Dakota County is 587 square miles in area and has a population of about 447,440. Situated in the southeast corner of the Twin Cities Metropolitan area, it is the third-most populous county in the state of Minnesota.
Dakota County maintains a land use mixture of one-third urban, one-third suburban and one-third rural. This combination of land use and the confluence of two major rivers (the Mississippi and Minnesota) that form the county's northern and eastern borders makes Dakota County a unique geographic area.
Founded in 1849, Dakota County was one of the original nine counties created by the Minnesota Territory Legislature. Thus, it was established before Minnesota was considered a state. The county seat moved to Hastings in 1857.
Between 2010 and 2023, Dakota County's population grew by nearly 12 percent. In recent years, second- and third-ring communities in Dakota County (Apple Valley, Farmington, Lakeville and Rosemount) have increased in population as development continues to move outward from the urban core of Minneapolis and St. Paul into suburbs. The county population is forecasted to grow to 500,000 by 2055.