Watonwan County, Minnesota solar ordinance
Solar: 150 ft (existing dwelling unit) from homes, 175 ft (State highways and CSAHs) from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 7, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
3 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from homesexisting dwelling unitHousing unit setback of 150 feet from any existing dwelling unit. | 150 ft |
Road setbackState highways and CSAHsRoadway setback of 175 feet from the ROW centerline of State highways and CSAHs, 133 feet for other roads. | 175 ft |
Road setbackother roadsRoadway setback of 175 feet from the ROW centerline of State highways and CSAHs, 133 feet for other roads. | 133 ft |
Source: Watonwan County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Minnesota state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Minnesota rules and counties.
State siting: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
A state site permit is needed for solar of 50 MW or more, wind of 5 MW or more and storage of 10 MW or more; the developer may instead seek local approval for solar under 80 MW, wind under 25 MW and any storage.
Minn. Stat. 216I.02 subd. 6, 11, 17, 18; 216I.08; 216I.10 (2024 permitting reform). Source
Limits on local rules
A state site permit overrides county and town zoning for projects of 50 MW or more; no limit was found for smaller projects.
Minn. Stat. 216I.18. Source
Solar standards in state law
Statewide noise limits apply to every noise source, so they bind solar arrays whether the state or a county permits it; no statewide setback figures were found.
| Noise | 50 dBA L50 night, 60 dBA L50 day (residential) |
Minn. R. 7030.0040. Source
Every Minnesota figure in one spreadsheet
158 figures from 30 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 10 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 2 moratoria and bans on file and Minnesota state law.
How these figures were read
We found Watonwan County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Watonwan County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 175 ft (State highways and CSAHs) from roads, 133 ft (other roads) from roads and 150 ft (existing dwelling unit) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.