Raymond, MN

Raymond is a Kandiyohi County city about 10 miles southwest of Willmar on Minnesota Highway 23, with 782 residents in the 2020 census. The highway and railroad corridor meet the small downtown, while farm roads lead toward Clara City, Maynard, and the wider west-central landscape. MACCRAY Public Schools ties those three communities together, and Raymond’s parks, nine-hole Hawk Creek Country Club, and lake-bottom trails add outdoor places to the school-and-business map.

Raymond was platted in 1887 and named for Raymond Spicer, the son of an early settler. Its post office has operated since 1889. The Raymond Area Museum opened in 2024 inside part of the former MACCRAY East Elementary School, bringing newspapers, school records, military items, business pieces, and family artifacts under one roof. The museum and annual Harvest Festival keep older layers visible, while baseball remains part of the local calendar. Raymond is a Minnesota highway town with a museum in a former school and a long memory tied to three neighboring communities.