Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crow Wing County is a county in the East Central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,123.[1] Its county seat is Brainerd.[2] The county was formed in 1857, and was organized in 1870.[3]
Crow Wing County is included in the Brainerd, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
[edit | edit source]This area was long occupied by the Ojibwe people, also known as Chippewa. In addition, numerous Dakota people lived in central and southern Minnesota before European settlement. European Americans established a trading post by 1837 in this area, on the east side of the Mississippi River opposite the mouth of the Crow Wing River. The post (named Crow Wing) soon became a center of trading with the region's Native Americans, with a general-supply store that served the area. By 1866, the village contained about 600 whites and Chippewa; it was a major population center. The territorial government enacted the county's creation on May 23, 1857, and named Crow Wing the county seat.[4] The governmental structure of the county was not effected until March 3, 1870. The county was named for the river,[5] which is named for an island in the river that resembles a crow's wing.
Brainerd township was founded in 1870 when the Northern Pacific Railroad selected the site for a crossing of the Mississippi River. It attracted development and population, soon surpassing Crow Wing. It was also designated as the new county seat, drawing off more residents and businesses from what became known as a ghost town, Old Crow Wing. Crow Wing State Park encompasses much of the former village site along the river.
Brainerd City was incorporated on November 19, 1881, named for Lawrence Brainerd, the father-in-law of J. Gregory Smith, the first president of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. Smith served as governor of Vermont from 1863 to 1865 before moving west. He is called the father and founder of Brainerd. Lawrence Brainerd was the first president of the Vermont Central Railroad. [citation needed] The Northern Pacific Railroad ran a special train as its first service to Brainerd on March 11, 1871. Its regular passenger service began the next September. The first passenger train from the Twin Cities, by way of Sauk Rapids, arrived on November 1, 1877.
On February 18, 1887, the Minnesota legislature annexed part of Cass County (west of the Mississippi) to Crow Wing County, which doubled the former area of Crow Wing County.
Geography
[edit | edit source]Crow Wing County has an area of 1,157 square miles (3,000 km2), of which 999 square miles (2,590 km2) is land and 157 square miles (410 km2) (14%) is water.[7]
Topography and vegetation
[edit | edit source]Crow Wing County has two state forests, the Crow Wing State Forest and the Emily State Forest. The Cuyuna Lakes State Trail lies in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The topography is gently rolling to flat, mostly wooded and heavily dotted with waters and wetlands.[8] It is home to an abundance of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare, raccoon, red fox, gray fox, coyote, mink, muskrat, squirrels, beaver, occasional American black bear, Bald eagle, osprey and many other waterfowl.
Lakes and rivers
[edit | edit source]The main river is the Mississippi River, and there are several smaller streams. It has about 417 recognized lakes. The top ten by size are:
- Gull Lake – 9,419 acres (38.12 km2)
- Pelican Lake – 8,254 acres (33.40 km2)
- Upper and Lower White Fish Lake – 7,372 acres (29.83 km2)
- North Long Lake – 5,997 acres (24.27 km2)
- Lake Edward – 2,576 acres (10.42 km2)
- Bay Lake – 2,393 acres (9.68 km2)
- Cross Lake – 1,752 acres (7.09 km2)
- Round Lake – 1,645 acres (6.66 km2)
- Big Trout Lake – 1,343 acres (5.43 km2)
- Lower South Long Lake – 1,312 acres (5.31 km2)
Major highways
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Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Aitkin County – northeast
- Mille Lacs County – southeast
- Morrison County – southwest
- Cass County – northwest, north
Protected areas
[edit | edit source]- Crow Wing State Forest
- Crow Wing State Park (part)
- Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area
- Cuyuna Lakes State Trail (within Cuyuna Country SRA)[9]
- Duck Lakes State Wildlife Management Area
- Emily State Forest
- Loerch State Wildlife Management Area
- Mille Lacs Moraine Scientific and Natural Area
- Safari North Wildlife Park
- Upper Dean State Wildlife Management Area
Superfund site and environmental damage
[edit | edit source]The presence of railroads increased development in the county, but also brought environmental problems. The Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter) EPA Superfund site is between Brainerd and Baxter. Burlington Northern Railroad had a treatment plant in Crow Wing County for railroad ties, to protect the wood from weather and insects. Wastewater generated from the wood-treating process was sent to two shallow, unlined ponds. This created sludge that contaminated both the underlying soils and the groundwater with creosote and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).[10]
