Polk County, Minnesota
Polk County is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 31,192 at the 2020 census,[1] and was estimated to be 30,413 in 2024.[2] The county seat is Crookston and the largest city is East Grand Forks.[3]
Polk County is part of the Grand Forks, ND-MN metropolitan statistical area.
History
[edit | edit source]In one of its early acts as a state entity, the Minnesota Legislature created the county on July 20, 1858, but did not organize it at that time.[4] The county was named for the 11th president of the United States, James Knox Polk, who signed the congressional act that organized the Minnesota Territory. The county was organized in 1872 and 1873, with the newly settled community of Crookston as the county seat.[5]
Geography
[edit | edit source]Polk County lies on Minnesota's border with North Dakota (across the Red River). The Red Lake River flows west through the upper central part of the county, discharging into the Red at Grand Forks. The county terrain consists of low, rolling hills, devoted to agriculture.[6] The county slopes to the west and north, with its highest point near its southeast corner, at 1,519 ft (463 m) above sea level.[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,997.791 square miles (5,174.25 km2), of which 1,970.999 square miles (5,104.86 km2) is land and 26.792 square miles (69.39 km2) (1.34%) is water.[8] It is the 8th largest county in Minnesota by total area.[9]
USGS surveys show the county's high point to be 1,575 ft (0.480 km) south of U.S. 2, about 2 km east of Spring Lake, at 47.5197°N, 95.5906°W.
Transit
[edit | edit source]- Tri-Valley Opportunity Council (T.H.E. Bus)
Major highways
[edit | edit source]- File:US 2.svg U.S. Highway 2
- File:US 59.svg U.S. Highway 59
- File:US 75.svg U.S. Highway 75
- File:MN-9.svg Minnesota State Highway 9
- File:MN-32.svg Minnesota State Highway 32
- File:MN-92.svg Minnesota State Highway 92
- File:MN-102.svg Minnesota State Highway 102
- File:MN-220.svg Minnesota State Highway 220
- File:Polk County 21.svg Polk County State-Aid Highway 21: This is the major connector between Grand Forks and Pennington County, and connects with Pennington County State-Aid Highway 3.
- File:County 9 (MN).svg Polk County State-Aid Highway 9: A major connector between Crookston and the south end of Grand Forks, it connects with Grand Forks County Road 7, and functions as a southside connector between US 75 and US 2 in Crookston.
- File:County 11 (MN).svg File:County 46 (MN).svg Polk County State-Aid Highways 11 & 46: US 2 Truck Bypass of Crookston
- File:County 2 square.svg Polk County State-Aid Highway 2: Designated and designed for heavy truck traffic connecting US 2 to Roseau County and Marshall County.
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Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Marshall County (north)
- Pennington County (northeast)
- Red Lake County (northeast)
- Clearwater County (east)
- Mahnomen County (southeast)
- Norman County (south)
- Traill County, North Dakota (southwest)
- Grand Forks County, North Dakota (west)
Protected areas
[edit | edit source]Source:[6]
- Agassiz Dunes Scientific and Natural Area (part)
- Belgium State Wildlife Management Area
- Brandsvold State Wildlife Management Area
- Castor State Wildlife Management Area
- Enerson State Wildlife Management Area
- Erskine State Wildlife Management Area
- Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
- Gully Fen Scientific and Natural Area
- Hangaard State Wildlife Management Area
- Hasselton State Wildlife Management Area (part)
- Hill River State Wildlife Management Area
- Kroening State Wildlife Management Area
- Lavoi State Wildlife Management Area
- Lessor State Wildlife Management Area
- Mahgre State Wildlife Management Area
- Malmberg Prairie Scientific and Natural Area
- Pembina State Wildlife Management Area
- Polk State Wildlife Management Area
- Red River State Recreation Area (part)
- Red River Valley Natural History Area
- Rindahl State Wildlife Management Area
- Rydell National Wildlife Refuge
- Sand Hill Recreation Area
- Shypoke State Wildlife Management Area
- Stipa State Wildlife Management Area
Demographics
[edit | edit source]As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Polk County was $227,076.[11]
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 12,448 estimated households in Polk County with an average of 2.38 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $69,136. Approximately 10.7% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Polk County has an estimated 66.0% employment rate, with 28.1% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.2% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (93.7%), Spanish (2.6%), Indo-European (2.2%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.2%), and Other (1.4%).
