Lake County, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
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 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
| Coordinates:47°32′N91°23′W / 47.53°N 91.39°W /47.53; -91.39 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | March 1, 1856[1] |
| Named after | Lake Superior |
| Seat | Two Harbors |
| Largest city | Two Harbors |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,991 sq mi (7,750 km2) |
| • Land | 2,109 sq mi (5,460 km2) |
| • Water | 881 sq mi (2,280 km2) 29% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,905 |
• Estimate (2024) | 10,698 |
| • Density | 5.171/sq mi (1.996/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | www |
Lake County is acounty in theU.S. state ofMinnesota. As of the2020 census, the population was 10,905.[2] Itscounty seat isTwo Harbors.[3]
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Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the area had long been inhabited by Native American groups. At the time of European contact, the principal Native American groups in the region were theDakota (Sioux) andOjibwe (also called Anishinabe or Chippewa). The economy of these groups was based on hunting, fishing and gathering, withwild rice being of particular importance. The first Europeans to explore the area were the French in the late 17th century[4] who were followed by trappers, fur traders,missionaries, andexplorers.
TheWisconsin Territory was established by the Federal Government effective July 3, 1836, and existed until its eastern portion was granted statehood (asWisconsin) in 1848. Therefore, the Federal Government set up theMinnesota Territory effective March 3, 1849. The newly organized territorial legislature created nine counties across the territory in October of that year. One of those original counties,Itasca, had its eastern section partitioned off on February 20, 1855, into two new counties: the western part was designated Newton and the eastern part was named Superior County. The territorial legislature returned to the matter on March 3, changing Superior County to Saint Louis County. Then on March 1, 1856, the county name was again changed, to Lake County, and the "Saint Louis County" name was given to the previous Newton County. With the new name came the designation of county seat atBeaver Bay, which had first been platted in 1856. The county's boundaries were altered in 1874, when its eastern part was partitioned off to createCook County.
In 1868,iron ore was discovered on theVermilion Range by George Stuntz. A spur of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad was extended to theLake Superior shore, and a settlement quickly sprang up at the terminus. This settlement was incorporated as a village (Two Harbors) on March 9, 1888, and that same year a vote was taken to transfer the county seat from Beaver Bay to Two Harbors (1888).[5]
Commercial fishing on Lake Superior became important during the late 1880s, spurred by the arrival ofSwedish andNorwegian immigrants to theNorth Shore. In 1890, the Merritt brothers discovered theMesabi Range. TheTwo Harbors Lighthouse was built on Agate Bay in 1892. Ten years later, five Two Harbors businessmen signed thearticles of incorporation for a newmining company named3M. Today, 3M Corporation has over 70,000 employees worldwide and produces more than 50,000adhesive household products, and is now headquartered inMaplewood, Minnesota.
In 1906, theCourt House, which stands to this day, was built. In 1907, one of the nation's firststeelore docks was built in Two Harbors. In 1944, one of the firstHMOs in theUnited States was created in Lake County to serverailroad employees. A second iron ore boom took place in the 1950s with the development of thetaconitebeneficiation process for turning lean, low-grade iron ore into a shippable product.
In 2021, theGreenwood Fire burned over 10,500 acres of the county southwest ofIsabella, beginning nearGreenwood Lake.[6][7]
Lake County lies on the north side of Minnesota. Its north border abuts the south border of the province ofOntario, Canada, and its south border is formed byLake Superior. However, the Canadian border is inaccessible from Lake County due to the heavily wooded terrain of theSuperior National Forest and rugged terrain in the northern part of the county. Its terrain consists of rolling mountains and hills, heavily wooded, and dotted with lakes and ponds; which makes any border crossing to Canada from the county impossible, but the Canadian border can be accessed throughGrand Portage,International Falls orBaudette.[8] The terrain slopes both ways from a crestline that runs from its northeast line to its southwest line; the county's highest point is Stony Tower Hill[8] at 2,301' ASL.[9] The county has a total area of 2,991 square miles (7,750 km2), of which 2,109 square miles (5,460 km2) is land and 881 square miles (2,280 km2) (29%) is water.[10] It is the fifth-largest county in Minnesota by area.
