Carson is a township in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, home to about 262 people across 35 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56118 and 56159.
Homes sold for a median of $96 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Lakeside Township (Cottonwood County); part is in Carson
Mostly Mountain Lake; part is in Carson
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Carson. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Carson’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)110 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)90 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN112 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL397 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Carson; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Carson had 283 residents in the 2020 census, down 9% since 2000.
It’s the 1592nd largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Cottonwood County grew from 12,069 residents in 1900 to 11,517 in 2020.
Cottonwood County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 8°F. About 31.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 44 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Windom, MN weather station (6 miles away).
5,046 jobs at 325 businesses in Cottonwood County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
7 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Carson’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 4 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (3 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums
Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Mountain Lake Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Lake ElementaryMountain Lake | Pre-K–6 | 257 | Public | 4.2 mi |
| Mountain Lake SecondaryMountain Lake | 7–12 | 241 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Lake Christian SchoolMountain Lake | Pre-K–12 | 79 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 4.1 mi |
| Elmendorf Christian SchoolMountain Lake | K–11 | 58 | Brethren | 6.9 mi |
| Neuhof SchoolMountain Lake | 1–9 | 14 | Brethren | 3.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Mountain Lake, Lakeside Township (Cottonwood County), Mountain Lake Township, Midway Township, Bingham Lake, Selma, Christiania, Kimball Township and Delton.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.