The median age in the county was 39.3 years.
Racial and ethnic composition
[edit | edit source]Polk County, Minnesota – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[12] | Pop. 1990[13] | Pop. 2000[14] | Pop. 2010[15] | Pop. 2020[16] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 33,869 (97.20%) |
30,824 (94.85%) |
28,994 (92.43%) |
28,497 (90.18%) |
26,538 (85.08%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 64 (0.18%) |
53 (0.16%) |
86 (0.27%) |
248 (0.78%) |
958 (3.07%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 268 (0.77%) |
376 (1.16%) |
381 (1.21%) |
413 (1.31%) |
376 (1.21%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 83 (0.24%) |
89 (0.27%) |
91 (0.29%) |
210 (0.66%) |
156 (0.50%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 2 (0.01%) |
2 (0.01%) |
4 (0.01%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 (0.00%) |
10 (0.03%) |
0 (0.00%) |
9 (0.03%) |
71 (0.23%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 313 (1.00%) |
501 (1.59%) |
1,090 (3.49%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 560 (1.61%) |
1,146 (3.53%) |
1,502 (4.79%) |
1,720 (5.44%) |
1,999 (6.41%) |
| Total | 34,844 (100.00%) |
32,498 (100.00%) |
31,369 (100.00%) |
31,600 (100.00%) |
31,192 (100.00%) |
2024 estimate
[edit | edit source]
As of the 2024 estimate, there were 30,413 people and 12,448 households residing in the county. There were 14,785 housing units at an average density of 0.0 per square mile (0.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.5% White (85.8% NH White), 2.8% African American, 2.1% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.0% of the population.[17]
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 31,192. The median age was 39.3 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.9 males age 18 and over.[18][19]
The racial makeup of the county was 87.3% White, 3.1% Black or African American, 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.0% from some other race, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.4% of the population.[19]
53.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 46.5% lived in rural areas.[20]
There were 12,534 households in the county, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.8% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[18]
There were 14,623 housing units, of which 14.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.1% were owner-occupied and 27.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.0%.[18]
2010 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2010 census, there were 31,600 people, 12,704 households, and 8,196 families residing in the county. The population density was 16.0 inhabitants per square mile (6.2/km2). There were 14,610 housing units at an average density of 7.41 inhabitants per square mile (2.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.34% White, 0.85% African American, 1.43% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.57% from some other races and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.44% of the population.
2000 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2000 census, there were 31,369 people, 12,070 households, and 8,050 families residing in the county. The population density was 15.9 inhabitants per square mile (6.1/km2). There were 14,008 housing units at an average density of 7.11 inhabitants per square mile (2.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.18% White, 0.33% African American, 1.30% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.30% from some other races and 2.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.79% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 41.7% were Norwegians, 19.7% were Germans, and 5.8% were French.
There were 12,070 households, 32.3% had children under 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were not families. About 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.47, and the average family size was 3.07.
The county's age distribution was 25.9% under 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household was $35,105, and for a family was $44,310. Males had a median income of $31,472 versus $21,535 for females. The per capita income was $17,279. About 7.3% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those 65 or over.
