Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Willmar
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Quizzes
Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.
Guess the City by Its River Quiz
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Willmar

Minnesota, United States
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Willmar, city, seat (1871) of Kandiyohi county, southwest-central Minnesota, U.S. It is situated on Foot and Willmar lakes, in a lake region about 60 miles (95 km) southwest of St. Cloud. Settlers began arriving in the area in 1856, but the community was later deserted because of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. In 1869 the railroad reached the spot, and the town was laid out and named for Leon Willmar, an agent of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company. It became a railroad division headquarters and a shipping point for the surrounding agricultural region. Swedish and Norwegian immigrants settled in the area. Agriculture remains the basis of the city’s economy. Turkey processing is the major industry; the county is Minnesota’s top producer of turkeys. Other farm products include corn (maize), soybeans, sugar beets, and dairy products. Tourism and the manufacture of farm equipment are also important. Willmar is a regional health care, education, government, and trade center. A campus of Ridgewater College (formed in 1996 by the merger of Willmar Community College and Hutchinson-Willmar Regional Technical College) is in the city. Sibley and Monson Lake state parks are nearby. Inc. village, 1874; city, 1901. Pop. (2000) 18,351; (2010) 19,610.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Teagan Wolter.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.