Red Lake County, Minnesota | |
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The Red Lake County Courthouse in Red Lake Falls in 2007
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Location in the U.S. state of Minnesota |
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Minnesota's location in the U.S. |
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Founded | December 24, 1896 |
Named for | Red Lake and Red Lake River |
Seat | Red Lake Falls |
Largest city | Red Lake Falls |
Area | |
• Total | 432 sq mi (1,119 km2) |
• Land | 432 sq mi (1,119 km2) |
• Water | 0.09 sq mi (0 km2), 0.02% |
Population (est.) | |
• (2015) | 4,055 |
• Density | 9.5/sq mi (4/km²) |
Congressional district | 7th |
Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Website | www |
Red Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,089, making it the third-least populous county in Minnesota. Its county seat is Red Lake Falls.
On August 17, 2015, the Washington Post, citing a 1999 U.S. Department of Agriculture index of “natural aspects of attractiveness,” named Red Lake County “the absolute worst place to live.” The reporter, Christopher Ingraham, visited the county later that month at the invitation of a local businessman. In subsequent articles, Ingraham declared that “the Red Lake County region is flat-out gorgeous” and later decided to move there.
Red Lake County was formed on December 24, 1896 from sections of Polk County. It was named after the Red Lake River.
The county has two sites on the National Register of Historic Places: the courthouse and Clearwater Evangelical Lutheran Church.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 432 square miles (1,120 km2), of which 432 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) (0.02%) is water.
Despite its name, Red Lake County contains only one named lake: Moran Lake, near Huot.
Red Lake County is the only landlocked county in the United States (excluding those on international borders) to border exactly two other counties.
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,299 people, 1,727 households, and 1,131 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (4/km²). There were 1,883 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.44% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 1.84% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.9% were of Norwegian, 25.0% German, 16.7% French and 6.3% French Canadian ancestry.