Victoria is a city in Carver County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 7,345 at the 2010 census.GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.79sqmi, of which, 8.01sqmi is land and 1.78sqmi is water.State Highways 5 and 7 are two of the main routes in Victoria.Victoria has been nicknamed "The City of Lakes and Parks" because it has over 200acre of reserved land, thirteen parks and nine lakes within its borders. Victoria is also home to the 1800acre Carver Park Reserve.In the 1850s, Victoria's rich soil attracted many farmers from Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Wheat was the main cash crop. Other early crops were potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and corn.HistoryMichael Diethelm is believed to be the first settler in Victoria after setting up a shelter for his wife and two children in 1851 near the present day St. Victoria Church. The city itself is named after the St. Victoria Church, built on 30acre of land just north of Lake Bavaria in 1857. A year later, steamboats from St. Paul began bringing in additional supplies for early settlers. The settlement continued to grow from early farmers attracted by the city's rich soil. Eventually the steamboats to Chaska and the St. Paul railroad helped transform the local area into its own thriving community.