Communities
[edit | edit source]Cities
[edit | edit source]Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Townships
[edit | edit source]- Andover Township
- Angus Township
- Badger Township
- Belgium Township
- Brandsvold Township
- Brandt Township
- Brislet Township
- Bygland Township
- Chester Township
- Columbia Township
- Crookston Township
- Eden Township
- Esther Township
- Euclid Township
- Fairfax Township
- Fanny Township
- Farley Township
- Fisher Township
- Garden Township
- Garfield Township
- Gentilly Township
- Godfrey Township
- Grand Forks Township
- Grove Park-Tilden Township
- Gully Township
- Hammond Township
- Helgeland Township
- Higdem Township
- Hill River Township
- Hubbard Township
- Huntsville Township
- Johnson Township
- Kertsonville Township
- Keystone Township
- King Township
- Knute Township
- Lessor Township
- Liberty Township
- Lowell Township
- Nesbit Township
- Northland Township
- Onstad Township
- Parnell Township
- Queen Township
- Reis Township
- Rhinehart Township
- Roome Township
- Rosebud Township
- Russia Township
- Sandsville Township
- Scandia Township
- Sletten Township
- Sullivan Township
- Tabor Township
- Tynsid Township
- Vineland Township
- Winger Township
- Woodside Township
Government and politics
[edit | edit source]Polk County was a swing county for several decades, before shifting solidly Republican as of lately. As of 2020, it has selected the Republican nominee in presidential elections in 56% of elections since 1980.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| "text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Populist |1892 | 1,376 | 23.35% | 1,510 | 25.63% | 3,006 | 51.02% |
| 1896 | 2,855 | 35.39% | 5,054 | 62.65% | 158 | 1.96% |
| 1900 | 2,863 | 49.62% | 2,533 | 43.90% | 374 | 6.48% |
| 1904 | 3,549 | 71.71% | 696 | 14.06% | 704 | 14.23% |
| 1908 | 3,311 | 55.21% | 1,928 | 32.15% | 758 | 12.64% |
| 1912 | 735 | 12.79% | 1,662 | 28.92% | 3,350 | 58.29% |
| 1916 | 2,471 | 37.93% | 3,498 | 53.70% | 545 | 8.37% |
| 1920 | 8,197 | 69.47% | 2,111 | 17.89% | 1,492 | 12.64% |
| 1924 | 5,027 | 43.94% | 663 | 5.80% | 5,750 | 50.26% |
| 1928 | 7,215 | 56.08% | 5,357 | 41.64% | 294 | 2.29% |
| 1932 | 3,604 | 27.32% | 8,751 | 66.35% | 835 | 6.33% |
| 1936 | 3,751 | 24.30% | 11,337 | 73.44% | 349 | 2.26% |
| 1940 | 5,200 | 32.53% | 10,652 | 66.64% | 133 | 0.83% |
| 1944 | 4,402 | 33.07% | 8,808 | 66.18% | 100 | 0.75% |
| 1948 | 4,662 | 31.98% | 9,279 | 63.64% | 639 | 4.38% |
| 1952 | 8,326 | 53.09% | 7,244 | 46.19% | 113 | 0.72% |
| 1956 | 6,847 | 46.10% | 7,980 | 53.73% | 26 | 0.18% |
| 1960 | 7,528 | 44.52% | 9,346 | 55.27% | 35 | 0.21% |
| 1964 | 5,039 | 31.28% | 11,052 | 68.60% | 20 | 0.12% |
| 1968 | 6,074 | 40.04% | 8,380 | 55.24% | 715 | 4.71% |
| 1972 | 8,139 | 51.24% | 7,366 | 46.37% | 380 | 2.39% |
| 1976 | 6,552 | 40.86% | 9,078 | 56.62% | 404 | 2.52% |
| 1980 | 9,036 | 51.21% | 7,151 | 40.53% | 1,457 | 8.26% |
| 1984 | 8,617 | 54.60% | 7,033 | 44.56% | 132 | 0.84% |
| 1988 | 7,032 | 47.96% | 7,523 | 51.31% | 107 | 0.73% |
| 1992 | 5,817 | 38.95% | 5,850 | 39.17% | 3,267 | 21.88% |
| 1996 | 5,563 | 40.94% | 6,369 | 46.88% | 1,655 | 12.18% |
| 2000 | 7,609 | 53.81% | 5,764 | 40.76% | 767 | 5.42% |
| 2004 | 8,724 | 55.68% | 6,729 | 42.95% | 215 | 1.37% |
| 2008 | 7,148 | 46.62% | 7,850 | 51.19% | 336 | 2.19% |
| 2012 | 7,615 | 51.83% | 6,773 | 46.10% | 305 | 2.08% |
| 2016 | 8,979 | 60.69% | 4,712 | 31.85% | 1,105 | 7.47% |
| 2020 | 9,865 | 63.26% | 5,439 | 34.88% | 290 | 1.86% |
| 2024 | 10,162 | 65.91% | 4,967 | 32.21% | 290 | 1.88% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
| Position | Name | District | Next Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Vacant | District 1 | 2024 | |
| Commissioner and Chairperson | Warren Strandell | District 2 | 2026 | |
| Commissioner and Vice Chair | Gary Willhite | District 3 | 2024 | |
| Commissioner | Joan Lee | District 4 | 2026 | |
| Commissioner | Mark Holy | District 5 | 2024 | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Mark Johnson[23] | Republican | District 1 | |
