Roseau County, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
 Postcard of theRoseau County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:48°46′N95°48′W / 48.77°N 95.8°W /48.77; -95.8 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | December 31, 1894 |
| Named after | Roseau River |
| Seat | Roseau |
| Largest city | Roseau |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,678 sq mi (4,350 km2) |
| • Land | 1,672 sq mi (4,330 km2) |
| • Water | 6.5 sq mi (17 km2) 0.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 15,331 |
• Estimate (2024) | 15,265 |
| • Density | 9.2/sq mi (3.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Roseau County (/roʊˈzoʊ/) is acounty in the northwestern part of theU.S. state ofMinnesota, along theCanada–U.S. border. As of the2020 census, the population was 15,331.[1] Itscounty seat isRoseau.[2] Roseau County borders the Canadian province ofManitoba.
Part of theRed Lake Indian Reservation is in Roseau County.
Roseau County was once the home of manyOjibwe,Sioux, andMandan tribes.Archeologists have found artifacts within the county belonging to these tribes that date back 7,200 years.[3] More recent history includes fur trappers andEuropean-based explorers. By 1822, a fur-trading post was established in the area. In 1885, the future Roseau City hosted four settlers; by 1895 there were 600, and the area was incorporated asRoseau.[4]
By the mid-1880s the early settlers of easternKittson County were feeling the disadvantage of their location, far from the county seat, and petitioned the government for a separate county. On December 31, 1894,[5] GovernorKnute Nelson proclaimed the eastern portion of Kittson a new county, to be named Roseau.[6] On February 11, 1896, the next governor,David Marston Clough, added part ofBeltrami County to Roseau County. Roseau was named the county seat.[4]
Roseau County is in far northernMinnesota. Its northern boundary abutsCanada. TheRoseau River drains the upper part of the county, flowing west intoKittson County on its way to theHudson Bay. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, devoted to agriculture, and dotted with lakes and drainages. There is considerable wooded area, especially in the southeast portion.[8] The county has an area of 1,678 square miles (4,350 km2), of which 1,672 square miles (4,330 km2) is land and 6.5 square miles (17 km2) (0.4%) is water.[9] Roseau is one of 17Minnesota savanna counties with more savanna soils than prairie or forest soils.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 6,994 | — | |
| 1910 | 11,338 | 62.1% | |
| 1920 | 13,305 | 17.3% | |
| 1930 | 12,621 | −5.1% | |
| 1940 | 15,103 | 19.7% | |
| 1950 | 14,505 | −4.0% | |
| 1960 | 12,154 | −16.2% | |
| 1970 | 11,569 | −4.8% | |
| 1980 | 12,574 | 8.7% | |
| 1990 | 15,026 | 19.5% | |
| 2000 | 16,338 | 8.7% | |
| 2010 | 15,629 | −4.3% | |
| 2020 | 15,331 | −1.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 15,265 | [11] | −0.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[15] 2010-2020[1] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 13,700 | 89.4% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 85 | 0.6% |
| Native American (NH) | 229 | 1.5% |
| Asian (NH) | 398 | 2.6% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 10 | 0.07% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 671 | 4.4% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 238 | 1.6% |
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 16,338 people, 6,190 households, and 4,438 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 9.77 per square mile (3.77/km2). There were 7,101 housing units at an average density of 4.25 per square mile (1.64/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.92%White, 0.13%Black orAfrican American, 1.42%Native American, 1.73%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.08% fromother races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 0.43% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 41.0% were ofNorwegian, 18.8%German and 10.7%Swedish ancestry.
There were 6,190 households, out of which 38.40% hadchildren under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% weremarried couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The averagehousehold size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11.
The countypopulation contained 29.80% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 105.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,852, and themedian income for a family was $46,185.Males had amedian income of $29,747 versus $23,630 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,053. About 4.60% of families and 6.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 6.50% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.
In presidential elections, Roseau is Minnesota's most reliablyRepublican-voting county.John McCain's andGeorge W. Bush's best performances in Minnesota were in Roseau County. Bush won it twice, with over 65% of the vote. It was also one of the few Minnesota counties thatGeorge H. W. Bush won in 1992 andBob Dole won in 1996.
