St. Louis County, Minnesota

county in Minnesota, United States

Saint Louis County (abbreviated St. Louis County) is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota.[4] As of the 2020 census, the population was 200,231.[3] Its county seat is Duluth.[5] It is the largest county by total area in Minnesota. It is the largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River.[6]

St. Louis County
St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth
St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth
Map of Minnesota highlighting St. Louis County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°35′N 92°28′W / 47.58°N 92.46°W / 47.58; -92.46
Country United States
State Minnesota
FoundedFebruary 20, 1855[1]
Named forSt. Louis River[2]
SeatDuluth
Largest cityDuluth
Area
 • Total6,860 sq mi (17,800 km2)
 • Land6,247 sq mi (16,180 km2)
 • Water612 sq mi (1,590 km2)  8.9%
Population
 • Total200,231
 • Density29/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Websitewww.stlouiscountymn.gov

Saint Louis County is included in the Duluth, MN-WI Metropolitan statistical area. Major industries include pulpwood production and tourism. Surface mining of high-grade iron-ore remains an important part of the economy of the Iron Range. Parts of the Bois Forte and Fond du Lac Indian reservations are in the county.

History change

St. Louis County was created on March 3, 1855 by acts of the territorial legislature.[7] It was named for the St. Louis River, the largest river entering Lake Superior. It is a major river flowing through the county.[7] As of 1860 the population was only 406.[7] By 1870 it was 4,561. According to the state census, by 1895 the population had grown to 78,575.[7]

Geography change

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,860 square miles (17,800 km2), of which 6,247 square miles (16,180 km2) is land and 612 square miles (1,590 km2) (8.9%) is water.[8] By area, it is the largest county in Minnesota and the largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River.

St. Louis County is known for its spectacular natural beauty.[9] It includes Voyageurs National Park,Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.[9] It is the gateway to the North Shore of Lake Superior.[9] St. Louis county has 1,000 lakes and hundreds of miles of rivers and trout streams.[9]

Saint Louis County has one of the most important fresh water ports in the United States, located in Duluth on Lake Superior.[9] The county is part of the Iron Range, which has a significant taconite mining industry.[10] Three-fourths of the iron ore in the United States comes from this area.[10]

References change

  1. "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  2. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 164.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "QuickFacts: St. Louis County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  4. "St. Louis County, MN". Livability. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  5. "St. Louis County, Minnesota Free Public Records Directory". Inflection.com, Inc. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  6. Duluth News Tribune September 22, 2004, p. 2B. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Arostook County, Maine has a smaller overall area but a greater land area.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "John R. Carey's "Duluth's History to 1870" Part 1". X-Communication and Zenith City Press. Archived from the original on 27 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "About St. Louis County, Minnesota". St. Louis County, Minnesota. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  10. 10.0 10.1 "How do extractive industries impact communities like mine?". United States Extractive Industries. Retrieved 5 June 2016.[permanent dead link]