Itasca County, Minnesota Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Itasca County
U.S. county
Itasca County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	October 27, 1849
Named for	Lake Itasca
Seat	Grand Rapids
Largest city	Grand Rapids
Area
• Total	2,928 sq mi (7,580 km²)
• Land	2,668 sq mi (6,910 km²)
• Water	260 sq mi (700 km²) 8.9%%
Population (2020)
• Total	45,014
• Estimate (2023)	45,365
• Density	16.9/sq mi (6.5/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	8th

Itasca County is a county in the Iron Range area of Minnesota. In 2020, about 45,014 people lived there. The main city and county seat is Grand Rapids.

The county gets its name from Lake Itasca. This lake's name comes from Latin words meaning 'truth' and 'head'. This refers to the lake being the true source of the Mississippi River. Parts of the Bois Forte and Leech Lake Indian reservations are also found in Itasca County.

History of Itasca County
Geography and Nature
People of Itasca County
- Population in 2020
Cities and Towns
Images for kids
See also

History of Itasca County

Itasca County was first created in 1849. This happened when the Minnesota Territory was formed. The county was much larger back then. It covered many areas that are now separate counties in northeastern Minnesota.

The original Itasca County included parts of what are now Cook, Lake, Saint Louis, and Koochiching counties. It also stretched into eastern Lake of the Woods, eastern Beltrami, northern Aitkin, and northern Carlton counties.

The county was named after Lake Itasca. This lake was found to be the real starting point of the Mississippi River. For a long time, people argued about where the Mississippi River truly began. In 1832, Henry Schoolcraft went on a trip to find its source. When he found the lake, he named it 'Lake Itasca.' The Mississippi River starts small at Lake Itasca. You can even walk across it there. It then flows through Itasca County and continues all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Geography and Nature

Itasca County has a landscape with hills and many trees. It is also full of lakes and ponds. The land generally slopes towards the east. The highest points are on the western border. These areas are about 1,437 feet (438 meters) above sea level.

The county covers about 2,928 square miles (7,583 square kilometers). Most of this is land, about 2,668 square miles (6,910 square kilometers). The rest, about 260 square miles (673 square kilometers), is water. This means about 8.9% of the county is water. Itasca County is the third-largest county in Minnesota by land area.

The land in Itasca County is very diverse. You can find low plains, rolling hills, and wetlands. These features were shaped by glaciers long ago. The area is famous for its many forests. These forests have been here for hundreds of years. They are made up of different trees like pines, spruces, hardwoods, cedar, and tamarack. Because of these large forests, forestry and logging are very important jobs in the county.

Lakes and Rivers

Itasca County has many different bodies of water. These range from large lakes to small creeks and major rivers. There are over 1,400 lakes in the county. These waters help support many kinds of wildlife. You can find different birds and small mammals here.

Some of the major bodies of water in the county include:

Lake Winnibigoshish
Pokegama Lake
Deer Lake
The Mississippi River
Bowstring Lake
The Blandin Paper Mill Reservoir

Main Roads

U.S. Highway 2
U.S. Highway 71
U.S. Highway 169
Minnesota State Highway 1
Minnesota State Highway 6
Minnesota State Highway 38
Minnesota State Highway 46
Minnesota State Highway 65
Minnesota State Highway 286

Neighboring Counties

Koochiching County - to the north
Saint Louis County - to the east
Aitkin County - to the south
Cass County - to the southwest
Beltrami County - to the west

Protected Natural Areas

Itasca County is home to several protected natural areas. These places help keep the environment healthy and safe.

Big Fork State Forest
Botany Bog Scientific and Natural Area
Chippewa National Forest (part of it)
George Washington State Forest (part of it)
Golden Anniversary State Forest
Marcell Experimental Forest
Scenic State Park

People of Itasca County

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	97	—
1860	51	−47.4%
1870	96	88.2%
1880	124	29.2%
1890	743	499.2%
1900	4,573	515.5%
1910	17,208	276.3%
1920	23,876	38.7%
1930	27,224	14.0%
1940	32,996	21.2%
1950	33,321	1.0%
1960	38,006	14.1%
1970	35,530	−6.5%
1980	43,069	21.2%
1990	40,863	−5.1%
2000	43,992	7.7%
2010	45,058	2.4%
2020	45,014	−0.1%
2023 (est.)	45,365	0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

Population in 2020

The 2020 Census showed the different groups of people living in Itasca County.

Itasca County Racial Composition
Race	Number	Percent
White (not Hispanic)	40,166	89.23%
Black or African American (not Hispanic)	174	0.4%
Native American (not Hispanic)	1,497	3.33%
Asian (not Hispanic)	145	0.32%
Pacific Islander (not Hispanic)	2	0.004%
Other/Mixed (not Hispanic)	2,412	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino	618	1.4%