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Pope County, Minnesota facts for kids

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Pope County
U.S. county
The 1930 Beaux-Arts, Pope County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The 1930 Beaux-Arts, Pope County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Map of Minnesota highlighting Pope County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Minnesota
Founded February 20, 1862 (created)
1866 (organized)
Named for John Pope
Seat Glenwood
Largest city Glenwood
Area
 • Total 717 sq mi (1,860 km2)
 • Land 670 sq mi (1,700 km2)
 • Water 47 sq mi (120 km2)  6.6%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 11,308
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 11,400 Increase
 • Density 16.9/sq mi (6.5/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th

Pope County is a county in the state of Minnesota, United States. In 2020, about 11,308 people lived here. Its county seat is Glenwood. The county was officially created in 1862 and started operating in 1866.

History of Pope County

Pope County was named after John Pope. He was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Before the war, he worked as a surveyor in this area. The state government officially recognized the county in 1862. It began its operations in 1866.

In the 1970s, some people in Pope County had concerns about a powerline project. They held protests to share their opinions.

Geography of Pope County

Pope County has many natural features. The Chippewa River flows south through the western part of the county. The Little Chippewa River also flows south through the middle. It joins the Chippewa River near Cyrus. The East Branch Chippewa River flows through the eastern part. It eventually joins the Chippewa River in a nearby county.

The land in Pope County has gentle, rolling hills. There are many rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. Most of the land is used for farming. The highest point in the county is about 1,388 feet (423 meters) above sea level. This is near the northeast corner. The county covers about 717 square miles (1,857 square kilometers). About 670 square miles (1,735 square kilometers) is land, and 47 square miles (122 square kilometers) is water.

Main Roads in Pope County

  • MN-9.svg Minnesota State Highway 9
  • MN-28.svg Minnesota State Highway 28
  • MN-29.svg Minnesota State Highway 29
  • MN-55.svg Minnesota State Highway 55
  • MN-104.svg Minnesota State Highway 104
  • MN-114.svg Minnesota State Highway 114

Airports in Pope County

  • Glenwood Municipal Airport (D32)
  • Starbuck Municipal Airport (GHW)

Neighboring Counties

Pope County shares borders with several other counties:

Protected Natural Areas

Pope County has several protected areas. These places help keep nature safe.

  • Bruce Hitman Heron Rookery Scientific and Natural Area
  • Farwell State Wildlife Management Area
  • Glacial Lakes State Park
  • Langhei Scientific and Natural Area
  • Little Jo State Wildlife Management Area
  • Lowry State Wildlife Management Area
  • New Prairie State Wildlife Management Area
  • Noordmans State Wildlife Management Area
  • Skarpness State Wildlife Management Area
  • Van Luik State Wildlife Management Area
  • Wade State Wildlife Management Area

Major Lakes in Pope County

Many lakes are found in Pope County. Some of the biggest ones include:

Population of Pope County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870 2,691 —
1880 5,874 118.3%
1890 10,032 70.8%
1900 12,577 25.4%
1910 12,746 1.3%
1920 13,631 6.9%
1930 13,085 −4.0%
1940 13,544 3.5%
1950 12,862 −5.0%
1960 11,914 −7.4%
1970 11,107 −6.8%
1980 11,657 5.0%
1990 10,745 −7.8%
2000 11,236 4.6%
2010 10,995 −2.1%
2020 11,308 2.8%
2023 (est.) 11,400 3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

The population of Pope County has changed over the years. The table above shows how many people lived there during different census years.

2020 Census Information

The 2020 census counted 11,308 people in Pope County. Here is a breakdown of the different groups of people living there:

Pope County Racial Composition
Race Number Percentage
White (Not Hispanic) 10,751 95.1%
Black or African American (Not Hispanic) 34 0.3%
Native American (Not Hispanic) 27 0.24%
Asian (Not Hispanic) 50 0.44%
Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic) 0 0%
Other/Mixed (Not Hispanic) 255 2.3%
Hispanic or Latino 191 1.7%

Communities in Pope County

Pope County has several cities and smaller communities.

Cities in Pope County

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially cities.

Ghost Town

Townships in Pope County

Townships are smaller local government areas.

  • Bangor Township
  • Barsness Township
  • Ben Wade Township
  • Blue Mounds Township
  • Chippewa Falls Township
  • Gilchrist Township
  • Glenwood Township
  • Grove Lake Township
  • Hoff Township
  • Lake Johanna Township
  • Langhei Township
  • Leven Township
  • Minnewaska Township
  • New Prairie Township
  • Nora Township
  • Reno Township
  • Rolling Forks Township
  • Walden Township
  • Westport Township
  • White Bear Lake Township

Images for kids

  • Glacial Lakes S P - Blue Mounds WPA 2017 Wiki Version

    Soils of Glacial Lakes State Park area

  • Farm in Chippewa Falls Township

    A farm in Chippewa Falls Township

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Pope (Minnesota) para niños

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