Pennington County, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pennington County
U.S. county
Old Carnegie Library, downtown Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	November 23, 1910
Named for	Edmund Pennington
Seat	Thief River Falls
Largest city	Thief River Falls
Area
• Total	618 sq mi (1,600 km2)
• Land	617 sq mi (1,600 km2)
• Water	1.7 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,992
• Estimate  (2023)	13,714
• Density	22.7/sq mi (8.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th

Pennington County is a place in northwestern Minnesota. It's like a district or region within the state. In 2020, about 13,992 people lived there. The main town and government center is called Thief River Falls.

History of Pennington County

Let's learn about how Pennington County was formed. Long ago, the federal government created the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. Part of this territory later became the state of Wisconsin.

The remaining land became the Minnesota Territory in 1849. The leaders of this new territory created nine counties. One of these was called Pembina.

Over time, parts of Pembina County were used to create new counties. In 1858, Polk County was formed from Pembina. Then, in 1896, Red Lake County was created from Polk County.

Finally, on November 23, 1910, Pennington County was formed. It was made from the northern part of Red Lake County. This made it one of the last counties created in Minnesota.

The county was named after Edmund Pennington. He was a railroad executive in Minnesota. He was the president of the Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie Railway when the county was established. The town of Thief River Falls, which was settled in 1887, became the county seat. This means it's where the county government is located.

Exploring Pennington County's Geography

Pennington County is a fascinating place with interesting land features. The Red Lake River flows into the county from the east. It travels through the middle of the county.

Near Thief River Falls, another river joins it. This is the Thief River, which flows from the north. These two rivers combine and then flow out of Pennington County. They eventually join the Red River further west.

The land in the county has gentle, rolling hills. There are some light woods, and many areas are used for farming. The land slopes downwards towards the west and south. The highest point is about 1,186 feet (361 meters) above sea level.

Pennington County covers about 618 square miles. Most of this is land (617 square miles), with a small amount of water (1.7 square miles). It's one of 17 counties in Minnesota that has more savanna soils than other types. Savanna soils are good for grasslands and scattered trees.

Major Roads in Pennington County

These are the main roads that help people travel through Pennington County:

Airports in the County

• Thief River Falls Regional Airport

Neighboring Counties

Pennington County shares borders with these other counties:

Protected Natural Areas

• Higinbotham State Wildlife Management Area
• Pembina State Wildlife Management Area

Population and People of Pennington County

Here's a look at how the population of Pennington County has changed over the years. This information comes from official U.S. Census counts.

2020 Census Information

The 2020 Census counted 13,992 people living in Pennington County. Here's a breakdown of the different groups of people living there:

Communities in Pennington County

Pennington County has several different types of communities where people live.

Cities in the County

• Goodridge
• St. Hilaire
• Thief River Falls (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are.)

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that don't have their own city government.

Townships in Pennington County

Townships are smaller local government areas, often covering rural land.

Images for kids

• 

  Soils of Oriniak WMA neighborhood

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Pennington (Minnesota) para niños