Dakota County is named for the Dakota Native American tribe.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Hennepin County, Ramsey County and Washington County
E – Pierce County, Wisconsin and Goodhue County
S – Goodhue County and Rice County
W – Rice County and Scott County
Created: October 27, 1849 
County Seat:
Kaposia 1853 – 1854
Mendota 1854 – 1857
Hastings 1857 – present
County Courthouse – Hastings
Location: 1560 Highway 55 / Pleasant Drive
Built: 1973 – 1974
Style: Modern
Architect: Ellerbe Architects ( now Ellerbe Becket )
Contractor: Sheehy Construction Company
Description: The building faces west and is a three story mulberry-toned jumbo brick, concrete and glass structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds to the west of the center of Hastings. The building has a large concrete central entrance with recessed doorway on the first story. The building has a three level atrium and sky lit lobby. Four large chrome plated ducts rise from the basement through the open lobby to the third story. The building houses the County District Court of the 1st Judicial District. The building is the Dakota County Judicial Center. In 1987, a Courts Addition was started and completed in 1988. The architect was Wold Architects and the contractor was M A Mortenson Company ( construction manager ).
County Administration Center - Hastings
Location: 1560 Highway 55 / Pleasant Drive
Built: 19789– 1990
Style: Modern
Architect: BWBR Architects
Contractor: M A Mortenson Company ( construction manager )
Description: The building faces west and is a three buff and reddish colored brick, concrete and glass structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds to the west of the center of Hastings. The building has a high arched entrance and lower arches along the first story. An addition was added in 2003 and completed in 2004. The architect was Wold Architect and Engineers and the contractor was Westra Construction.
Old County Courthouse – Hastings
Location: 101 4th Street East / Vermillion Street
Built: 1869 – 1871
Style: Italianate Villa Romanesque
Architect: A M Radcliffe of Saint Paul
Contractor: P Donivan
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick and stone structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Hastings. The square shaped building has four symmetrical facades with a projecting square tower with red colored roof on each corner. The central entrance has a one story portico supported by paired fluted Corinthian columns and with balustrade on the second story. The building is constructed with a white colored brush hammered limestone for the foundation, window hoods and quoins. There are segmental arches over windows, bracketed and dentillated cornices. In 1912, the original cupola was replaced with a larger domed circular cupola in the Renaissance Revival style. The architect was Augustus Gauger of Saint Paul and the contractor was W J Longcor. The two story buff colored brick addition was constructed in 1955. The architect was Ellerbe & Company. The building is the old Court House and served until 1974 and now serves as the City Hall..
See: National Register of Historic Places – Old Dakota County Courthouse
See: The 1st Judicial District includes Carver County, Goodhue County, Le Sueur County, McLeod County, Scott County and Sibley County.
History: The county was created in 1849 and Kaposia Hastings was selected as the county seat in 1853. The county seat was moved to Mendota in 1854 and then to Hastings in 1857. The first courthouse was built in 1869 to 1871 at a cost of $95,000 and is still standing and used as the City Hall. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1973 to 1974.
County Courthouse – Hastings
County Administration – Hastings
Old County Courthouse – Hastings
Photos taken 2008