Worthington, Minnesota
Worthington is a city of 13,780 people in Nobles County, Minnesota.
Why visit Worthington
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 30 parks and trails, 12 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include George D. Dayton House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 5°F, and about 45 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Worthington
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Worthington
Worthington is a city in and the county seat of Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,947 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Worthington, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks3
George D. Dayton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Minnesota, United States
Works Progress Administration Historic Bandshell
Monument and historic site · 0.7 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds30
18 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes12
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.4 mi
1471 Humeston Avenue, Worthington
Mo-We 08:00-22:00; Th-Fr 08:00-23:00; Sa-Su 08:00-22:00
History
The city's site was first settled in the 1870s as Okabena Station on a line of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway, later the Chicago and North Western Railway (now part of Union Pacific).
The first European likely to have visited the Nobles County area of southwestern Minnesota was French explorer Joseph Nicollet. Nicollet mapped the area between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in the 1830s. He called the region "Sisseton Country" in honor of the Sisseton band of Dakota Indians then living there. It was a rolling sea of wide open prairie grass that extended as far as the eye could see. One small lake in Sisseton Country was given the name "Lake Okabena" on Nicollet's map, "Okabena" being a Dakota word meaning "nesting place of the herons".
The town of Worthington was founded by "Yankees" (immigrants from New England, upstate New York, Northern Pennsylvania, and Northeast Ohio who were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s).
In 1871, the St. Paul & Sioux City Railway Company began connecting its two namesake cities with a rail line. The steam engines of that time required a large quantity of water, and water stations were needed every eight to twelve miles (13 to 19 km) along their routes. One of these stations, at the site of present-day Worthington, was designated "The Okabena Railway Station".
From the History section of Worthington, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship10
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Virtual Instruction By Excellence E
School · 1.8 mi
825 N Crailsheim Rd, Worthington
Virtual Instruction By Excellence S
School · 1.8 mi
825 N Crailsheim Rd, Worthington
Healthcare2
Map of Worthington
96 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23°F | 5°F | 0.7 in | 9.8 in |
| Feb | 27°F | 10°F | 0.8 in | 10.9 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 21°F | 1.5 in | 5.7 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 33°F | 3.1 in | 4.4 in |
| May | 68°F | 46°F | 4.1 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 57°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 61°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 58°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 49°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 36°F | 2.4 in | 1.0 in |
| Nov | 42°F | 23°F | 1.3 in | 4.6 in |
| Dec | 28°F | 12°F | 0.9 in | 8.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Worthington 2 Nne (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Nobles County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-06-28: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2022-08-09: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2022-07-08: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-12: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Worthington Municipal Airport (OTG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Brewster 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Round Lake 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Rushmore 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Ocheyedan 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Fulda 16 mi north, about 27 min by car
- Sibley 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Adrian 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Heron Lake 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Lake Park 19 mi southeast, about 30 min by car
- Spencer 40 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Worthington Minnesota, Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
- George D. Dayton House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
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