Demographics
[edit | edit source]Racial and ethnic composition
[edit | edit source]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[11] | Pop 1990[12] | Pop 2000[13] | Pop 2010[14] | Pop 2020[15] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 41,208 | 43,546 | 53,580 | 59,979 | 61,252 | 98.77% | 98.41% | 97.24% | 95.97% | 92.63% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 50 | 94 | 167 | 297 | 383 | 0.12% | 0.21% | 0.30% | 0.48% | 0.58% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 191 | 301 | 415 | 471 | 623 | 0.46% | 0.68% | 0.75% | 0.75% | 0.94% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 142 | 131 | 151 | 232 | 332 | 0.34% | 0.30% | 0.27% | 0.37% | 0.50% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [16] | x [17] | 7 | 15 | 19 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 10 | 3 | 18 | 28 | 240 | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.36% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [18] | x [19] | 380 | 826 | 2,362 | x | x | 0.69% | 1.32% | 3.57% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 121 | 174 | 381 | 652 | 912 | 0.29% | 0.39% | 0.69% | 1.04% | 1.38% |
| Total | 41,722 | 44,249 | 55,099 | 62,500 | 66,123 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 66,123. The median age was 44.8 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.0 males age 18 and over.[20][21]
The racial makeup of the county was 93.1% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.4% of the population.[21]
31.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 68.7% lived in rural areas.[22]
There were 27,872 households in the county, of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.8% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 41,568 housing units, of which 32.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.0% were owner-occupied and 24.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.[20]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,099 people, 22,250 households, and 15,174 families in the county. The population density was 55.2 per square mile (21.3/km2). There were 33,483 housing units at an average density of 33.5 per square mile (12.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.64% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.5% were of German, 16.4% Norwegian, 9.4% Swedish, 6.2% Irish and 5.2% American ancestry.
There were 22,250 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.
The county population contained 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,589, and the median income for a family was $44,847. Males had a median income of $33,838 versus $22,896 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,174. About 6.50% of families and 9.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.40% of those under age 18 and 9.90% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
[edit | edit source]Cities
[edit | edit source]Census-designated place
[edit | edit source]Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Townships
[edit | edit source]- Bay Lake Township
- Center Township
- Crow Wing Township
- Daggett Brook Township
- Deerwood Township
- Fairfield Township
- Fort Ripley Township
- Gail Lake Township
- Garrison Township
- Ideal Township
- Irondale Township
- Jenkins Township
- Lake Edwards Township
- Little Pine Township
- Long Lake Township
- Maple Grove Township
- Mission Township
- Nokay Lake Township
- Oak Lawn Township
- Pelican Township
- Perry Lake Township
- Platte Lake Township
- Rabbit Lake Township
- Roosevelt Township
- Ross Lake Township
- Saint Mathias Township
- Sibley Township (former)
- Timothy Township
- Wolford Township
Unorganized territories
[edit | edit source]Government and politics
[edit | edit source]Crow Wing County has voted Republican for several decades. In only one presidential election since 1976 has the county selected the Democratic candidate. In the 34 presidential elections the county has participated in, it has only voted Democratic 10 times. Democratic presidential candidates have not received 40% or more of the vote in Crow Wing County since 2012.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 916 | 53.10% | 519 | 30.09% | 290 | 16.81% |
| 1896 | 1,701 | 59.35% | 1,066 | 37.19% | 99 | 3.45% |
| 1900 | 1,803 | 67.23% | 804 | 29.98% | 75 | 2.80% |
| 1904 | 2,150 | 77.01% | 333 | 11.93% | 309 | 11.07% |
| 1908 | 1,681 | 59.42% | 661 | 23.37% | 487 | 17.21% |
| 1912 | 691 | 20.96% | 709 | 21.50% | 1,897 | 57.54% |
| 1916 | 1,715 | 44.42% | 1,568 | 40.61% | 578 | 14.97% |
| 1920 | 5,262 | 70.34% | 1,077 | 14.40% | 1,142 | 15.27% |
| 1924 | 4,230 | 50.07% | 417 | 4.94% | 3,802 | 45.00% |
| 1928 | 6,436 | 67.87% | 2,851 | 30.06% | 196 | 2.07% |
| 1932 | 3,991 | 41.67% | 5,068 | 52.91% | 519 | 5.42% |
| 1936 | 3,611 | 33.83% | 6,561 | 61.47% | 501 | 4.69% |
| 1940 | 5,524 | 44.02% | 6,876 | 54.79% | 150 | 1.20% |
| 1944 | 4,500 | 44.70% | 5,504 | 54.67% | 63 | 0.63% |
| 1948 | 4,702 | 39.70% | 6,773 | 57.18% | 370 | 3.12% |
