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St. Louis County, Minnesota

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St. Louis County is a county located in the Arrowhead Region of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 200,231.[3] Its county seat is Duluth. It is the largest county in Minnesota by land area, and the largest in the United States by total area east of the Mississippi River. St. Louis County is included in the Duluth, MN–Superior, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

St. Louis County
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
 • Total
6,860 sq mi (17,800 km2)
 • Land6,247 sq mi (16,180 km2)
 • Water612 sq mi (1,590 km2)  8.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
200,231
 • Estimate 
(2023)
200,514 Increase
 • Density29/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.stlouiscountymn.gov

Major industries include pulpwood production and tourism. Open pit mining of taconite and processing it into high grade iron ore remains an important part of the economy of the Iron Range and is directly tied to shipping in the twin ports of Duluth and Superior. Parts of the federally recognized Bois Forte and Fond du Lac Indian reservations are in the county.

History

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This area was long inhabited by Algonquian-speaking tribes: the Ojibwe (Chippewa), Ottawa and Potawatomi peoples were loosely affiliated in the Council of Three Fires. As American settlers entered the territory, the Native Americans were pushed to outer areas.

The Minnesota Legislature established St. Louis County on February 20, 1855, as Doty County, and changed its name to Newton County on March 3, 1855. It originally consisted of the area east and south of the St. Louis River, while the area east of the Vermilion River and north of the St. Louis River was part of Superior County. Superior County was renamed St. Louis County.

On March 1, 1856, that St. Louis County was renamed as Lake County. Newton County was renamed as St. Louis County and had that eastern area added to it; it was also expanded westward by incorporating parts of Itasca County, which then also included most of Carlton County. On May 23, 1857, St. Louis County took its current shape when Carlton County was formed from parts of St. Louis and Pine counties.

Geography

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According to the United States 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.[4] It is the largest county in Minnesota and the largest (by total area) in the United States east of the Mississippi River. St. Louis County is the only county in the United States which has a coastline and borders both another country and another state.

Voyageurs National Park, established in 1975, is located in its northwestern corner, on the south shore of Rainy Lake on the Canada–US border; it is popular with water enthusiasts and fishers. The county includes parts of Superior National Forest, established in 1909, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on the border, established in 1978. The BWCAW is a 1,090,000-acre (4,400 km2) wilderness area designated for fishing, camping, hiking, and canoeing, and is one of the most visited wilderness areas in the United States. St. Louis County has more than 500 lakes. The largest lakes are Pelican and Vermilion.[5]

The "Hill of Three Waters" on the Laurentian Divide lies northeast of Hibbing. Rainfall on this hill runs to three watersheds: Hudson Bay to the north, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the east (via Lake Superior), or the Gulf of Mexico to the south and west (via the Mississippi River).[6] The county is drained by the St. Louis, Vermilion, and other rivers.[5]

Duluth on Lake Superior is one of the most important fresh-water ports in the United States.

The county encompasses part of the Iron Range. It has had a significant taconite mining industry, with active mines located in Hibbing, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, Virginia, and Babbitt, in addition to Keewatin in Itasca County.

Major highways

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See also: County roads in St. Louis County, Minnesota

Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

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Climate and weather

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The county has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), slightly moderated by its proximity to Lake Superior. Winters are long, snowy, and very cold, normally seeing maximum temperatures remaining below 32 °F (0 °C) on 106 days. Due to global warming, in January 2019 Tracy Twine, professor at the University of Minnesota's Department of Soil, Water and Climate, said "we just don't expect temperatures to be below 10 degrees Fahrenheit in Duluth anymore."[7] Public schools and other government offices shut down on January 29–30, 2019 because of wind chills of −70 °F or −56.7 °C.[8] This apparent anomaly was attributed to changes in the global jet stream due to the climate change.[9]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860406—
18704,5611,023.4%
18804,504−1.2%
189044,862896.0%
190082,93284.9%
1910163,27496.9%
1920206,39126.4%
1930204,596−0.9%
1940206,9171.1%
1950206,062−0.4%
1960231,58812.4%
1970220,693−4.7%
1980222,2290.7%
1990198,213−10.8%
2000200,5281.2%
2010200,226−0.2%
2020200,2310.0%
2023 (est.)200,514[10]0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13]
1990–2000[14] 2010–2020[3]

2020 census

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St. Louis County, Minnesota - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[15] Pop 2020[16] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 184,769 176,112 92.3% 88.0%
Black or African American alone (NH) 2,588 4,075 1.3% 2.0%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 4,277 4,305 2.1% 2.1%
Asian alone (NH) 1,760 1,901 0.9% 1.0%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 60 58 nil% nil%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 95 579 0.1% 0.3%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 4,168 9,598 2.1% 4.8%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,409 3,603 1.2% 1.8%
Total 200,226 200,231 100% 100%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010 census

