Askov is the former "Rutabaga Capitol of the World" and was a hub of rutabaga cultivation until A. Henriksen's rutabaga warehouse operation burned in the 1970s. The city of Askov is currently home of the annual Askov Fair and Rutabaga Festival, held during the fourth weekend of August.
Originally the Village of Partridge, it was a Great Northern Railway stop; its post office began as Partridge, 1889–1909, before changing to Askov. The name "Askov" means "ash forest" in Danish.