Roseau County is less reliablyRepublican insenatorial andgubernatorial elections. TheMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party has won two senatorial elections here since 1992. Independents do not perform as well in Roseau County as in the rest ofMinnesota. In the1998 gubernatorial election,Norm Coleman's best performance inMinnesota was in Roseau County, where he won with almost 50% of the vote.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 287 | 34.66% | 527 | 63.65% | 14 | 1.69% |
| 1900 | 632 | 53.02% | 537 | 45.05% | 23 | 1.93% |
| 1904 | 1,042 | 73.38% | 182 | 12.82% | 196 | 13.80% |
| 1908 | 900 | 50.90% | 444 | 25.11% | 424 | 23.98% |
| 1912 | 278 | 14.49% | 299 | 15.59% | 1,341 | 69.92% |
| 1916 | 821 | 38.71% | 834 | 39.32% | 466 | 21.97% |
| 1920 | 2,387 | 64.13% | 500 | 13.43% | 835 | 22.43% |
| 1924 | 1,300 | 38.99% | 148 | 4.44% | 1,886 | 56.57% |
| 1928 | 2,618 | 63.16% | 1,342 | 32.38% | 185 | 4.46% |
| 1932 | 1,078 | 25.52% | 2,805 | 66.41% | 341 | 8.07% |
| 1936 | 1,326 | 25.18% | 3,761 | 71.42% | 179 | 3.40% |
| 1940 | 1,730 | 28.25% | 4,289 | 70.05% | 104 | 1.70% |
| 1944 | 1,513 | 28.82% | 3,697 | 70.42% | 40 | 0.76% |
| 1948 | 1,458 | 26.37% | 3,674 | 66.46% | 396 | 7.16% |
| 1952 | 2,596 | 45.33% | 3,062 | 53.47% | 69 | 1.20% |
| 1956 | 1,901 | 38.23% | 3,062 | 61.57% | 10 | 0.20% |
| 1960 | 2,274 | 41.48% | 3,198 | 58.34% | 10 | 0.18% |
| 1964 | 1,651 | 31.19% | 3,636 | 68.69% | 6 | 0.11% |
| 1968 | 2,048 | 40.68% | 2,649 | 52.61% | 338 | 6.71% |
| 1972 | 2,844 | 53.22% | 2,396 | 44.84% | 104 | 1.95% |
| 1976 | 2,382 | 41.41% | 3,215 | 55.89% | 155 | 2.69% |
| 1980 | 3,358 | 53.16% | 2,616 | 41.41% | 343 | 5.43% |
| 1984 | 3,445 | 59.28% | 2,319 | 39.91% | 47 | 0.81% |
| 1988 | 3,500 | 56.52% | 2,630 | 42.47% | 62 | 1.00% |
| 1992 | 2,785 | 38.31% | 2,346 | 32.27% | 2,138 | 29.41% |
| 1996 | 2,988 | 43.25% | 2,759 | 39.93% | 1,162 | 16.82% |
| 2000 | 4,695 | 65.52% | 2,128 | 29.70% | 343 | 4.79% |
| 2004 | 5,355 | 67.69% | 2,442 | 30.87% | 114 | 1.44% |
| 2008 | 4,438 | 57.64% | 3,097 | 40.22% | 165 | 2.14% |
| 2012 | 4,409 | 59.97% | 2,772 | 37.70% | 171 | 2.33% |
| 2016 | 5,451 | 69.85% | 1,856 | 23.78% | 497 | 6.37% |
| 2020 | 6,065 | 72.02% | 2,188 | 25.98% | 168 | 2.00% |
| 2024 | 6,279 | 73.88% | 2,093 | 24.63% | 127 | 1.49% |
| Position | Name | District | Next Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Glenda Phillipe | District 1 | 2026 | |
| Commissioner | Jack Swanson | District 2 | 2024 | |
| Commissioner and Chairperson | Levi Novacek | District 3 | 2024 | |
| Commissioner | Russell Walker | District 4 | 2024 | |
| Commissioner | Daryl Wicklund | District 5 | 2026 | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Mark Johnson[19] | Republican | District 1 | |
| House of Representatives | Dan Fabian[20] | Republican | District 1A | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Collin Peterson[21] | Democrat | 7th | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[22] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[23] | Democrat | N/A | |
Places adjacent to Roseau County, Minnesota | |
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Municipalities and communities ofRoseau County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| Unorganized territories | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
