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Traverse County, Minnesota facts for kids

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Traverse County
Old District No. 44 School
Old District No. 44 School
Map of Minnesota highlighting Traverse 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)
1881 (organized)
Named for Lake Traverse
Seat Wheaton
Largest city Wheaton
Area
 • Total 586 sq mi (1,520 km2)
 • Land 574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Water 12 sq mi (30 km2)  2.0%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,360
 • Estimate 
(2023)
3,136 Decrease
 • Density 5.9/sq mi (2.3/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th

Traverse County (locally /ˈtrævərs/ TRAV-ərss) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,360, making it the least-populous county in Minnesota. Its county seat is Wheaton. The county was founded in 1862 and organized in 1881.

Geography

Traverse County lies on the western edge of Minnesota. Its western border abuts the eastern borders of the states of North and South Dakota. The Red River flows northward along the county's western line. The Mustinka River flows southwestward through the county's upper portion, discharging into Lake Traverse. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, fully devoted to agriculture except in developed areas. The terrain slopes to the west and north, with its highest point at the southeastern corner, at 1,119 ft (341 m) ASL. The county has a total area of 586 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 574 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.0%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 75.svg U.S. Route 75
  • MN-9.svg Minnesota State Highway 9
  • MN-27.svg Minnesota State Highway 27
  • MN-28.svg Minnesota State Highway 28
  • MN-117.svg Minnesota State Highway 117

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

  • Reservation Dam State Wildlife Management Area
  • White Rock Dam State Wildlife Management Area

Lakes

  • Lake Traverse (part)
  • Mud Lake - (part)
  • Saint Marys Lake
  • Wet Lake

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 13
1880 1,507 11,492.3%
1890 4,516 199.7%
1900 7,573 67.7%
1910 8,049 6.3%
1920 7,943 −1.3%
1930 7,938 −0.1%
1940 8,283 4.3%
1950 8,053 −2.8%
1960 7,503 −6.8%
1970 6,254 −16.6%
1980 5,542 −11.4%
1990 4,463 −19.5%
2000 4,134 −7.4%
2010 3,558 −13.9%
2020 3,360 −5.6%
2023 (est.) 3,136 −11.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 Census

Traverse County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 2,851 84.85%
Black or African American (NH) 21 0.63%
Native American (NH) 183 5.45%
Asian (NH) 0 0%
Pacific Islander (NH) 0 0%
Other/Mixed (NH) 108 3.21%
Hispanic or Latino 197 5.86%

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Arthur Township
  • Clifton Township
  • Croke Township
  • Dollymount Township
  • Folsom Township
  • Lake Valley Township
  • Leonardsville Township
  • Monson Township
  • Parnell Township
  • Redpath Township
  • Tara Township
  • Taylor Township
  • Tintah Township
  • Walls Township
  • Windsor Township

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Traverse para niños

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