Beltrami County, Minnesota

Beltrami County, Minnesota
Beltrami County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,228. Its county seat is Bemidji. The county's name comes from Italian adventurer Giacomo Beltrami from Bergamo, 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 and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River 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 Mississippi River, which flows easterly and northeasterly from Lake Itasca 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. 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 72
Minnesota State Highway 89
Minnesota State Highway 197
Adjacent counties
Lake of the Woods County - north
Koochiching County - northeast
Itasca County - 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 (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 of 2000, there were 39,650 people, 14,337 households, and 9,749 families in the county. The population density was . There were 16,989 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 76.66% White, 0.36% Black or African American, 20.36% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. 0.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 21.6% were of German, 19.7% Norwegian and 5.6% Swedish ancestry. 95.1% spoke English and 2.4% Ojibwa 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 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 for the county was $15,497. About 12.90% of families and 17.60% of the population were below the poverty line, 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
Bemidji (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
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 realignment in 1932 through 1996, Beltrami County leaned Democratic, selecting the Democratic nominee in every presidential election save Eisenhower's landslides in 1952 and 1956 and Nixon's in 1972. In 2000, George W. Bush became the first Republican to carry the county since 1972. Bush fell short of a majority, with third parties (particularly Green nominee Ralph Nader) 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. Beltrami returned to the Democratic column in the next three elections, but in 2016, Donald Trump became the second Republican since 1972 to carry the county, winning a bare majority; in 2020, he won it again, but the margin of victory shrank.
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:
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
See also
Gilfillan Biotic Area
National Register of Historic Places listings in Beltrami County, Minnesota
Red Lake, the largest lake that is entirely in Minnesota.
References
External links
Official website
360 Degree Virtual Tour of 2011 Beltrami County Fair
Minnesota counties
1896 establishments in Minnesota
Populated places established in 1896
Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River