| 1952 | 6,992 | 53.97% | 5,883 | 45.41% | 81 | 0.63% |
| 1956 | 6,657 | 54.37% | 5,556 | 45.38% | 30 | 0.25% |
| 1960 | 7,727 | 52.87% | 6,835 | 46.77% | 52 | 0.36% |
| 1964 | 5,131 | 35.76% | 9,197 | 64.10% | 21 | 0.15% |
| 1968 | 6,687 | 45.20% | 7,411 | 50.09% | 697 | 4.71% |
| 1972 | 8,774 | 53.01% | 7,328 | 44.28% | 449 | 2.71% |
| 1976 | 8,072 | 41.26% | 10,653 | 54.45% | 839 | 4.29% |
| 1980 | 10,844 | 50.03% | 9,323 | 43.01% | 1,510 | 6.97% |
| 1984 | 11,362 | 56.16% | 8,719 | 43.10% | 151 | 0.75% |
| 1988 | 11,017 | 52.69% | 9,674 | 46.26% | 220 | 1.05% |
| 1992 | 9,112 | 37.13% | 8,896 | 36.25% | 6,531 | 26.61% |
| 1996 | 10,095 | 40.44% | 11,156 | 44.69% | 3,712 | 14.87% |
| 2000 | 15,035 | 53.45% | 11,255 | 40.01% | 1,838 | 6.53% |
| 2004 | 19,106 | 56.96% | 14,005 | 41.75% | 434 | 1.29% |
| 2008 | 18,567 | 52.80% | 15,859 | 45.10% | 739 | 2.10% |
| 2012 | 19,415 | 55.60% | 14,760 | 42.27% | 745 | 2.13% |
| 2016 | 22,287 | 62.18% | 10,982 | 30.64% | 2,573 | 7.18% |
| 2020 | 25,676 | 63.91% | 13,726 | 34.17% | 771 | 1.92% |
| 2024 | 27,423 | 64.73% | 14,173 | 33.45% | 770 | 1.82% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
| Position | Name | District | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Paul Koering | District 1 | |
| Commissioner and Vice Chair | John Lubke | District 2 | |
| Commissioner | Steve Barrows | District 3 | |
| Commissioner and Chair | Rosemary Franzen | District 4 | |
| Commissioner | Doug Houge | District 5 | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Keri Heintzeman[25] | Republican | District 6 | |
| House of Representatives | Ben Davis[26] | Republican | District 6A | |
| House of Representatives | Josh Heintzeman[27] | Republican | District 6B | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Pete Stauber[28] | Republican | 8th | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[29] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[30] | Democrat | N/A | |
Education
[edit | edit source]School districts include:[31]
- Aitkin Public School District
- Brainerd Public Schools
- Crosby-Ironton Public School District
- Little Falls Public School District
- Onamia Public Schools
- Pequot Lakes Public Schools
- Pierz Public School District
- Pine River-Backus Public School District
See also
[edit | edit source]- National Register of Historic Places listings in Crow Wing County, Minnesota
- List of Superfund sites in Minnesota
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
- ↑ Template:Cite AmCyc
- ↑ Warren Upham (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 154.
- ↑ Nelson, Steven (2011).Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 53–56. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Crow Wing County MN Google Maps (accessed March 7, 2019)
- ↑ Minnesota Div of Natural Resources: Cuyuna Lakes State Trail (accessed March 7, 2019)
- ↑ "Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter) Fact Sheet" Archived December 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, EPA, July 13, 2012
- ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Minnesota - Tables 15 and 16 – Race by Sex: 1980 and Tables 16 and 17 – Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 13-24. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Minnesota: Table 4-6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 17-79. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2026 – via Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Crow Wing County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Crow Wing County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Crow Wing County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ↑ "County Board | Crow Wing County, MN – Official Website". crowwing.us. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ↑ "Sen. Keri Heintzeman (6) – Minnesota State Senate". www.senate.mn. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Rep. Ben Davis (6A) – Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Rep. Josh Heintzeman (6B) – Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Representative Pete Stauber". Representative Pete Stauber. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ↑ "U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar". www.klobuchar.senate.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ↑ "Home". Senator Tina Smith. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Crow Wing County, MN" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022. - Text list
External links
[edit | edit source]Template:Crow Wing County, Minnesota Template:Brainerd micropolitan area Template:Minnesota Coordinates: 46°29′N 94°04′W / 46.49°N 94.07°W
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- Use mdy dates from April 2024
- Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018
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- Crow Wing County, Minnesota
- Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River
- 1870 establishments in Minnesota
- Populated places in the United States established in 1870
- Minnesota placenames of Native American origin