Beltrami County ( ) is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the northern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,228. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Bemidji Bemidji ( ) is a city and the county seat of Beltrami County, in northern Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 at the 2020 census. According to 2022 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,946, makin ...

. The county's name comes from Italian adventurer Giacomo Beltrami from

Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...

, who explored the area in 1825. The county was created in 1866 and organized in 1896. Beltrami County comprises the Bemidji, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area. Portions of the

Leech Lake Leech Lake (translated from the Ojibwe language ''Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag'': Lake abundant with bloodsuckers) is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, Minnesota, Bemidji, located mainly within the L ...

and Red Lake

Indian reservation An American Indian reservation is an area of land land tenure, held and governed by a List of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States#Description, U.S. federal government-recognized Native American tribal nation, whose gov ...

s are in the county. The northernmost portion of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

flows through the southern part of the county, through Bemidji. Beltrami, Renville, and Stearns are Minnesota's only counties that abut nine other counties.

Geography

Beltrami County's southwest corner is considered part of the headwaters of the

, which flows easterly and northeasterly from

Lake Itasca Lake Itasca ( ) is a small glacial lake, approximately in area. It is located in Itasca State Park, in south-eastern Clearwater County, in the Headwaters area of north-central Minnesota, and is notable for being the headwater of the Mississip ...

through the southern part of the county. Much of the middle and upper county is taken up with the two sections of Red Lake. The county terrain consists of rolling low tree-covered hills, dotted with lakes and ponds.''Beltrami County MN'' Google Maps (accessed March 4, 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the east and north. Its highest point is a small hill northwest of Wolf Lake, at ASL; otherwise the terrain high point is near its southwest corner, at ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (18%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in Minnesota by area.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 2 * U.S. Highway 71 *

Minnesota State Highway 1 Minnesota State Highway 1 (MN 1) is a state highway across northern Minnesota, United States, which runs from North Dakota Highway 54 (ND 54) at the North Dakota state line (at the Red River in Oslo) and continues east to its eastern ter ...

* Minnesota State Highway 72 *

Minnesota State Highway 89 Minnesota State Highway 89 (MN 89) is a highway in northwest Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with U.S. Highway 2 at Eckles Township, just north of Wilton (near Bemidji) and continues north to its northern terminus at the Can ...

* Minnesota State Highway 197

Adjacent counties

* Lake of the Woods County - north * Koochiching County - northeast *

Itasca County Itasca County ( ) is a county located in the Iron Range region of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 45,014. Its county seat is Grand Rapids. The county is named after Lake Itasca, which is in turn a shorte ...

- east * Cass County - southeast * Hubbard County - south * Clearwater County - southwest * Pennington County - west * Marshall County - west * Roseau County - northwest

Protected areas

* Bagley Lake State Wildlife Management Area (part) * Buena Vista State Forest *

Chippewa National Forest Chippewa National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Minnesota, United States, in the counties of Itasca, Cass and Beltrami. Forest headquarters are located in Cass Lake, Minnesota. There are local ranger district offices ...

(part) * Lake Bemidji State Park * Long Lake State Wildlife Management Area * Mississippi Headwaters State Forest (part) * Pine Island State Forest (part) * Red Lake Peatland Scientific and Natural Area (part) * Three Island Lake County Park

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Bemidji have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1950 and a record high of was recorded in July 1975. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in July.

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 39,650 people, 14,337 households, and 9,749 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 16,989 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 76.66%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.36%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 20.36% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.21% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. 0.99% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 21.6% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 19.7% Norwegian and 5.6% Swedish ancestry. 95.1% spoke English and 2.4%

Ojibwa The Ojibwe (; syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the northern plains, extending into the subarctic and thro ...

as their first language. There were 14,337 households, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.30% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.13. The county population contained 28.70% under the age of 18, 13.90% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,392, and the median income for a family was $40,345. Males had a median income of $30,434 versus $22,045 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $15,497. About 12.90% of families and 17.60% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 21.70% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over. Over half the children in the county are born out of wedlock. About a third are born to teenaged mothers. The county has about twice the state average in terms of high school dropouts.

Crime

Between 1990 and 2005, the county had a suicide rate four times higher than the state. The county exceeds the state and national rates in both violent and property crimes.

Communities

Cities

(county seat) * Blackduck * Funkley * Kelliher * Solway * Tenstrike * Turtle River * Wilton

Townships

* Alaska Township * Battle Township * Bemidji Township * Benville Township * Birch Township * Buzzle Township * Cormant Township * Durand Township * Eckles Township * Frohn Township * Grant Valley Township * Hagali Township * Hamre Township * Hines Township * Hornet Township * Jones Township * Kelliher Township * Lammers Township * Langor Township * Lee Township * Liberty Township * Maple Ridge Township * Minnie Township * Moose Lake Township * Nebish Township * Northern Township * O'Brien Township * Port Hope Township * Quiring Township * Roosevelt Township * Shooks Township * Shotley Township * Spruce Grove Township * Steenerson Township * Sugar Bush Township * Summit Township * Taylor Township * Ten Lake Township * Turtle Lake Township * Turtle River Township * Waskish Township * Woodrow Township

Unorganized territories

* Brook Lake * Lower Red Lake * North Beltrami * Shotley Brook * Upper Red Lake

Census-designated places

Little Rock Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

* Ponemah * Red Lake * Redby

Unincorporated communities

* Andrusia * Aure * Carmel * Debs * Four Town * Hines * Jelle * Pennington * Pinewood * Puposky * Quiring * Saum * Secluded Acres * Shooks * Waskish * Werner

Government and politics

From the

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

realignment in

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

through

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, Beltrami County leaned Democratic, selecting the Democratic nominee in every presidential election save

Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

's landslides in

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

and

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

and

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

's in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

. In

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

became the first Republican to carry the county since 1972. Bush fell short of a majority, with third parties (particularly

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

nominee

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American lawyer and political activist involved in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. He is a Perennial candidate, perennial presidential candidate. His 1965 book '' ...

) doing well statewide, but his 48.5% vote share was higher than any Republican's from 1964 to 1996 save Nixon in 1972 and Reagan in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

. Beltrami returned to the Democratic column in the next three elections, but in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

became the second Republican since 1972 to carry the county, winning a bare majority; in

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, he won it again with a slightly higher percentage, but the margin of victory shrank due to the decrease in vote share for third party candidates. Trump continued this trend in 2024 when he increased his share of the vote to nearly 52%. On January 7, 2020, in response to Trump's executive order, the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners voted to prohibit refugees from resettling in the area.

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> * Bemidji Public School District * Blackduck Public School District * Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools * Kelliher Public School District * Red Lake Public School District * Grygla Public School District

References

External links

Official website

360 Degree Virtual Tour
of 2011 Beltrami County Fair {{Coord, 48.02, -94.92, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MN_source:UScensus1990 Minnesota counties 1896 establishments in Minnesota Populated places established in 1896 Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River