Traverse County, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
 Old District No. 44 School | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:45°46′N96°28′W / 45.77°N 96.47°W /45.77; -96.47 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | February 20, 1862 (created) 1881 (organized) |
| Named after | Lake Traverse[1] |
| Seat | Wheaton |
| Largest city | Wheaton |
| Area | |
• Total | 586 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
| • Land | 574 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (31 km2) 2.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,360 |
• Estimate (2024) | 3,134 |
| • Density | 5.9/sq mi (2.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Traverse County (locally/ˈtrævərs/TRAV-ərss) is acounty in theU.S. state ofMinnesota. As of the2020 census, the population was 3,360,[2] making it the least-populous county in Minnesota. Itscounty seat isWheaton.[3] The county was founded in 1862 and organized in 1881.[4]
Traverse County lies on the western edge of Minnesota. Its western border abuts the eastern borders of the states ofNorth andSouth Dakota. TheRed River flows northward along the county's western line. TheMustinka River flows southwestward through the county's upper portion, discharging into Lake Traverse. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, fully devoted to agriculture except in developed areas.[5] The terrain slopes to the west and north, with its highest point at the southeastern corner, at 1,119 ft (341 m) ASL.[6] The county has a total area of 586 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 574 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.0%) is water.[7]
Source:[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 13 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,507 | 11,492.3% | |
| 1890 | 4,516 | 199.7% | |
| 1900 | 7,573 | 67.7% | |
| 1910 | 8,049 | 6.3% | |
| 1920 | 7,943 | −1.3% | |
| 1930 | 7,938 | −0.1% | |
| 1940 | 8,283 | 4.3% | |
| 1950 | 8,053 | −2.8% | |
| 1960 | 7,503 | −6.8% | |
| 1970 | 6,254 | −16.6% | |
| 1980 | 5,542 | −11.4% | |
| 1990 | 4,463 | −19.5% | |
| 2000 | 4,134 | −7.4% | |
| 2010 | 3,558 | −13.9% | |
| 2020 | 3,360 | −5.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 3,134 | [9] | −6.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2020[2] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 2,851 | 84.85% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 21 | 0.63% |
| Native American (NH) | 183 | 5.45% |
| Asian (NH) | 0 | 0% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 0 | 0% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 108 | 3.21% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 197 | 5.86% |
As of the2000 census, there were 4,134 people, 1,717 households, and 1,129 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 7.2 per square mile (2.8/km2). There were 2,199 housing units at an average density of 3.83 per square mile (1.48/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.42%White, 0.02%Black orAfrican American, 2.81%Native American, 0.27%Asian, 0.07%Pacific Islander, 0.05% fromother races, and 0.36% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 52.2% were ofGerman, 13.0%Norwegian, 7.6%Swedish and 5.4%Irish ancestry.
There were 1,717 households, out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% weremarried couples living together, 6.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.20% were non-families. 32.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.97.
The county population contained 25.30% under the age of 18, 5.60% from 18 to 24, 21.70% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 26.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,617, and the median income for a family was $39,655. Males had a median income of $29,821 versus $20,100 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,378. About 9.30% of families and 12.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 10.80% of those age 65 or over.
Traverse County was historically a swing county, although in recent years it has swung substantially Republican. Since 1980 the county has selected the Republican Party candidate 58% of the time in national elections (as of 2024).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 413 | 39.33% | 317 | 30.19% | 320 | 30.48% |
| 1896 | 589 | 36.65% | 963 | 59.93% | 55 | 3.42% |
| 1900 | 768 | 50.29% | 720 | 47.15% | 39 | 2.55% |
| 1904 | 885 | 77.50% | 247 | 21.63% | 10 | 0.88% |
| 1908 | 685 | 54.93% | 514 | 41.22% | 48 | 3.85% |
| 1912 | 131 | 10.34% | 561 | 44.28% | 575 | 45.38% |
| 1916 | 774 | 48.71% | 779 | 49.02% | 36 | 2.27% |
| 1920 | 1,759 | 73.20% | 550 | 22.89% | 94 | 3.91% |
| 1924 | 1,002 | 39.32% | 202 | 7.93% | 1,344 | 52.75% |
| 1928 | 1,214 | 38.79% | 1,899 | 60.67% | 17 | 0.54% |
| 1932 | 608 | 18.53% | 2,633 | 80.23% | 41 | 1.25% |
| 1936 | 761 | 24.20% | 2,297 | 73.06% | 86 | 2.74% |
| 1940 | 1,434 | 40.50% | 2,094 | 59.14% | 13 | 0.37% |
| 1944 | 1,296 | 42.76% | 1,721 | 56.78% | 14 | 0.46% |
| 1948 | 1,008 | 31.28% | 2,151 | 66.74% | 64 | 1.99% |
| 1952 | 1,809 | 50.63% | 1,756 | 49.15% | 8 | 0.22% |
| 1956 | 1,467 | 45.87% | 1,724 | 53.91% | 7 | 0.22% |
| 1960 | 1,463 | 40.75% | 2,122 | 59.11% | 5 | 0.14% |
| 1964 | 1,073 | 32.30% | 2,247 | 67.64% | 2 | 0.06% |
| 1968 | 1,277 | 41.41% | 1,669 | 54.12% | 138 | 4.47% |
| 1972 | 1,276 | 41.77% | 1,744 | 57.09% | 35 | 1.15% |
| 1976 | 1,130 | 35.24% | 2,020 | 62.99% | 57 | 1.78% |
| 1980 | 1,574 | 51.95% | 1,258 | 41.52% | 198 | 6.53% |
| 1984 | 1,399 | 51.00% | 1,325 | 48.30% | 19 | 0.69% |
| 1988 | 1,061 | 42.85% | 1,399 | 56.50% | 16 | 0.65% |
| 1992 | 841 | 33.86% | 1,053 | 42.39% | 590 | 23.75% |
| 1996 | 775 | 34.77% | 1,135 | 50.92% | 319 | 14.31% |
| 2000 | 1,074 | 51.00% | 884 | 41.98% | 148 | 7.03% |
| 2004 | 1,076 | 50.26% | 1,026 | 47.92% | 39 | 1.82% |
| 2008 | 933 | 45.85% | 1,043 | 51.25% | 59 | 2.90% |
| 2012 | 861 | 46.62% | 943 | 51.06% | 43 | 2.33% |
| 2016 | 1,049 | 58.34% | 630 | 35.04% | 119 | 6.62% |
| 2020 | 1,172 | 62.88% | 661 | 35.46% | 31 | 1.66% |
| 2024 | 1,165 | 64.65% | 597 | 33.13% | 40 | 2.22% |
| Position | Name | District | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Chad Metz | District 1 | |
| Commissioner | Kayla Schmidt | District 2 | |
| Commissioner | Mark Gail | District 3 | |
| Commissioner | Jerrel Olson | District 4 | |
| Commissioner | Dwight Nelson | District 5 | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Torrey Westrom[17] | Republican | District 12 | |
| House of Representatives | Jeff Backer[18] | Republican | District 12A | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Michelle Fischbach | Republican | 7th | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[19] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[20] | Democrat | N/A | |
Places adjacent to Traverse County, Minnesota | |
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Municipalities and communities ofTraverse County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
