Editing Norman County, Minnesota

{{short description|County in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Norman County
 | state                = Minnesota
 | ex image             = Norman County Courthouse.jpg
 | ex image size        = 220px
 | ex image cap         = Norman County Courthouse in [[Ada, Minnesota]]
 | founded date         = February 17
 | founded year         = 1881<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Place Names |url=http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/county.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620201420/http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/county.cfm |archive-date=June 20, 2012 |access-date=March 18, 2014 |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society}}</ref>
 | seat wl              = Ada
 | largest city wl      = Ada
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 877
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 873
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 3.9
 | area percentage      = 0.4%
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 6441
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 6329 {{decrease}}
 | density_sq_mi        = 7.4
 | time zone            = Central
 | web                  = www.co.norman.mn.us
 | named for            = Norwegian settlers
 | district             = 7th
}}

'''Norman County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the northwestern part of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Minnesota]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 6,441.<ref name="QF">{{Cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/normancountyminnesota/PST045222 |access-date=April 10, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Ada, Minnesota|Ada]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The county is in Minnesota's [[Red River Valley]] region.

==History==
Norwegians started settling in Norman County in the early 1870s and up until Dec. 27th, 1906 that also included what is now Mahnomen County (Ojibwe for "wild rice").  The county was created by the Minnesota legislature on March 17, 1881, with Ada (which had been founded in 1874) as county seat.  Even though Twin Valley was much closer to the geographic center of the county Ada was chosen as the county seat, sparking a 6 year legal battle.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Lenora |title=Under Prairie Skies |publication-date=1976 |pages=47-48}}</ref>

It was named in recognition of the many settlers who came from Scandinavian countries, especially Norway.<ref name="UP">{{Cite book |last=Upham |first=Warren |url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog |title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |year=1920 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n400 381]–384}}</ref> Another source posits that it was named for Norman Kittson, an early historical figure of the region.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gannett, Henry |url=https://archive.org/details/origincertainpl00ganngoog |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |publisher=Government Printing Office |year=1905 |page=[https://archive.org/details/origincertainpl00ganngoog/page/n183 177] |quote=Norman County named after Norman Kittson.}}</ref>

==Geography==
Norman County lies on Minnesota's western border, abutting [[North Dakota]] across the [[Red River of the North|Red River]], which flows north along (and defines) the county's west line. The [[Wild Rice River (Minnesota)|Wild Rice River]] flows west through the lower part of the county, discharging into the Red slightly north of the county's southwest corner. The [[Marsh River (Minnesota)|Marsh River]] rises in central Norman County and flows northwest into the Red near the county's northwest corner. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, carved by drainages and lightly dotted with lakes and swampy areas. The terrain is devoted to agriculture.<ref name="NCM">[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Norman+County,+MN/@47.371925,-96.7426238,3151m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x52c627c5bd49eed3:0x796613d10a7f6a07!8m2!3d47.3416805!4d-96.5313092 Norman County MN Google Maps (accessed April 17, 2019)]</ref> The terrain slopes to the north and west with its highest point near its southeast corner, at {{convert|1,224|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Find an Altitude/Norman County MN"  Google Maps (accessed April 17, 2019) |url=https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521043409/https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2019 |access-date=April 17, 2019}}</ref> The county has an area of {{convert|877|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|873|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.9|sqmi}} (0.4%) water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060200/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |access-date=October 24, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Flom Township contains a prominent, irregular hill of morainic drift known as Frenchman's Bluff. It rises {{convert|150|ft|m|abbr=on}} above the shoreline of the former Lake Agassis, {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=in}} to the northwest.<ref name=UP/>
{{Stack|[[File:Norman Co Pie Chart No Text Version.pdf|thumb|right|Soils of Norman County<ref>Nelson, Steven (2011). ''Savanna Soils of Minnesota.'' Minnesota: Self. pp. 57-60. {{ISBN|978-0-615-50320-2}}.</ref>]]}}

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[Image:US 75.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 75#Minnesota|U.S. Highway 75]]
* [[Image:MN-9.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 9]]
* [[Image:MN-32.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 32]]
* [[Image:MN-113.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 113]]
* [[Image:MN-200.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 200]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Polk County, Minnesota|Polk County]] - north
* [[Mahnomen County, Minnesota|Mahnomen County]] - east
* [[Becker County, Minnesota|Becker County]] - southeast
* [[Clay County, Minnesota|Clay County]] - south
* [[Cass County, North Dakota]] - southwest
* [[Traill County, North Dakota]] - west
{{div col end}}

