Living in Big Bend Township, MN: what to set up and who to call
Power in Big Bend Township comes from Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. For emergencies, Big Bend Township is closest to Chippewa County Hospital, 10.6 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Big Bend Township, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Big Bend Township.
Power comes from Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn
Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn (Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn), a cooperative utility, serves all of Big Bend Township. Its homes paid an average of 13.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $285 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: mnvalleyrec.com · (320) 269-2163
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
6 home internet providers serve Big Bend Township
100% of 130 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FederatedTelephoneCooperative | Fiber | 78% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company | Fiber | 22% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Midco | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 98% | 150/130 |
| MVTV Wireless | Fixed wireless | 19% | 50/10 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 14% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Big Bend Township’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Big Bend Township.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Big Bend Township is in Lac Qui Parle Valley School District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Big Bend Township spans 3 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Big Bend Township residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Big Bend Township | ZIP’s residents in Big Bend Township |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56262 | Milan, MN | 73% | 24% |
| 56265 | Montevideo, MN | 25% | 1% |
| 56295 | Watson, MN | 3% | 2% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Big Bend Township
Who provides electricity in Big Bend Township?
Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn (Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 13.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Big Bend Township?
FederatedTelephoneCooperative, Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company, Midco, GigFire, MVTV Wireless, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Big Bend Township?
56262 (73%), 56265 (25%), 56295 (3%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Big Bend Township in?
Lac Qui Parle Valley School District.
How do I register to vote in Big Bend Township?
In Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Chippewa County Courthouse. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.