Dakota County is 587 square miles in area and has a population of about 425,000. Situated in the southeast corner of the Twin Cities Metropolitan area, it is the third-most populous county in the state of Minnesota.

Dakota County maintains a land use mixture of 1/3 urban, 1/3 suburban and 1/3 rural. This combination of land use and the confluence of two major rivers (the Mississippi and Minnesota) that form the county's northern and eastern borders makes Dakota County a unique geographic area.

Founded in 1849, Dakota County was one of the original nine counties created by the Minnesota Territory Legislature. Thus, it was established before Minnesota was considered a state. The County seat moved to Hastings in 1857, where it has remained.