Clearwater County, Minnesota

Not to be confused with Clearwater, Minnesota.

Clearwater County is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,524.^[3] Its county seat is Bagley.^[4]

Clearwater County
County
Clearwater County Building and Courthouse in Bagley, Minnesota.
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°34′N 95°23′W
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	December 20, 1902[1]
Named for	Clearwater Lake Clearwater River[2]
Seat	Bagley
Largest city	Bagley
Area
• Total	1,030 sq mi (2,700 km2)
• Land	999 sq mi (2,590 km2)
• Water	31 sq mi (80 km2)  3.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,524
• Estimate  (2023)	8,644
• Density	8.5/sq mi (3.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	8th
Website	www.co.clearwater.mn.us

Clearwater County is home to Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River. Parts of the Red Lake and White Earth Indian reservations extend into the county.

Geography

The Red Lake River flows west out of Red Lake across the top of Clearwater County on its way to discharge into the Red River at Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Clearwater River flows west-southwest across the central part of the county on its way to discharge into the Red Lake River. The county terrain consists of wooded rolling hills, dotted with lakes and ponds.^[5] The terrain slopes to the north, with the highest point on the lower west boundary, at 1,781 ft (543 m) ASL.^[6] The county has an area of 1,030 square miles (2,700 km²), of which 999 square miles (2,590 km²) is land and 31 square miles (80 km²) (3.0%) is water.^[7]

Soils of Clearwater County^[8]

The county's high point, just south of Scoop Lake, is one of a few places to exceed 2000 feet in Minnesota, rising to 2005 feet at 47.2318°N, -95.5034°W.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 2
• Minnesota State Highway 1
• Minnesota State Highway 92
• Minnesota State Highway 113
• Minnesota State Highway 200
• Minnesota State Highway 223

Adjacent counties

• Beltrami County - northeast
• Hubbard County - southeast
• Becker County - south
• Mahnomen County - southwest
• Polk County - west
• Pennington County - northwest

Protected areas

• Bagley Lake State Wildlife Management Area
• Clearwater State Wildlife Management Area
• Iron Springs Bog SNA
• Itasca State Park (part)
• Jackson Lake State Wildlife Management Area
• Little Pine State Wildlife Management Area
• Lower Rice Lake State Wildlife Management Area
• Old Red Lake Trail State Wildlife Management Area
• Upper Rice Lake State Wildlife Management Area

^[5]

Climate and weather

Bagley, Minnesota
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.7     16 −5     0.7     22 0     0.9     35 14     1.6     53 29     3     66 42     4.6     74 51     3.9     79 55     3.2     78 52     2.9     68 43     2.4     54 32     1     35 18     0.6     21 2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel[9]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     18     −9 −21     17     −6 −18     23     2 −10     41     12 −2     76     19 6     117     23 11     100     26 13     82     26 11     73     20 6     61     12 0     24     2 −8     16     −6 −17 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years average temperatures in Bagley have ranged from a low of −15 °F (−26 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, with a record low of −53 °F (−47 °C) recorded in February 1996 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) recorded in August 1976. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 0.64 inches (16 mm) in December to 4.62 inches (117 mm) in June.^[9]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	6,870		—
1920	8,569		24.7%
1930	9,546		11.4%
1940	11,153		16.8%
1950	10,204		−8.5%
1960	8,864		−13.1%
1970	8,013		−9.6%
1980	8,761		9.3%
1990	8,309		−5.2%
2000	8,423		1.4%
2010	8,695		3.2%
2020	8,524		−2.0%
2023 (est.)	8,643	[10]	1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[3]

2020 Census

Clearwater County Racial Composition^[15]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	7,151	83.9%
Black or African American (NH)	19	0.2%
Native American (NH)	752	8.82%
Asian (NH)	23	0.3%
Pacific Islander (NH)	2	0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH)	476	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino	101	1.2%

2000 census

2022 US Census population pyramid for Clearwater County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,423 people, 3,330 households, and 2,287 families in the county. The population density was 8.43 per square mile (3.25/km²). There were 4,114 housing units at an average density of 4.12 per square mile (1.59/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.26% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 8.58% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 43.6% were of Norwegian, 15.6% German, 6.5% Swedish, and 6.2% American ancestry.

There were 3,330 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02.

The county population contained 26.00% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 101.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,517, and the median income for a family was $39,698. Males had a median income of $29,338 versus $20,417 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,694. About 11.00% of families and 15.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.90% of those under age 18 and 18.20% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Bagley (county seat)
• Clearbrook
• Gonvick
• Leonard
• Shevlin

Census-designated places

• Ebro
• Elbow Lake
• Rice Lake
• Roy Lake
• South End

Unincorporated communities

• Alida
• Big Bear Landing
• Bonga Landing
• Bush Landing
• Lake Itasca
• Mallard
• Ponsford Landing
• Vern
• Weme
• Zerkel

^[5]

