Roseau County, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roseau County
U.S. county
Postcard. Roseau County Courthouse.
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	December 31, 1894
Named for	Roseau River
Seat	Roseau
Largest city	Roseau
Area
• Total	1,678 sq mi (4,350 km2)
• Land	1,672 sq mi (4,330 km2)
• Water	6.5 sq mi (17 km2)  0.4%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	15,331
• Estimate  (2023)	15,252
• Density	9.2/sq mi (3.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th

Roseau County (/roʊˈzoʊ/) (pronounced row - so) is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota, along the Canada–US border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,331. Its county seat is Roseau. Roseau County borders the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Part of the Red Lake Indian Reservation is in Roseau County.

History

Roseau County was once the home of many Ojibwe, Sioux, and Mandan tribes. Archeologists have found artifacts within the county belonging to these tribes that date back 7,200 years. More recent history includes fur trappers and European-based explorers. By 1822, a fur-trading post was established in the area. In 1885, the future Roseau City hosted four settlers; by 1895 there were 600, and the area was incorporated as Roseau City.

By the mid-1880s the early settlers of eastern Kittson County were feeling the disadvantage of their location, far from the county seat, and petitioned the government for a separate county. On December 31, 1894, Governor Knute Nelson proclaimed the eastern portion of Kittson a new county, to be named Roseau. On February 11, 1896, the next governor, David Marston Clough, added part of Beltrami County to Roseau County. Roseau City was named the county seat.

Geography

Roseau County is in far northern Minnesota. Its northern boundary abuts Canada. The Roseau River drains the upper part of the county, flowing west into Kittson County on its way to the Hudson Bay. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, devoted to agriculture, and dotted with lakes and drainages. There is considerable wooded area, especially in the southeast portion. The county has an area of 1,678 square miles (4,350 km²), of which 1,672 square miles (4,330 km²) is land and 6.5 square miles (17 km²) (0.4%) is water. Roseau is one of 17 Minnesota savanna counties with more savanna soils than prairie or forest soils.

Transportation

Airports

• Warroad International Memorial Airport (KRRT) - two miles northeast of Warroad
• Piney Pinecreek Border Airport - extends into Canada; serves as a limited airport of entry between the two nations.

Major highways

Adjacent counties and rural municipalities

Protected areas

Demographics

2020 Census

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

• Haug
• Winner

Townships

Unorganized territories

• North Roseau
• Northwest Roseau
• Southeast Roseau

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Roseau para niños