Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake of the Woods County
U.S. county
US–Canada border monument no. 919
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	November 28, 1922 (created by vote) January 1, 1923 (organized)
Named for	Lake of the Woods (lake)
Seat	Baudette
Largest city	Baudette
Area
• Total	1,775 sq mi (4,600 km2)
• Land	1,298 sq mi (3,360 km2)
• Water	477 sq mi (1,240 km2)  27%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,763
• Estimate  (2023)	3,778
• Density	2.9/sq mi (1.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	8th
Website	co.lake-of-the-woods.mn.us

Lake of the Woods County is the county farthest north in the state of Minnesota. In 2020, about 3,763 people lived there. This makes it the second smallest county in Minnesota by population. The main town and government center is Baudette.

This county is special because it includes the Northwest Angle. This is the northernmost point of the United States, not counting Alaska. A big part of the county is covered by Lake of the Woods, which is also shared with Canada. The county also has a small piece of land called Elm Point that is cut off from the rest of the U.S. by the lake. Since Alaska does not have counties, Lake of the Woods is the northernmost county in the entire United States. It is also the only U.S. county with four words in its name!

History of Lake of the Woods County

Lake of the Woods County got its name from the large lake that covers much of its area. The first European to see the lake was Jacques de Noyon in 1688. He was a French explorer from Quebec, Canada. He called it Lac aux Îles, which means "Lake of the Islands."

The first settlers arrived much later. In 1885, Wilhelm Zippel, a German immigrant and fisherman, settled on the south shore of the lake. This area is now known as Zippel Bay. Soon after, Alonzo Wheeler settled nearby at a place now called Wheeler's Point.

A huge wildfire happened in October 1910. It was called the Baudette fire of 1910. The fire burned about 300,000 acres (1,200 km²) of land. It also destroyed several towns like Spooner, Baudette, Graceton, Pitt, Williams, and Cedar Spur.

Lake of the Woods County officially started its government on January 1, 1923. Baudette became its county seat. It is the newest county in Minnesota. Voters in the northern parts of Beltrami County decided to form their own county on November 28, 1922.

Geography of Lake of the Woods County

Lake of the Woods County is located on Minnesota's border with Canada. The Rainy River flows along the border and empties into Lake of the Woods. The northwest border of the county touches Manitoba, Canada.

A unique part of the county is the Northwest Angle. This area is separated from the rest of the county by the lake. This means you have to drive through Manitoba, Canada, to reach it by land from the rest of the United States. You can also get there by boat or over the ice in winter. The Rapid River flows through the southeastern part of the county into the Rainy River.

The land in Lake of the Woods County has low, rolling hills. Some areas are wooded, and some are used for farming. The land gently slopes towards the east and north. The highest point in the county is about 1,316 feet (401 meters) above sea level. The county covers about 1,775 square miles (4,597 km²). About 1,298 square miles (3,362 km²) is land, and 477 square miles (1,235 km²) is water, which is about 27% water.

Main Roads

• Minnesota State Highway 11
• Minnesota State Highway 72
• Minnesota State Highway 172

Neighboring Areas

Protected Natural Areas

The county has several protected natural areas:

Lakes in the County

• Browns Lake
• Lake of the Woods
• Lost Lake
• Winter Road Lake

People of Lake of the Woods County

In 2020, the county had 3,763 people living in 1,522 homes. Most people in the county, about 93.3%, were White. About 0.3% were Black or African American, and 0.5% were Native American. About 0.4% were Asian, and 4.3% were from two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.5% of the population.

The most common family backgrounds in the county are German (26.3%), Norwegian (18.2%), and Swedish (10.2%). Almost everyone (99.0%) was born in the United States. Also, 98.8% of people spoke only English at home.

Towns and Communities

Cities

• Baudette (This is the main town and county seat)
• Roosevelt (Part of this city is also in Roseau County)
• Williams

Special Places (Census-designated place)

• Angle Inlet

Small Communities (Unincorporated)

These are smaller places that are not officially cities or towns.

Townships

Lake of the Woods County has many townships. However, since 2001, these townships do not have their own local governments. They are all part of what is called "unorganized territory." This means the county government manages these areas directly.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Lake of the Woods para niños