St. Louis County, Minnesota
St. Louis County | |
|---|---|
 St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 47°35′N 92°28′W / 47.58°N 92.46°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | February 20, 1855[1] |
| Named for | St. Louis River[2] |
| Seat | Duluth |
| Largest city | Duluth |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6,860 sq mi (17,800 km2) |
| • Land | 6,247 sq mi (16,180 km2) |
| • Water | 612 sq mi (1,590 km2) 8.9% |
| Population | |
| • Total | 200,231 |
| • Density | 29/sq mi (11/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Website | www |
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]
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 | change source]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 | change source]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 | change source]- ↑ "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "QuickFacts: St. Louis County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ↑ "St. Louis County, MN". Livability. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ↑ "St. Louis County, Minnesota Free Public Records Directory". Inflection.com, Inc. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 7.0 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.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "How do extractive industries impact communities like mine?". United States Extractive Industries. Retrieved 5 June 2016.[permanent dead link]