Lake County is located in theArrowhead Region of Northeastern Minnesota.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 248 | — | |
| 1870 | 135 | −45.6% | |
| 1880 | 106 | −21.5% | |
| 1890 | 1,299 | 1,125.5% | |
| 1900 | 4,654 | 258.3% | |
| 1910 | 8,011 | 72.1% | |
| 1920 | 8,251 | 3.0% | |
| 1930 | 7,068 | −14.3% | |
| 1940 | 6,956 | −1.6% | |
| 1950 | 7,781 | 11.9% | |
| 1960 | 13,702 | 76.1% | |
| 1970 | 13,351 | −2.6% | |
| 1980 | 13,043 | −2.3% | |
| 1990 | 10,415 | −20.1% | |
| 2000 | 11,058 | 6.2% | |
| 2010 | 10,866 | −1.7% | |
| 2020 | 10,905 | 0.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 10,698 | [11] | −1.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[2] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 10,905. The median age was 50.6 years. 18.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.8 males age 18 and over.[15][16]
The racial makeup of the county was 94.7%White, 0.1%Black or African American, 0.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 3.8% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.0% of the population.[16]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[17]
There were 4,869 households in the county, of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.4% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
There were 7,311 housing units, of which 33.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 82.5% were owner-occupied and 17.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.1%.[15]
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 11,058 people, 4,646 households, and 3,140 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 5.24 per square mile (2.02/km2). There were 6,840 housing units at an average density of 3.24 per square mile (1.25/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.99%White, 0.10%Black orAfrican American, 0.70%Native American, 0.18%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.14% fromother races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 22.3% were ofNorwegian, 17.8%German, 14.3%Swedish, 8.4%Finnish, 6.3%Irish and 5.4%English ancestry.
There were 4,646 households, out of which 27.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% weremarried couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.83.
The county population contained 22.30% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 20.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,402, and the median income for a family was $46,980. Males had a median income of $39,719 versus $26,500 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,761. About 5.50% of families and 7.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 9.40% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.
Lake County has a historic Democratic/Labor lean. It was the top county forSocialist Party of America candidateEugene V. Debs in 1908,[18] 1912,[19] and 1920.[20] The last Republican to carry the county wasHerbert Hoover in his failed run for re-election in 1932 againstFranklin D. Roosevelt,[21] although in the 1932 election SocialistNorman Thomas received 19.32% of the county's vote, one of the highest percentages in the country.