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
County
The Polk County Government Center in Crookston
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47.774254°N 96.400027°W / 47.774254; -96.400027
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	July 20, 1858 (created) February 27, 1879 (organized)
Named after	James Knox Polk
Seat	Crookston
Largest city	East Grand Forks
Area
• Total	1,997.791 sq mi (5,174.25 km2)
• Land	1,970.999 sq mi (5,104.86 km2)
• Water	26.792 sq mi (69.39 km2)  1.34%
Population  (2020)
• Total	31,192
• Estimate  (2024)	30,413
• Density	15.431/sq mi (5.958/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	218
Congressional district	7th
Website	polkcountymn.gov

Polk County is part of the Grand Forks, ND-MN metropolitan statistical area.

History

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

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]

Soils of Polk County^[10]

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

• Tri-Valley Opportunity Council (T.H.E. Bus)

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 2
• U.S. Highway 59
• U.S. Highway 75
• Minnesota State Highway 9
• Minnesota State Highway 32
• Minnesota State Highway 92
• Minnesota State Highway 102
• Minnesota State Highway 220

• 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.
• 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.
• Polk County State-Aid Highways 11 & 46: US 2 Truck Bypass of Crookston
• Polk County State-Aid Highway 2: Designated and designed for heavy truck traffic connecting US 2 to Roseau County and Marshall County.

Adjacent counties

• 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

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

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	240		—
1880	11,433		—
1890	30,192		164.1%
1900	35,429		17.3%
1910	36,001		1.6%
1920	37,090		3.0%
1930	36,019		−2.9%
1940	37,734		4.8%
1950	35,900		−4.9%
1960	36,182		0.8%
1970	34,435		−4.8%
1980	34,844		1.2%
1990	32,498		−6.7%
2000	31,369		−3.5%
2010	31,600		0.7%
2020	31,192		−1.3%
2024 (est.)	30,413	[11]	−2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[2]

As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Polk County was $227,076.^[16]

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 39.5 years.

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[17]	Pop. 1990[18]	Pop. 2000[19]	Pop. 2010[20]	Pop. 2020[21]
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

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

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.^[22]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 31,192 people, 12,534 households, and 7,852 families residing in the county.^[23] The population density was 15.8 inhabitants per square mile (6.1/km²). There were 14,623 housing units at an average density of 7.42 inhabitants per square mile (2.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.29% White, 3.13% African American, 1.46% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.97% from some other races and 5.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.41% of the population.^[24] 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.8% were under 5 years of age, and 19.8% were 65 and older.

2010 census

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

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

Cities

• Beltrami
• Climax
• Crookston (county seat)
• East Grand Forks
• Erskine
• Fertile
• Fisher
• Fosston
• Gully
• Lengby
• McIntosh
• Mentor
• Nielsville
• Trail
• Winger

Unincorporated communities

• Benoit
• Cisco
• Dugdale
• Euclid
• Greenview
• Maple Bay
• Olga
• Sherack
• Tabor

Townships

• 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

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.

United States presidential election results for Polk County, Minnesota^[25]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	10,162	65.91%	4,967	32.21%	290	1.88%
2020	9,865	63.26%	5,439	34.88%	290	1.86%
2016	8,979	60.69%	4,712	31.85%	1,105	7.47%
2012	7,615	51.83%	6,773	46.10%	305	2.08%
2008	7,148	46.62%	7,850	51.19%	336	2.19%
2004	8,724	55.68%	6,729	42.95%	215	1.37%
2000	7,609	53.81%	5,764	40.76%	767	5.42%
1996	5,563	40.94%	6,369	46.88%	1,655	12.18%
1992	5,817	38.95%	5,850	39.17%	3,267	21.88%
1988	7,032	47.96%	7,523	51.31%	107	0.73%
1984	8,617	54.60%	7,033	44.56%	132	0.84%
1980	9,036	51.21%	7,151	40.53%	1,457	8.26%
1976	6,552	40.86%	9,078	56.62%	404	2.52%
1972	8,139	51.24%	7,366	46.37%	380	2.39%
1968	6,074	40.04%	8,380	55.24%	715	4.71%
1964	5,039	31.28%	11,052	68.60%	20	0.12%
1960	7,528	44.52%	9,346	55.27%	35	0.21%
1956	6,847	46.10%	7,980	53.73%	26	0.18%
1952	8,326	53.09%	7,244	46.19%	113	0.72%
1948	4,662	31.98%	9,279	63.64%	639	4.38%
1944	4,402	33.07%	8,808	66.18%	100	0.75%
1940	5,200	32.53%	10,652	66.64%	133	0.83%
1936	3,751	24.30%	11,337	73.44%	349	2.26%
1932	3,604	27.32%	8,751	66.35%	835	6.33%
1928	7,215	56.08%	5,357	41.64%	294	2.29%
1924	5,027	43.94%	663	5.80%	5,750	50.26%
1920	8,197	69.47%	2,111	17.89%	1,492	12.64%
1916	2,471	37.93%	3,498	53.70%	545	8.37%
1912	735	12.79%	1,662	28.92%	3,350	58.29%
1908	3,311	55.21%	1,928	32.15%	758	12.64%
1904	3,549	71.71%	696	14.06%	704	14.23%
1900	2,863	49.62%	2,533	43.90%	374	6.48%
1896	2,855	35.39%	5,054	62.65%	158	1.96%
1892	1,376	23.35%	1,510	25.63%	3,006	51.02%

County Board of Commissioners^[26]

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

State Legislature (2023-2025)

Position		Name	Affiliation	District
	Senate	Mark Johnson[27]	Republican	District 1
	House of Representatives	Deb Kiel[28]	Republican	District 1B

U.S Congress (2023-2025)

Position		Name	Affiliation	District
	House of Representatives	Michelle Fischbach[29]	Republican	7th
	Senate	Amy Klobuchar[30]	Democrat	N/A
	Senate	Tina Smith[31]	Democrat	N/A

Education

School districts include:^[32]

• Clearbrook-Gonvick School District ISD #2311
• Climax-Shelly Public Schools ISD #592
• Crookston Public School District ISD #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

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Polk County, Minnesota