Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Minnesota County
Benton County, Minnesota
Sauk Rapids and the Mississippi River granite quarry heritage - from Sauk Rapids's granite industry (the granite deposits underlying the Sauk Rapids area were quarried extensively in the 19th and early 20th centuries - the St. Cloud area's "Cold Spring Granite" and Benton County's stone quarrying heritage contributed to construction projects across the region, and the Mississippi River rapids at Sauk Rapids gave the community its name and defined its early industrial character) and Benton County's rapid growth as a St. Cloud suburban community.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Services: Works closely with Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) and FEMA.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: Minnesota Highways 23 and 25 serve Foley, the county seat, in central Minnesota near the St. Cloud metropolitan area
Transit: Foley is part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area; Amtrak’s Empire Builder passes through the county on BNSF tracks (no stop; nearest station is St. Cloud).
Services: Jurisdiction depends on location: several Orderly Annexation Areas require permits from the relevant city (Foley, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids) rather than the county; Benton County contracts building review and inspections through Inspection Services of Central Minnesota, Inc.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Benton County Veterans Services – 531 Dewey Street, Foley, MN 56329
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Foley Public Library – 251 North 4th Avenue, Foley, MN 56329
Services: Genuinely part of the Great River Regional Library network; offers a physical catalog of books and DVDs alongside digital eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming services.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Benton County, established in 1849 and organized in 1850, is genuinely one of the oldest counties in Minnesota, and its county seat has moved a remarkable three times over its history. The seat began at Sauk Rapids, at the confluence of the Sauk and Mississippi Rivers, moved briefly to the now-vanished village of Watab in 1856 – which had been, for roughly a decade following its 1848 founding, the most important commercial center in the entire Minnesota Territory northwest of St. Paul before completely disappearing before 1880 – and returned to Sauk Rapids in 1859. Sauk Rapids became a railroad terminus in 1874, but the town was struck by a devastating tornado on April 14, 1886, genuinely the deadliest tornado in Minnesota history, which also hit the nearby communities of Rice and St. Cloud. In 1897, the county seat moved a final time to Foley, where it remains today. As St. Cloud has grown into a metropolitan area, the southern part of Benton County has become part of that suburban expansion
Notes: Benton County’s remarkably mobile 19th-century county seat – from Sauk Rapids to the entirely vanished village of Watab and back, before settling in Foley – combined with its connection to Minnesota’s deadliest tornado, gives it a genuinely dramatic frontier history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Benton County GIS – accessible via co.benton.mn.us
Parcel Search: Benton County Auditor-Treasurer – Benton County Government Center, 531 Dewey Street, Foley, MN 56329
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Benton County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Tri-County Humane Society – 735 8th St NE, St. Cloud, MN 56304 | Hours: Mon-Fri 12–6 PM, Sat-Sun 12–5 PM
Services: Genuinely an independent nonprofit shelter serving Stearns, Sherburne, and Benton counties, receiving no government funding and relying entirely on community donors, adopters, volunteers, and fosters; operates a pet food pantry for owners in need.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – pca.state.mn.us
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Benton County’s county seat genuinely moved three times across the 19th century, including through the now-entirely-vanished village of Watab, and the region was struck by Minnesota’s deadliest tornado in 1886. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Benton County
Benton County is the St. Cloud metro’s eastern growth corridor – Sauk Rapids on the Mississippi River and the surrounding communities have grown rapidly as the St. Cloud regional metro expands, and the Mississippi River granite heritage defines the county’s industrial and geological identity.
Foley (the county seat, population ~2,800) and Sauk Rapids (population ~13,000) serve Benton County’s agricultural and growing suburban communities on the Mississippi River.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Benton County Assessor at 531 Dewey Street, Foley, MN 56329, phone 320-968-5012. MN homestead exclusion reduces taxable market value.
Courts & Legal
Benton County District Court at 615 Highway 23, Foley, MN 56329, phone 320-968-5005, handles probate.
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Benton County District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Benton County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Benton County District Court Benton County Courthouse, 615 Highway 23, Foley, MN 56329 (320) 968-5205 Benton County is in central Minnesota, seated in Foley.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Minnesota follows the Uniform Probate Code, which keeps most estates on a streamlined informal track. Minnesota’s small-estate shortcuts are unusual among states in that they can include real property, not just personal property.
Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1201) – for personal property only. The entire probate estate – including the contents of any safe deposit box, less liens and encumbrances – must be under $75,000. Joint tenancy property and assets that pass by beneficiary designation (life insurance, transfer-on-death accounts) don’t count toward the threshold. A 30-day waiting period applies after death, and no court filing is required – the affidavit is presented directly to the institution holding the property.
Summary Assignment – can include real property, and is court-based. Covers estates up to $75,000, including real property. A certified copy of the court’s Decree of Distribution is filed in the county real estate records to transfer title.
Summary Administration (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1203) – the higher-threshold real-property option, covering estates up to $150,000, exclusive of the exempt homestead. The homestead itself is excluded from the value calculation entirely for both Summary Assignment and Summary Administration – Minnesota’s homestead exemption protects the family home from most creditor claims and it descends to the surviving spouse free of most claims against the estate. If closing and distribution follow the terms of a will, a formal probate hearing for the will is still required before a summary decree can issue.
STEP 2: FORMAL/INFORMAL PROBATE (for estates above the thresholds)
File with the District Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled; informal probate is available for most estates, with the personal representative appointed by the Registrar and minimal ongoing court interaction.
The personal representative publishes a creditor notice and directly notifies known creditors, opening a 4-month creditor claim period.
Once the creditor period closes and debts are paid, assets can typically be distributed and the estate closed without returning to court, unless there’s a dispute or a beneficiary requests a formal accounting.
Formal probate – requiring a hearing before a judge – is used in more complicated situations, such as will contests or disputes over the personal representative.
THE 3-YEAR DEADLINE – MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN MOST STATES Informal probate is no longer available after 3 years from the date of death, though formal probate may still be possible in limited circumstances.
What it costs
Small estate procedures can move relatively quickly once the 30-day wait passes. Standard informal probate is largely governed by the 4-month creditor period, so most straightforward estates take at least that long to close.
Minnesota has its own state estate tax, but the exemption threshold is relatively high – $3 million – so most Minnesota families aren’t affected. Rates on the amount above the exemption range from 13% to 16%, applied on a graduated scale; the exemption is not portable between spouses. Minnesota has no state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
615 Highway 23, Foley, MN 56329
(320) 968-7200
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
531 Dewey St., Foley, MN 56329
(320) 968-5037
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MN DHS — Central Region
(320) 968-5037
St. Cloud Hospital (CentraCare)
centracare.com (St. Cloud — accessible major regional hospital; Level II Trauma)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Benton County Public Health / Human Services – 531 Dewey St, Foley, MN 56329, (320) 968-5000
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Foley
Population: 42,000
Area: 408 sq mi
Established: 1849
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Benton County residents.