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As of the census of 2010, there were 200,226 people in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 94.0% White, 2.2% Native American, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% of some other race and 2.3% of two or more races. 1.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). According to the 2010–2015 American Community Survey, the ancestral makeup was 24.3% German, 15.9% Norwegian, 13.0% Swedish, and 10.2% Irish.[17]

2000 census

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2022 US Census population pyramid for St. Louis County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the census of 2000, there were 200,528 people, 82,619 households, and 51,389 families in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (12 people/km2). There were 95,800 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (5.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.9% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 2.0% Native American, 0.7% Asian, nil% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 0.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

27.6% of households included children under the age of 18, 49.3% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.2% of all households consisted of individuals, and 13.0% of individuals 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.90.

The population contained 22.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,306, and the median income for a family was $47,134. Males had a median income of $37,934 versus $24,235 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,982. About 7.2% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

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St. Louis County Government Services Center in Virginia

St. Louis County is governed by an elected and nonpartisan board of commissioners. In Minnesota, county commissions usually have five members, but St. Louis, Hennepin, and Ramsey counties have seven-member boards. Each commissioner represents a single-member district of equal population.

The county commission elects a chair who presides at meetings.

Commissioners as of January 2023:

District Commissioner In office since Current term expires
1st Annie Harala 2023 January 4, 2027
2nd Patrick Boyle (chair) 2014 January 6, 2025
3rd Ashley Grimm 2021 January 6, 2025
4th Paul McDonald 2019 January 4, 2027
5th Keith Musolf 2019 January 6, 2025
6th Keith Nelson (vice-chair) 2003 January 4, 2027
7th Mike Jugovich 2017 January 6, 2025

Politics

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Election results from statewide races[18]
Year Office GOP DFL Others
2024 President 42.1% 55.7% 2.2%
Senator 35.2% 61.6% 3.2%
2022 Governor 38.1% 57.7% 4.2%
2020 President 41.0% 56.6% 2.4%
Senator 38.4% 53.8% 7.8%
2018 Governor 35.4% 60.8% 2.9%
Senator 30.5% 66.2% 2.5%
Senator (Special) 34.7% 60.6% 3.7%
2016 President 39.7% 51.4% 8.9%
2014 Governor 32.5% 62.1% 2.4%
Senator 32.0% 64.2% 2.3%
2012 President 33.9% 63.5% 2.7%
Senator 23.0% 73.8% 2.0%
2010 Governor 28.6% 61.8% 8.3%
2008 President 32.6% 65.1% 2.3%
Senator 32.4% 54.6% 13.0%
2006 Governor 29.3% 64.6% 6.1%
Senator 25.9% 70.9% 3.2%
2004 President 33.6% 65.2% 1.2%
2002 Governor 26.5% 59.9% 13.6%
Senator 31.6% 65.4% 3.0%
2000 President 33.0% 59.8% 7.2%
Senator 31.7% 63.3% 5.0%
1998 Governor 28.1% 47.3% 24.6%
1996 President 25.5% 60.6% 13.9%
Senator 28.5% 64.7% 6.8%
1994 Governor 44.6% 53.0% 2.4%
Senator 35.9% 56.9% 7.2%
1992 President 22.6% 56.8% 20.6%

In 2007, St. Louis County considered doing a study about dividing into two counties, but the proposal was not acted on.[19]

This county is one of the most reliably Democratic counties in the state, as no Republican or Independent candidate has won the county in a statewide election since 1992. The only time a Democrat obtained less than 50% of the vote was in 1998, when Jesse Ventura of the Reform ticket won statewide; some 24% of the county voted for him. Since 1992, the only time when a Republican obtained more than 34% of the vote was in the elections of 1994 (the year of the Republican Revolution) when the incumbent Independent-Republican governor won the statewide vote by a landslide of more than 60%, and when the Independent-Republican senatorial candidate won election with 49% statewide, both of which are rare occurrences in Minnesota.

Presidential elections

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St. Louis County has long been one of the strongest Democratic bastions in the state outside of the Twin Cities. The Democrats have carried the county for 24 consecutive presidential elections; the last Republican candidate to carry the county was Herbert Hoover in 1928, before the Great Depression.[20] In recent elections, Republicans have received about 1/3rd of the county's vote. In 2016, Donald Trump earned 39.7% of the county's vote, while the Democratic vote deteriorated to 51.4% (the lowest percentage since 1932); according to exit polls, this was due to residents' concerns about the decline of mining and forestry in the county.[21] This was the closest that a Republican had come to winning the county since 1932. In 2020, Trump became the first Republican since Herbert Hoover to get more than 40% of the vote in St. Louis County, but Joe Biden bolstered the Democratic margin of victory from 11.7% to 15.6%.

