The county was created on February 26, 1883, with territory partitioned from Cass County. It was named for Lucius Frederick Hubbard, a prominent Territory editor, Civil War participant, and businessman who was governor of Minnesota from 1882 to 1887. The county's boundaries have remained unchanged since its creation. The new county's courthouse was destroyed by fire around 1890, but the public records were salvaged.
Geography
The county's terrain is hilly, largely wooded, and dotted with lakes and ponds. It generally slopes to the east, with the northern part sloping to the north and the southern part sloping to the south. Its highest point is near the lower middle of its western border, at 1,549' ASL. The county has an area of, of which is land and is water.
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 18,376 people, 7,435 households, and 5,345 families in the county. The population density was 19.9/sqmi. There were 12,229 housing units at an average density of 13.3/sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.31% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 2.13% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 0.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 35.0% were of German, 20.5% Norwegian, 6.0% English and 5.8% Swedish ancestry. There were 7,435 households out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.10% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.88. The county population contained 24.60% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 99.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,321, and the median income for a family was $41,177. Males had a median income of $30,030 versus $21,616 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,115. 9.70% of the population and 7.50% of families were below the poverty line. 12.50% of those under the age of 18 and 9.30% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Hubbard County voters have leaned toward the Republican Party for several decades. As of 2016 the county has selected the Republican candidate in 78% of presidential elections since 1980.
