgar Grottum, Minnesota state senator, raised in Jackson
*
Walter Halloran, assisted in Roland Doe's exorcism, which inspired
William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1971 novel ''The Exorcist (novel), The Exorcist'' and for his screenplay for The Exorcist, the 1973 film adaptat ...
's novel
''The Exorcist''
*
Milton C. Portmann, professional football player and decorated U.S. Army officer
References
External links
City of Jackson Official WebsiteHistory of Jackson, MN
{{Authority control
Cities in Minnesota
Cities in Jackson County, Minnesota
County seats in Minnesota
1856 establishments in Minnesota Territory
Populated places established in 1856