| House of Representatives | Deb Kiel[24] | Republican | District 1B | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Michelle Fischbach[25] | Republican | 7th | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[26] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[27] | Democrat | N/A | |
Education
[edit | edit source]School districts include:[28]
- Clearbrook-Gonvick School District ISD #2311
- Climax-Shelly Public Schools ISD #592
- Crookston School District 593 (Crookston High School)
- East Grand Forks Public School District ISD #595 (East Grand Forks Senior High School)
- Fertile-Beltrami School District ISD #599
- Fisher Public School District ISD #600
- Fosston Public School District ISD #601
- Red Lake County Central Public Schools ISD #2906
- Red Lake Falls Public School District ISD #630
- Warren-Alvarado-Oslo School District ISD #2176
- Win-E-Mac School District ISD #2609
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Polk County, Minnesota". www.census.gov. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "Minnesota: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. pp. 42-28.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Polk County MN Google Maps (accessed March 16, 2019)
- ↑ ""Find an Altitude/Polk County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 16, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ↑ "2024 County Gazetteer Files – Minnesota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Polk County, Minnesota". www.census.gov. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 57-60. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
- ↑ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "Polk County, Minnesota — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics North Dakota" (PDF). www.census.gov. October 6, 2022. p. 20. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Polk County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Polk County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Polk County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ "County Population by Characteristics: 2020-2023". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "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 October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Board of Commissioners | Polk County, MN". www.co.polk.mn.us. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ↑ "MN State Senate". www.senate.mn. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ↑ "Rep. Debra Kiel (01B) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ↑ "Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach". Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ↑ "U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar". www.klobuchar.senate.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ↑ "Home". Senator Tina Smith. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ↑ Geography Division (January 15, 2021). 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Polk County, MN (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 19, 2025. - Text list
Further reading
[edit | edit source]- R.I. Holcombe and William H Bingham, Compendium of History and Biography of Polk County, Minnesota. Minneapolis: W. H. Bingham & Co., 1916.
- Huber D. McLellan, The History of the Early Settlement and Development of Polk County, Minnesota. PhD dissertation. Northwestern University, 1928.
- Polk County Historical Society, Bicentennial History of Polk County, Minnesota: Pioneers of the Valley. n.c.: Polk County Historical Society, 1976.
- Polk County Historical Society, The Polk County Historian. (journal)
- Claude Eugene Wentsel, Polk County, Minnesota, in the World War. Ada, MN: C.E. Wentsel, 1922.
- Winger Golden Jubilee Historical Committee, Golden Jubilee, Winger, Minnesota, 1904-1954. Winger, MN: Winger Enterprise, n.d. [1954].
- Maxine Workman, Minnesota Cemeteries, Polk County. West Fargo, ND: Red River Genealogy Society, 1988.
External links
[edit | edit source]Template:Polk County, Minnesota Template:Minnesota Template:Greater Grand Forks