===Protected areas===
Source:<ref name=NCM/>
{{div col}}
* Agassiz Dunes Scientific and Natural Area (part)
* Agassiz No. 1 State Wildlife Management Area
* Agassiz No. 2 State Wildlife Management Area
* Dalby State Wildlife Management Area
* Faith State Wildlife Management Area
* Home Lake State Wildlife Management Area
* Moccasin State Wildlife Management Area
* Neal State Wildlife Management Area
* Prairie Smoke Dunes Scientific and Natural Area
* Sandpiper Scientific and Natural Area
* Santee Prairie Scientific and Natural Area
* Syre State Wildlife Management Area
* Twin Valley Prairie Scientific and Natural Area
* Twin Valley State Wildlife Management Area
* Vangsness State Wildlife Management Area
{{div col end}}

===Lakes===
Source:<ref name=NCM/>
* Home Lake
* Lockhart Swamp

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 10618
|1900= 15045
|1910= 13446
|1920= 14880
|1930= 14061
|1940= 14746
|1950= 12909
|1960= 11253
|1970= 10008
|1980= 9379
|1990= 7975
|2000= 7442
|2010= 6852
|2020= 6441
|estyear=2023
|estimate=6329
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=March 18, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |access-date=October 24, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=October 24, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mn190090.txt |access-date=October 24, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=October 24, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="QF" />
}}

===2020 Census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Norman County Racial Composition<ref>{{Cite web |title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Norman County, Minnesota |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Norman%20County,%20Minnesota&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (NH)
|5,702
|88.52%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (NH)
|17
|0.3%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]] (NH)
|115
|1.8%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]] (NH)
|18
|0.3%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|0
|0%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]] (NH)
|301
|4.7%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|288
|4.5%
|}

===2000 census===
[[File:NormanCountyMn2022PopPyr.png|thumb|right|2022 US Census [[population pyramid]] for Norman County, from [[American Community Survey|ACS]] 5-year estimates]]
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 7,442 people, 3,010 households, and 2,007 families in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|8.52|/mi2|/km2}}. There were 3,455 housing units at an average density of {{convert|3.96|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.30% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.11% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.73% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.31% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 1.13% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.42% from two or more races. 3.05% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 57.5% were of [[norwegian people|Norwegian]] and 21.7% [[German people|German]] ancestry.

There were 3,010 households, out of which 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 31.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04.

The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 20.90% of over age 64. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,535, and the median income for a family was $41,280. Males had a median income of $28,674 versus $20,619 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $15,895. About 7.10% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.70% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.

==Communities==
===Cities===
{{div col}}
* [[Ada, Minnesota|Ada]] (county seat)
* [[Borup, Minnesota|Borup]]
* [[Gary, Minnesota|Gary]]
* [[Halstad, Minnesota|Halstad]]
* [[Hendrum, Minnesota|Hendrum]]
* [[Perley, Minnesota|Perley]]
* [[Shelly, Minnesota|Shelly]]
* [[Twin Valley, Minnesota|Twin Valley]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col}}
* [[Betcher, Minnesota|Betcher]]
* [[Faith, Minnesota|Faith]]
* Flom<ref name=NCM/>
* [[Hadler, Minnesota|Hadler]]
* [[Lockhart, Minnesota|Lockhart]]
* Ranum<ref name=NCM/>
* [[Syre, Minnesota|Syre]]
* Waukon<ref name=NCM/>
{{div col end}}

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Anthony Township, Norman County, Minnesota|Anthony Township]]
* [[Bear Park Township, Minnesota|Bear Park Township]]
* [[Flom Township, Minnesota|Flom Township]]
* [[Fossum Township, Minnesota|Fossum Township]]
* [[Good Hope Township, Norman County, Minnesota|Good Hope Township]]
* [[Green Meadow Township, Minnesota|Green Meadow Township]]
* [[Halstad Township, Minnesota|Halstad Township]]
* [[Hegne Township, Minnesota|Hegne Township]]
* [[Hendrum Township, Minnesota|Hendrum Township]]
* [[Home Lake Township, Minnesota|Home Lake Township]]
* [[Lake Ida Township, Minnesota|Lake Ida Township]]
* [[Lee Township, Norman County, Minnesota|Lee Township]]
* [[Lockhart Township, Minnesota|Lockhart Township]]
* [[Mary Township, Minnesota|Mary Township]]
* [[McDonaldsville Township, Minnesota|McDonaldsville Township]]
* [[Pleasant View Township, Minnesota|Pleasant View Township]]
* [[Rockwell Township, Minnesota|Rockwell Township]]
* [[Shelly Township, Minnesota|Shelly Township]]
* [[Spring Creek Township, Norman County, Minnesota|Spring Creek Township]]
* [[Strand Township, Minnesota|Strand Township]]
* [[Sundal Township, Minnesota|Sundal Township]]
* [[Waukon Township, Minnesota|Waukon Township]]
* [[Wild Rice Township, Minnesota|Wild Rice Township]]
* [[Winchester Township, Minnesota|Winchester Township]]
{{div col end}}