[22] Ironically, Lake County was the only county in Minnesota to vote for Hoover in 1932, despite going on to give Roosevelt his largest percentage in the state in 1936 and continuing to vote staunchly Democratic through 2012. However, in recent elections, the county has become more competitive. In 2016, while Lake County was the whitest county in the entire country to vote for DemocratHillary Clinton over RepublicanDonald Trump,[23] Clinton became the first and only Democrat to fail to obtain a majority of the county’s vote since 1932. Furthermore, Trump got the highest percentage of the vote of any Republican since 1928, and went on to further increase his vote share in 2020 and heldJoe Biden to under 51% of the county's vote. Trump came within 145 votes of winning Lake County in 2016, was within 254 votes of winning it in 2020, and within 269 votes in 2024, becoming the only Republican since 1932 to even come within 1,000 votes of winning the county.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 290 | 60.04% | 126 | 26.09% | 67 | 13.87% |
| 1896 | 595 | 64.05% | 320 | 34.45% | 14 | 1.51% |
| 1900 | 639 | 66.98% | 278 | 29.14% | 37 | 3.88% |
| 1904 | 603 | 67.45% | 77 | 8.61% | 214 | 23.94% |
| 1908 | 584 | 51.23% | 152 | 13.33% | 404 | 35.44% |
| 1912 | 182 | 14.38% | 195 | 15.40% | 889 | 70.22% |
| 1916 | 401 | 30.22% | 506 | 38.13% | 420 | 31.65% |
| 1920 | 990 | 40.93% | 594 | 24.56% | 835 | 34.52% |
| 1924 | 1,251 | 46.63% | 60 | 2.24% | 1,372 | 51.14% |
| 1928 | 2,014 | 72.84% | 618 | 22.35% | 133 | 4.81% |
| 1932 | 1,290 | 42.97% | 1,059 | 35.28% | 653 | 21.75% |
| 1936 | 617 | 18.20% | 2,717 | 80.15% | 56 | 1.65% |
| 1940 | 933 | 24.99% | 2,750 | 73.67% | 50 | 1.34% |
| 1944 | 792 | 24.45% | 2,401 | 74.13% | 46 | 1.42% |
| 1948 | 924 | 24.78% | 2,555 | 68.52% | 250 | 6.70% |
| 1952 | 1,451 | 33.83% | 2,814 | 65.61% | 24 | 0.56% |
| 1956 | 2,055 | 39.96% | 3,079 | 59.87% | 9 | 0.17% |
| 1960 | 2,276 | 36.83% | 3,888 | 62.91% | 16 | 0.26% |
| 1964 | 1,205 | 20.34% | 4,704 | 79.39% | 16 | 0.27% |
| 1968 | 1,351 | 22.93% | 4,266 | 72.42% | 274 | 4.65% |
| 1972 | 2,575 | 40.70% | 3,640 | 57.53% | 112 | 1.77% |
| 1976 | 2,313 | 35.05% | 3,973 | 60.21% | 313 | 4.74% |
| 1980 | 2,414 | 34.83% | 3,864 | 55.75% | 653 | 9.42% |
| 1984 | 2,003 | 30.68% | 4,468 | 68.43% | 58 | 0.89% |
| 1988 | 1,838 | 31.83% | 3,887 | 67.31% | 50 | 0.87% |
| 1992 | 1,465 | 23.05% | 3,415 | 53.72% | 1,477 | 23.23% |
| 1996 | 1,684 | 27.93% | 3,388 | 56.20% | 957 | 15.87% |
| 2000 | 2,465 | 37.56% | 3,579 | 54.53% | 519 | 7.91% |
| 2004 | 2,769 | 39.16% | 4,212 | 59.57% | 90 | 1.27% |
| 2008 | 2,636 | 37.82% | 4,174 | 59.89% | 159 | 2.28% |
| 2012 | 2,610 | 38.27% | 4,043 | 59.28% | 167 | 2.45% |
| 2016 | 2,932 | 44.96% | 3,077 | 47.19% | 512 | 7.85% |
| 2020 | 3,393 | 47.11% | 3,647 | 50.64% | 162 | 2.25% |
| 2024 | 3,265 | 46.95% | 3,534 | 50.82% | 155 | 2.23% |
| Position | Name | District | Term Ending | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Pete Walsh | District 1 | 2026 | |
| Commissioner | Derrick (Rick) Goutermont | District 2 | 2024 | |
| Commissioner | Richard (Rick) Hogenson | District 3 | 2024 | |
| Commissioner and Vice Chair | Jeremy Hurd | District 4 | 2026 | |
| Commissioner and Chairperson | Rich Sve | District 5 | 2024 | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Grant Hauschild[26] | Democrat | District 3 | |
| House of Representatives | Roger Skraba | Republican | District 3A | |
| House of Representatives | Natalie Zelezinkar | Republican | District 3B | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Pete Stauber[27] | Republican | 8th | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[28] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[29] | Democrat | N/A | |
Places adjacent to Lake County, Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofLake County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Unorganized territories | ||
| Ghost town | ||
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