Nelson county is located in the Valley Region and uses Lakota as its county seat. The county population on July 1, 1999, was 3,656, a decrease of 754 over the 1990 census.
The county is blessed to have one of the larger lakes in the state. Stump Lake, located in the western half of the county, offers powerboating, skiing, fishing and other activities and is accessed via SR 1.