Northome, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northome
City
Nickname(s):  Big Bear Country
Location of the city of Northome within Koochiching County, Minnesota
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Koochiching
Area
• Total	1.76 sq mi (4.56 km2)
• Land	1.46 sq mi (3.77 km2)
• Water	0.30 sq mi (0.79 km2)
Elevation	1,440 ft (439 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	155
• Density	106.38/sq mi (41.06/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	56661
Area code(s)	218
FIPS code	27-47122
GNIS feature ID	0657633

Carved wooden black bear statue at Northome

Northome is a small city in the state of Minnesota, United States. It is located in the southwestern part of Koochiching County. In 2020, 155 people lived there. The main city of the county, International Falls, is about 113 kilometers (70 miles) away.

You can reach Northome using major roads like U.S. Highway 71 and State Highways 1 and 46. These highways all meet in the city.

Northome Fair

Every year, the Northome Fairgrounds hosts the Koochiching County Fair. This fun event takes place on the second weekend of August. In August 2006, the fair celebrated its 100th birthday!

Some exciting things you can see and do at the fair include:

• Mudding: This is where vehicles drive through muddy tracks.
• Fireworks: A dazzling display of lights in the night sky.
• Scenic Sinkhole Scramble: A race that has been held since 1982. It includes a 5-kilometer race and a shorter "fun run" of about 3 kilometers (2 miles). There's even a special category for strollers!
• Animal and Crafts Judging: People show off their animals and handmade crafts to be judged.
• Bear Fest Parade: A parade held in the city as part of the fair.

The fairgrounds also has the "Harold Lowe Memorial Arena." This is a special area for horses. It can host events like barrel racing, where horses and riders race around barrels, and other horse activities.

History of Northome

Northome was started in 1903. In its early years, it was a busy town known for logging. This means people cut down a lot of trees for wood. Some people think the name "Northome" comes from the Norwegian word "Norheim," which means "north home."

By the 1930s, most of the big pine trees were gone. This was because too many trees were cut down without new ones being planted. So, farming became more important for the people living there. Many farmers moved to Northome from places like the Dakotas, where the land was very dry during the Dust Bowl time.

The Burlington Northern Railroad used to have a train station in Northome. This station was used until the 1980s, but passenger trains stopped running in 1960. Today, the old railroad path is a part of the "Blue Ox" trail. This trail is now used for snowmobiling in the winter.

Geography and Nature

Northome is a city with a total area of about 4.9 square kilometers (1.9 square miles). Most of this area, about 3.9 square kilometers (1.5 square miles), is land. The rest, about 1 square kilometer (0.39 square miles), is water.

The city is located at coordinates 47.871986 degrees North and -94.280248 degrees West.

Northome is also the name for a larger surrounding area called the "Unorganized Territory of Northome." This area covers about 777 square kilometers (300 square miles) in the southwest part of Koochiching County. About 500 people lived in this larger area in 2000.

Local Economy

People in Northome find jobs in several ways. The Northome School is an important employer. Many people work at independent resorts, which are places where tourists stay. Logging (cutting down trees) and farming are also big parts of the economy. There are also several stores in town, like the Shining Light Cafe.

For many years, the local newspaper was the Northome Record, from 1905 to 2007. After it stopped, a local family started a new newspaper called the Northome Area News.

The closest traffic light is about 64 kilometers (40 miles) away in Bemidji. Bemidji is a bigger town where people go for shopping.

Wildlife and Plants

Northome is on the edge of Bartlett Lake. South of Bartlett Lake is Island Lake, which is a popular spot for fishing and swimming. These lakes are home to many types of fish, including Northern Pike, crappie, perch, bullhead, and walleye.

This area is special because timber wolves still live here. Unlike many other parts of the United States, wolves were never completely removed from this region. You might hear them at night, but it's rare to see them. You can often spot Bald eagles flying overhead and black bears roaming around. Sometimes, people even report seeing cougars.

Northome is in the southern part of the Taiga, which is also known as the boreal forest. This forest has many different trees, such as quaking aspen (often called popple), balsam fir, and northern white cedar. You can also still find some white pine and Norway pine trees here.

Climate

Population Changes

The table above shows how Northome's population has changed over the years.

Northome in 2010

In 2010, the city of Northome had 200 people living in 89 households. About 53 of these households were families. The city had about 132 people per square mile. There were 104 housing units, which are places where people can live.

Most of the people living in Northome were White (97%). A small number were Native American (1%), and 2% were from two or more races.

About 23.6% of households had children under 18. Nearly 45% were married couples living together. About 11% were single mothers, and 3.4% were single fathers. About 40% of households were not families. Many people (34.8%) lived alone, and 18% of those living alone were 65 years or older.

The average household had 2.20 people, and the average family had 2.83 people. The average age in the city was 49.7 years old.

• 22% of residents were under 18.
• 6.5% were between 18 and 24.
• 16% were between 25 and 44.
• 32% were between 45 and 64.
• 23.5% were 65 or older.

The city had slightly more females (52.5%) than males (47.5%).

Fun Outdoor Activities

The main outdoor jobs in the Northome area are logging (cutting timber), farming, and working at resorts for tourists.

When fall arrives, many deer hunters come to the area. In winter, snowmobiling is a very popular activity. There is a large network of snowmobile trails that connect Northome to nearby towns. Some trails even go across the Big Bog State Recreation Area.

Fishing is popular almost all year round. In the winter, the weather gets very cold, sometimes as low as -40 degrees (F or C). This cold makes the lakes freeze solid. The ice becomes so thick that small snowplows can clear roads on the lakes. This allows people to drive out onto the ice for ice-fishing!

Television Channels

Northome receives television signals from these channels:

See also

In Spanish: Northome (Minnesota) para niños