==Government and politics==
From 1932 to 2012, Norman County voted Democratic, typically by large margins, in all but three elections, two were the nationwide Republican landslide victories of [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] in 1952 and [[Richard Nixon]] in 1972, and the third was in 2000, when strong third party showings in the state helped swing the county to [[George W. Bush]]. The 2016 election, however, saw the county swing significantly to the right, as [[Donald Trump]] won the county by over 13%. He increased his margin of victory in 2020 to nearly 16%, and turned in the best performance for a Republican in Norman County since [[Herbert Hoover]] in 1928. Trump increased his margin to over 22% in the county in 2024, breaking this record yet again.
{{PresHead|place=Norman County, Minnesota|whig=no|source1=<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leip |first=David |title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |access-date=October 10, 2018 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|1,963|1,233|98|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|1,953|1,404|84|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|1,699|1,264|298|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|1,384|1,730|93|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|1,204|2,129|101|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|1,794|1,954|62|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|1,808|1,575|258|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|1,392|1,875|455|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|1,541|1,784|796|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|1,789|2,149|18|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|2,152|2,202|23|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|2,192|2,253|435|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|1,983|2,946|83|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|2,536|2,444|41|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|1,981|2,828|203|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,662|3,631|8|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|2,642|2,932|12|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,338|2,740|3|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|3,069|2,465|39|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,695|3,245|217|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,884|2,846|38|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|2,161|3,716|39|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,570|3,778|154|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,313|3,601|320|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|3,308|1,401|200|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1924|Progressive|1,997|171|2,195|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|3,451|481|721|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,046|1,076|362|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|329|510|1,393|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|1,276|661|372|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|1,782|161|341|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|1,492|964|329|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|1,382|1,304|100|Minnesota}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Populist|724|294|840|Minnesota}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+County Board of Commissioners<ref>{{Cite web |title=Norman County |url=https://www.co.norman.mn.us/board_of_commissioners/index.php |access-date=April 25, 2023 |website=www.co.norman.mn.us |language=en}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |Position
!Name
!District
|-
|
|Commissioner
|Marvin Gunderson
|District 1
|-
|
|Commissioner
|Jesse Lee
|District 2
|-
|
|Commissioner
|Steve Jacobson
|District 3
|-
|
|Commissioner and Chairperson
|Lee Ann Hall
|District 4
|-
|
|Commissioner
|Steve Bommersbach
|District 5
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+State Legislature (2022-2024)
! colspan="2" |Position
!Name
!Affiliation
!District
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Senate
|[[Mark Johnson (Minnesota politician)|Mark Johnson]]
| Republican
|District 1
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|House of Representatives
|[[Deb Kiel]]
| Republican
|District 1B
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+U.S Congress (2022-2024)
! colspan="2" |Position
!Name
!Affiliation
!District
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|[[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
|[[Michelle Fischbach]]
| Republican
|[[Minnesota's 7th congressional district|7th]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|[[United States Senate|Senate]]
|[[Amy Klobuchar]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar |url=https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/ |access-date=June 24, 2020 |website=www.klobuchar.senate.gov}}</ref>
|[[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|Democrat]]
|N/A
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|[[United States Senate|Senate]]
|[[Tina Smith]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.smith.senate.gov/ |access-date=June 24, 2020 |website=Senator Tina Smith |language=en}}</ref>
|[[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|Democrat]]
|N/A
|}

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Minnesota#Norman County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Norman County, Minnesota]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.co.norman.mn.us/ Norman County government’s website]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Norman County, Minnesota
|North     = [[Polk County, Minnesota|Polk County]]
|East      = [[Mahnomen County, Minnesota|Mahnomen County]]
|Southeast = [[Becker County, Minnesota|Becker County]]
|South     = [[Clay County, Minnesota|Clay County]]
|Southwest = [[Cass County, North Dakota]]
|West      = [[Traill County, North Dakota]]
}}

{{Norman County, Minnesota}}
{{Minnesota}}

{{coord|47.33|-96.46|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MN_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Norman County, Minnesota| ]]
[[Category:Minnesota counties]]
[[Category:1881 establishments in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1881]]