Editing Pennington County, Minnesota

{{short description|County in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Pennington County
 | state                = Minnesota
 | ex image             = Carnegie library thief river falls.jpg
 | ex image size        = 220px
 | ex image cap         = [[Thief River Falls Public Library|Old Carnegie Library]], downtown [[Thief River Falls, Minnesota]].
 | founded date         = November 23
 | founded year         = 1910
 | seat wl              = Thief River Falls
 | largest city wl      = Thief River Falls
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 618
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 617
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 1.7
 | area percentage      = 0.3
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 13992
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 13714 {{decrease}}
 | density_sq_mi        = 22.7
 | time zone            = Central
 | web                  = co.pennington.mn.us
 | named for            = Edmund Pennington
 | district             = 7th
}}

'''Pennington 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 13,992.<ref name="QF">{{Cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/penningtoncountyminnesota/PST045222 |access-date=April 19, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Thief River Falls, Minnesota|Thief River Falls]].<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>

==History==
The [[Wisconsin]] Territory was established by the federal government effective July 3, 1836, and existed until its eastern portion was granted statehood (as [[Wisconsin]]) in 1848. The federal government set up the Minnesota Territory in the remaining territory, effective March 3, 1849. The newly organized territorial legislature created nine counties across the territory in October of that year. One of those original counties, [[Kittson County, Minnesota|Pembina]], had its lower portion partitioned in 1858 by the newly organized Minnesota State legislature to create [[Polk County, Minnesota|Polk County]]. On December 24, 1896, the legislature partitioned the northern portion of Polk to create [[Red Lake County, Minnesota|Red Lake County]]. Then on November 23, 1910,<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> the northern part of Red Lake was sectioned off to create Pennington County, the penultimate Minnesota county to be created (followed by [[Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota|Lake of the Woods]] in 1922). The county was named for Edmund Pennington (1848-1926), a longtime Minnesota railroad executive, who was serving as president of the [[Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad|Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie Railway]] when the county was formed. [[Thief River Falls, Minnesota|Thief River Falls]], the area's major settlement (platted in 1887), was specified as the county seat.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ShcLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA406 Upham, Warren. Minnesota Geographic Names (1920), pp. 406-408 (accessed April 29, 2019)]</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Pennington Co Pie Chart No Text Version.pdf|thumb|Soils of Pennington County<ref>Nelson, Steven (2011). ''Savanna Soils of Minnesota.'' Minnesota: Self. pp. 57-60. {{ISBN|978-0-615-50320-2}}.</ref>]] [[File:Oriniak WMA New Wiki Version.jpg|thumb|Soils of Oriniak WMA neighborhood]]
The [[Red Lake River]] flows westward into the county from [[Beltrami County, Minnesota|Beltrami County]] through Pennington's central portion. Near [[Thief River Falls, Minnesota|Thief River Falls]] it is joined by the [[Thief River]], flowing southward into the county from [[Marshall County, Minnesota|Marshall County]]. The combined flow exits Pennington County toward the south, then swings west- and northwestward as it moves to its confluence with the [[Red River of the North|Red River]] near [[Grand Forks, North Dakota]]. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, lightly wooded, with all available areas devoted to agriculture.<ref name="PCM">[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pennington+County,+MN/@48.0544303,-96.1816514,49300m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x52c773e8e2ba1771:0x59565ae23382c3cb!8m2!3d48.0391802!4d-96.075015 Pennington County MN Google Maps (accessed April 29, 2019)]</ref> The terrain slopes to the west and south,<ref>{{Cite web |title="Find an Altitude/Pennington County MN" Google Maps (accessed April 29, 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 29, 2019}}</ref> with its highest point near the lower east border, at {{convert|1,186|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.<ref>[https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=22112 High Point of Pennington County, Minnesota. PeakBagger.com (accessed April 29, 2019)]</ref> The county has a total area of {{convert|618|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|617|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.7|sqmi}} (0.3%) is 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> Pennington is one of 17 Minnesota savanna region counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils.

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[Image:US 59.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 59#Minnesota|U.S. Highway 59]]
* [[Image:MN-1.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 1]]
* [[Image:MN-32.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 32]]
* [[Image:MN-219.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 219]]
* [[Image:County 3 (MN).svg|20px]] [[County roads in Pennington County, Minnesota|Pennington County State-Aid Highway 3]]: Major connector between Pennington County and [[Grand Forks, North Dakota|Grand Forks]]. Connects with Polk County State-Aid Highway 21.
* [[Image:County 17 (MN).svg|20px]] [[County roads in Pennington County, Minnesota|Pennington County State-Aid Highway 17]]: Connects [[Thief River Falls, Minnesota|Thief River Falls]] to the [[Thief River Falls Regional Airport|Airport]]
* [[Image:County 10 (MN).svg|20px]] [[County roads in Pennington County, Minnesota|Pennington County State-Aid Highway 10]]: Major route, also known as [[Pembina Trail]]
* [[Image:County 16 (MN).svg|20px]] [[County roads in Pennington County, Minnesota|Pennington County State-Aid Highway 16]]:  [[U.S. Route 59|US 59]] [[Bypass (road)|Truck Bypass]] of [[Thief River Falls, Minnesota|Thief River Falls]], connects [[US Route 59|US 59]] / [[Minnesota State Highway 1|MN 1]] on the west side of town to [[Minnesota State Highway 32|MN 32]] on the south side of town
* [[Image:County 27 (MN).svg|20px]] [[Image:County 28 (MN).svg|20px]] [[County roads in Pennington County, Minnesota|Pennington County State-Aid Highways 27 & 28]]: Designated and designed for heavy truck traffic connecting [[U.S. Highway 2 in Minnesota|US 2]] to [[Roseau County, Minnesota|Roseau County]] and [[Marshall County, Minnesota|Marshall County]]
{{div col end}}

