Nininger
Ghost town · Dakota County, Minnesota

Nininger is a ghost town in Dakota County, Minnesota, recorded as unincorporated community in Minnesota, USA. It is one of 2 former communities in Dakota County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 19th among the 45 Minnesota counties with a vanished settlement on record.
Nininger was established in 1857, in the Civil War era; it was abandoned in 1889, after roughly 32 years.
The U.S. Geological Survey lists Nininger as a historical populated place: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 44.7692° N, 92.9022° W.
Key facts
| Founded | 1857 |
|---|---|
| Abandoned | 1889 |
| Peak population | 0 |
| Last recorded population | 0 |
| Elevation | 790 ft |
| Nearest living town | Cottage Grove, MN |
| Distance to it | 3.1 miles |
| Coordinates | 44.76920, -92.90220 |
What's there now
Nininger is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Cottage Grove, MN (population 40,124), about 3.1 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 790 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.
Nearby places
- Point Douglasghost town · Washington County · 4.3 mi
- Lewistonghost town · Dakota County · 20.2 mi
- Garenghost town · Washington County · 31.8 mi
- Zumbrota Covered Bridgecovered bridge · Goodhue County · 34.6 mi
- Florenceghost town · Goodhue County · 34.7 mi
- Fairpointghost town · Goodhue County · 39.1 mi
- San Franciscoghost town · Carver County · 39.6 mi
- Welch Pointghost town · Dunn County · 43.9 mi
- Itasca Villageghost town · Anoka County · 44.2 mi
- Savoyghost town · Buffalo County · 45.7 mi
- Rice Lakeghost town · Steele County · 46.1 mi
- Gishvilleghost town · Le Sueur County · 48.7 mi
Questions
Where is Nininger?
Nininger is in Dakota County, Minnesota, at 44.7692, -92.9022.
When was Nininger abandoned?
Nininger was abandoned in 1889.
How many ghost towns are in Dakota County?
Dakota County, Minnesota has 2 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.
- Wikidata — Wikidata item (CC0)
- Wikidata — Wikipedia article (linked as a source; text not used) (CC0)
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line and ACS — Census Gazetteer + ACS 5-year population (public-domain)
Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.