United States presidential election results for St. Louis County, Minnesota[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 50,065 42.07% 66,335 55.74% 2,609 2.19%
2020 49,017 41.01% 67,704 56.64% 2,810 2.35%
2016 44,630 39.70% 57,771 51.39% 10,021 8.91%
2012 39,131 33.85% 73,378 63.48% 3,085 2.67%
2008 38,742 32.61% 77,351 65.10% 2,721 2.29%
2004 40,112 33.55% 77,958 65.20% 1,495 1.25%
2000 35,420 32.96% 64,237 59.78% 7,807 7.26%
1996 25,553 25.50% 60,736 60.62% 13,907 13.88%
1992 24,579 22.59% 61,813 56.81% 22,423 20.61%
1988 31,799 30.80% 70,344 68.14% 1,094 1.06%
1984 34,162 30.27% 77,683 68.83% 1,013 0.90%
1980 33,407 29.13% 69,403 60.52% 11,864 10.35%
1976 35,331 30.97% 75,040 65.78% 3,704 3.25%
1972 41,435 39.77% 61,103 58.65% 1,642 1.58%
1968 25,981 25.52% 72,267 70.99% 3,549 3.49%
1964 25,246 24.00% 79,529 75.61% 408 0.39%
1960 39,620 36.18% 69,270 63.25% 632 0.58%
1956 39,902 38.84% 62,190 60.54% 631 0.61%
1952 38,900 37.66% 63,032 61.03% 1,354 1.31%
1948 28,490 29.28% 62,553 64.29% 6,249 6.42%
1944 27,493 29.90% 63,369 68.92% 1,080 1.17%
1940 32,243 31.42% 68,620 66.87% 1,760 1.72%
1936 22,332 23.88% 69,365 74.18% 1,813 1.94%
1932 34,883 41.66% 40,181 47.99% 8,665 10.35%
1928 44,331 61.13% 25,401 35.03% 2,785 3.84%
1924 37,033 57.31% 2,577 3.99% 25,013 38.71%
1920 27,987 56.98% 14,767 30.07% 6,361 12.95%
1916 10,834 41.47% 12,056 46.15% 3,234 12.38%
1912 3,881 18.59% 5,124 24.54% 11,873 56.87%
1908 12,076 66.08% 4,464 24.43% 1,734 9.49%
1904 10,375 77.74% 1,972 14.78% 998 7.48%
1900 8,851 63.72% 4,667 33.60% 372 2.68%
1896 9,810 56.36% 7,412 42.58% 184 1.06%
1892 5,157 49.67% 3,586 34.54% 1,640 15.80%

Congress

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St. Louis County is in Minnesota's 8th congressional district. For 36 years it was represented by Democrat Jim Oberstar. He was defeated in 2010 by Republican Chip Cravaack. Two years later Cravaack was defeated by Democrat Rick Nolan, who represented the district until his retirement in 2019. Republican St. Louis County commissioner Pete Stauber succeeded Nolan in one of three Democrat-to-Republican district flips in 2018, two of which happened in Minnesota.

Communities

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Cities

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Townships

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Unorganized territories

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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See also

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References

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  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. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Saint Louis. I. A N. E. county of Minnesota" . The American Cyclopædia.
  6. ^ "7 km NE of Hibbing, Minnesota, United States 7/1/1983". Microsoft Research Terraserver. USGS. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2011. See USGS map sheet "Hibbing Quadrangle", Minnesota-St. Louis county, 7.5 minute series, the "three-way watershed" marker is located at a spot on the hill about 375 meters south of the truck shop on the property of Hibbing Taconite mining company.
  7. ^ Jennifer Bjorhus (January 16, 2019). "U scientists: Minnesota is one of the nation's fastest-warming states". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 30, 2019. said Tracy Twine, an associate professor in the University of Minnesota's Department of Soil, Water and Climate. "We just don't expect temperatures to be below 10 degrees Fahrenheit in Duluth anymore," Twine said.
  8. ^ "Weather-related closings and cancellations for this week". Duluth News Tribune. January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019. Duluth Public Schools – closed Tuesday and Wednesday
  9. ^ "Here's how Global Warming leads to colder winters in the Northeast". ThinkProgress. January 24, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  10. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  15. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Louis County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Louis County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
  17. ^ "2015 American Community Survey". Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  18. ^ [1]. Uselectionatlas.org
  19. ^ St. Louis County considers a split|Minnesota Public Radio News. Minnesota.publicradio.org (July 30, 2007; accessed July 12, 2013.)
  20. ^ "Presidential election of 1928 – Map by counties". geoelections.free.fr.
  21. ^ "Hibbing voters tapped GOP Trump change", Minnesota Public Radio News, November 9, 2016
  22. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  23. ^ Carson Lake. Hibbing Historical Society and Museum. Accessed April 11, 2021.
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47°35′N 92°28′W / 47.58°N 92.46°W / 47.58; -92.46

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