===Airports===
* [[Thief River Falls Regional Airport]]

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Marshall County, Minnesota|Marshall County]] - north
* [[Beltrami County, Minnesota|Beltrami County]] - east
* [[Clearwater County, Minnesota|Clearwater County]] - southeast
* [[Red Lake County, Minnesota|Red Lake County]] - south
* [[Polk County, Minnesota|Polk County]] - west
{{div col end}}

===Protected areas===
* Higinbotham State Wildlife Management Area
* Pembina State Wildlife Management Area

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 9376
|1920= 12091
|1930= 10487
|1940= 12913
|1950= 12965
|1960= 12468
|1970= 13266
|1980= 15258
|1990= 13306
|2000= 13584
|2010= 13930
|2020= 13992
|estyear=2023
|estimate=13714
|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"
|+Pennington 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) – Pennington County, Minnesota |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Pennington%20County,%20Minnesota&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (NH)
|12,241
|87.5%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (NH)
|177
|1.3%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]] (NH)
|166
|1.2%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]] (NH)
|121
|0.9%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|6
|0.04%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]] (NH)
|610
|4.4%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|671
|4.8%
|}

===2000 census===
[[File:PenningtonCountyMn2022PopPyr.png|thumb|right|2022 US Census [[population pyramid]] for Pennington County, from [[American Community Survey|ACS]] 5-year estimates]]
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 13,584 people, 5,525 households, and 3,552 families in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|22.0|/mi2|/km2}}. There were 6,033 housing units at an average density of {{convert|9.78|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 97.02% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.21% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.82% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.59% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.51% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.81% from two or more races. 1.24% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 49.0% were of [[norwegian people|Norwegian]], 15.4% [[German people|German]] and 7.2% [[swedish people|Swedish]] ancestry.

There were 5,525 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.70% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.70% were non-families. 29.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95.

The county population contained 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,216, and the median income for a family was $43,936. Males had a median income of $30,771 versus $21,078 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $17,346. About 7.70% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.70% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.

==Communities==
===Cities===
* [[Goodridge, Minnesota|Goodridge]]
* [[St. Hilaire, Minnesota|St. Hilaire]]
* [[Thief River Falls, Minnesota|Thief River Falls]] (county seat)

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col}}
* Dakota Junction{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}
* [[Erie, Minnesota|Erie]]
* [[Hazel, Minnesota|Hazel]]
* [[Highlanding, Minnesota|Highlanding]]
* [[Kratka, Minnesota|Kratka]]
* [[Mavie, Minnesota|Mavie]]
* River Valley<ref name=PCM/>
{{div col end}}

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Black River Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Black River Township]]
* [[Bray Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Bray Township]]
* [[Clover Leaf Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Clover Leaf Township]]
* [[Deer Park Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Deer Park Township]]
* [[Goodridge Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Goodridge Township]]
* [[Hickory Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Hickory Township]]
* [[Highlanding Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Highlanding Township]]
* [[Kratka Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Kratka Township]]
* [[Mayfield Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Mayfield Township]]
* [[Norden Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Norden Township]]
* [[North Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|North Township]]
* [[Numedal Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Numedal Township]]
* [[Polk Centre Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Polk Centre Township]]
* [[Reiner Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Reiner Township]]
* [[River Falls Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|River Falls Township]]
* [[Rocksbury Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Rocksbury Township]]
* [[Sanders Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Sanders Township]]
* [[Silverton Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Silverton Township]]
* [[Smiley Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Smiley Township]]
* [[Star Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Star Township]]
* [[Wyandotte Township, Pennington County, Minnesota|Wyandotte Township]]
{{div col end}}

==Politics==
In the first five elections after its founding, Pennington County had mixed results in presidential elections, voting for four different parties at least once in that span. From 1932 to 1996, the county voted Democratic, typically by moderately healthy margins, in every election save for three nationwide Republican landslides, [[Richard Nixon]] in 1972 and [[Ronald Reagan]] in both 1980 and 1984. Beginning in 2000, Pennington County has favored Republicans in six of the seven elections, with the exception being [[Barack Obama]] winning the county in 2008 by a fairly small margin of about 2%.
{{PresHead|place=Pennington 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|4,756|2,439|186|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|4,532|2,568|177|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|4,000|2,147|568|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|3,305|3,024|188|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|3,248|3,394|180|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|3,767|3,117|133|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,380|2,458|482|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|2,129|2,814|972|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|2,155|2,578|1,626|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|2,920|3,105|46|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|3,536|2,913|40|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|3,715|3,101|600|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|3,023|3,787|138|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,548|2,892|160|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|2,247|2,998|220|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,630|3,894|10|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|2,537|3,204|18|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,408|2,947|4|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|2,726|2,802|87|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,759|3,402|447|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,525|3,330|50|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,857|3,886|98|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,258|3,736|161|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,212|2,743|355|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|2,506|1,198|134|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1924|Progressive|1,126|146|2,337|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|2,320|768|734|Minnesota}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|868|1,004|273|Minnesota}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Progressive|244|423|1,205|Minnesota}}

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

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

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Pennington County, Minnesota
|North     = [[Marshall County, Minnesota|Marshall County]]
|East      = [[Beltrami County, Minnesota|Beltrami County]]
|Southeast = [[Clearwater County, Minnesota|Clearwater County]]
|South     = [[Red Lake County, Minnesota|Red Lake County]]
|West      = [[Polk County, Minnesota|Polk County]]
}}

{{Pennington County, Minnesota}}
{{Minnesota}}

{{coord|48.07|-96.04|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MN_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Pennington County, Minnesota| ]]
[[Category:Minnesota counties]]
[[Category:1910 establishments in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1910]]