Blue Earth is located in
Faribault County (of which it is the county seat) in south central Minnesota between Fairmont and Albert Lea on Hwy 169 in the
Historic Prairies Region.
It gets its name from the Blue Earth River that encompasses the town. The river was given the Indian name "Mahkota" for the blue/black clay found in the high river banks.
The city is the birthplace of the ice cream sandwich; it's the center of America's longest highway, I-90, and home of Minnesota's first stained glass window. Blue Earth also boasts the world's largest statue of the Jolly Green Giant, which overlooks some of the richest farmland in America.
The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 3,624, a decrease of 121 since 1990.
