Living in Big Stone Township, MN: what to set up and who to call
Power in Big Stone Township comes from Agralite Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. Ortonville Area Health Services, 2.5 miles away, is the nearest emergency room.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Big Stone 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 Stone Township.
Power comes from Agralite Electric Coop
Agralite Electric Coop (Agralite Electric Coop), a cooperative utility, serves all of Big Stone Township. Its homes paid an average of 13.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $191 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: agralite.coop · (800) 950-8375
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Ortonville water system
The Ortonville water system supplies Big Stone Township: about 20% of residents live in its service area. About 80% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 2,021 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2024, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 2.0 ppb. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MN1060008.
4 home internet providers serve Big Stone Township
99% of 215 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 69% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FederatedTelephoneCooperative | Fiber | 70% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Midco | Cable | 28% | 1,250/60 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 46% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 29% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Big Stone Township’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Big Stone Township.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Big Stone Township (84%) is in Ortonville Public Schools; parts are in Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley (16%).
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 Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Big Stone Township is in ZIP code 56278
ZIP codes where Big Stone Township residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Big Stone Township | ZIP’s residents in Big Stone Township |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56278 | Ortonville, MN | 100% | 11% |
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 Stone Township
Who supplies Big Stone Township’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Ortonville water system (EPA ID MN1060008). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Big Stone Township?
Agralite Electric Coop (Agralite Electric Coop), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 13.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Big Stone Township?
FederatedTelephoneCooperative, Midco, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Big Stone Township?
56278. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Big Stone Township in?
Ortonville Public Schools. Parts of the city are in Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley.
How do I register to vote in Big Stone 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 Big Stone County Auditor. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- 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.