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Windom is the county seat of Cottonwood County in southwestern Minnesota, situated on the Coteau des Prairies along the Des Moines River.

Windom was platted on June 20, 1871, by A. L. Beach, an engineer for the Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad, and twelve lots were sold for $100 on the first day.

The city is named for William Windom, a United States senator from Minnesota who also served as Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Garfield, Arthur and Harrison.

Windom was incorporated as a village on April 15, 1875, and was reincorporated on September 9, 1884; voters had already chosen it as the Cottonwood County seat in 1872.

The 2020 census counted 4,798 people in Windom, and Census Bureau survey estimates for 2020-2024 put the city at roughly 1,955 households.

Windom's downtown was carefully planned by the railroad company with a central square, and its best-known landmark is the Cottonwood County Courthouse, built in 1903 in Greek Corinthian style with a brick and limestone facade topped by a copper dome.

The Cottonwood County Historical Society museum is housed in the historic Co-Op Oil Association building in Windom and preserves the county's history and local art.

Cottonwood Lake, a large but shallow lake with more than three miles of shoreline, borders Windom and is a popular spot for water recreation.

Windom's students attend Windom Area Schools, including Winfair Elementary and Windom Area High School, and Windom Area Health is the community's primary health care facility.

Windom lies about 150 miles southwest of the Twin Cities on the route toward Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and its ZIP code is 56101.