Townships

• Bear Creek Township
• Clover Township
• Copley Township
• Dudley Township
• Eddy Township
• Falk Township
• Greenwood Township
• Hangaard Township
• Holst Township
• Itasca Township
• La Prairie Township
• Leon Township
• Long Lost Lake Township
• Minerva Township
• Moose Creek Township
• Nora Township
• Pine Lake Township
• Popple Township
• Rice Township
• Shevlin Township
• Sinclair Township
• Winsor Township

Unorganized territories

• North Clearwater
• South Clearwater

Government and politics

From 1932 to 1996, Clearwater County voted for the Democratic nominee all but twice, both during nationwide Republican landslides for Richard Nixon in 1972 and Ronald Reagan in 1984. Though the county went Democrat in the subsequent three elections, Reagan's victory foreshadowed the changing political landscape of Clearwater County, as the margins for Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton were much reduced compared to the prior decades, with Dukakis winning the county by only 6 votes in 1988 and Clinton winning by less than 7.5% in both of his successful runs for the presidency. Beginning in 2000, Clearwater County has voted Republican in each election, and the only time the margin got under 10% was in 2008. In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican to win over 60% of the county's vote since 1928, defeating Hillary Clinton by an astounding 43%. In 2020, Trump increased his vote share again, defeating Joe Biden in the county by 45%. It was the best Republican performance in the county's history outside of its inaugural election in 1904 for Theodore Roosevelt.

United States presidential election results for Clearwater County, Minnesota^[16]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	3,372	71.62%	1,260	26.76%	76	1.61%
2016	2,925	68.90%	1,100	25.91%	220	5.18%
2012	2,359	56.21%	1,753	41.77%	85	2.03%
2008	2,291	53.77%	1,877	44.05%	93	2.18%
2004	2,438	55.90%	1,871	42.90%	52	1.19%
2000	2,137	55.88%	1,466	38.34%	221	5.78%
1996	1,423	40.50%	1,578	44.91%	513	14.60%
1992	1,315	34.99%	1,587	42.23%	856	22.78%
1988	1,763	49.43%	1,769	49.59%	35	0.98%
1984	2,066	51.33%	1,917	47.63%	42	1.04%
1980	1,919	46.39%	1,955	47.26%	263	6.36%
1976	1,374	34.22%	2,437	60.70%	204	5.08%
1972	1,819	49.39%	1,751	47.54%	113	3.07%
1968	1,284	36.06%	2,046	57.46%	231	6.49%
1964	1,137	30.41%	2,596	69.43%	6	0.16%
1960	1,651	39.93%	2,466	59.64%	18	0.44%
1956	1,464	40.11%	2,171	59.48%	15	0.41%
1952	1,971	47.89%	2,089	50.75%	56	1.36%
1948	1,171	27.80%	2,793	66.31%	248	5.89%
1944	1,125	29.47%	2,658	69.64%	34	0.89%
1940	1,354	28.94%	3,289	70.31%	35	0.75%
1936	939	22.05%	3,208	75.34%	111	2.61%
1932	845	22.89%	2,688	72.81%	159	4.31%
1928	1,898	60.01%	1,189	37.59%	76	2.40%
1924	1,020	37.54%	86	3.17%	1,611	59.29%
1920	1,788	70.73%	340	13.45%	400	15.82%
1916	493	39.92%	544	44.05%	198	16.03%
1912	125	11.42%	123	11.23%	847	77.35%
1908	779	66.07%	164	13.91%	236	20.02%
1904	903	85.27%	79	7.46%	77	7.27%

County Board of Commissioners^[17]

Position		Name	District	Next Election
	Commissioner	Mark Titera	District 1	2026
	Commissioner	Dean Newland	District 2	2024
	Commissioner	Stuart Dukek	District 3	2026
	Commissioner	John Nelson	District 4	2024
	Commissioner	Mark Larson	District 5	2026

State Legislature (2018-2020)

Position		Name	Affiliation	District
	Senate	Paul Utke[18]	Republican	District 2
	House of Representatives	Matt Grossell[19]	Republican	District 2A
	House of Representatives	Steve Green[20]	Republican	District 2B

U.S Congress (2018-2020)

Position		Name	Affiliation	District
	House of Representatives	Collin Peterson[21]	Democrat	7th
	Senate	Amy Klobuchar[22]	Democrat	N/A
	Senate	Tina Smith[23]	Democrat	N/A

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Clearwater County MN

References

1. "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
2. Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 121.
3. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. Clearwater County MN Google Maps (accessed March 6, 2019)
6. ""Find an Altitude/Clearwater County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 6, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
8. Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 57-60. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
9. "Monthly Averages for Bagley, Minnesota". The Weather Channel. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
10. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". Retrieved March 18, 2024.
11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
13. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
15. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clearwater County, Minnesota".
16. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
17. "County Board - Clearwater County, MN". www.co.clearwater.mn.us. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
18. "MN State Senate". www.senate.mn. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
19. "Rep. Matt Grossell (02A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
20. "Rep. Steve Green (02B) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
21. "Congressman Collin Peterson". Congressman Collin Peterson. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
22. "U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar". www.klobuchar.senate.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
23. "Home". Senator Tina Smith. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

External links

• Clearwater County government website
• City of Bagley website

47.57°N 95.38°W / 47.57; -95.38