Minnesota, the Gopher State


Land area: 79,617 sq. mi. (14)
Population (2000): 4,919,479 (21)
Population density: 61.79 per sq. mi. (31)
U.S. Representatives (2003-12): 8
Entered Union: 11-May-1858 (32)

Nowadays, people might equate Minnesota with Minneapolis’ Metrodome or Bloomington’s Mall of America. I prefer to think about the 10,000 lakes (give or take a dozen). Driving north, past Eveleth, home of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame (they play on the frozen lakes, you see), you get into some fabulous territory. You go through a forest and lakes pop up on either side of you. And don’t forget the hundreds of miles of the upper Mississippi – it starts a little ways west of Grand Rapids.

No. of Counties I’ve Visited: 44 of 87

County Pop. (2000)     Latest Visit   County Seat Visited?
Aitkin 15,301 Aitkin
Anoka 298,084 8-Aug-1995 Anoka
Becker 30,000 10-Aug-2005 Detroit Lakes yes
Beltrami 39,650 8-Aug-1995 Bemidji
Benton 34,226 Foley
Big Stone 5,820 10-Aug-2005 Ortonville
Blue Earth 55,941 Mankato
Brown 26,911 New Ulm
Carlton 31,671 8-Aug-1995 Carlton
Carver 70,205 Chaska
Cass 27,150 Walker
Chippewa 13,088 10-Aug-2005 Montevideo yes
Chisago 41,101 8-Aug-1995 Center City
Clay 51,229 10-Aug-2005 Moorhead yes
Clearwater 8,423 Bagley
Cook 5,168 Grand Marais
Cottonwood 12,167 Windom
Crow Wing 55,099 Brainerd
Dakota 355,904 19-Aug-1998 Hastings
Dodge 17,731 Mantorville
Douglas 32,821 Alexandria
Faribault 16,181 Blue Earth
Fillmore 21,122 Preston
Freeborn 32,584 18-Aug-1998 Albert Lea yes
Goodhue 44,127 Red Wing
Grant 6,289 10-Aug-2005 Elbow Lake yes
Hennepin 1,116,200 7-Aug-1995 Minneapolis yes
Houston 19,718 Caledonia
Hubbard 18,376 Park Rapids
Isanti 31,287 Cambridge
Itasca 43,992 8-Aug-1995 Grand Rapids yes
Jackson 11,268 Jackson
Kanabec 14,996 Mora
Kandiyohi 41,203 Willmar
Kittson 5,285 10-Aug-2005 Hallock yes
Koochiching 14,355 8-Aug-1995 International Falls
Lac qui Parle 8,067 10-Aug-2005 Madison
Lake 11,058 Two Harbors
Lake of the Woods 4,522 8-Aug-1995 Baudette yes
Le Sueur 25,426 Le Center
Lincoln 6,429 10-Aug-2005 Ivanhoe
Lyon 25,425 10-Aug-2005 Marshall yes
McLeod 34,898 Glencoe
Mahnomen 5,190 10-Aug-2005 Mahnomen yes
Marshall 10,155 10-Aug-2005 Warren
Martin 21,802 Fairmont
Meeker 22,644 Litchfield
Mille Lacs 22,330 Milaca
Morrison 31,712 Little Falls
Mower 38,603 Austin
Murray 9,165 10-Aug-2005 Slayton
Nicollet 29,771 St. Peter
Nobles 20,832 10-Aug-2005 Worthington
Norman 7,442 10-Aug-2005 Ada
Olmsted 124,277 Rochester
Otter Tail 57,159 10-Aug-2005 Fergus Falls yes
Pennington 13,584 10-Aug-2005 Thief River Falls yes
Pine 26,530 8-Aug-1995 Pine City yes
Pipestone 9,895 10-Aug-2005 Pipestone
Polk 31,369 10-Aug-2005 Crookston
Pope 11,236 Glenwood
Ramsey 511,035 19-Aug-1998 St. Paul yes
Red Lake 4,299 10-Aug-2005 Red Lake Falls yes
Redwood 16,815 Redwood Falls
Renville 17,154 Olivia
Rice 56,665 18-Aug-1998 Faribault yes
Rock 9,721 10-Aug-2005 Luverne yes
Roseau 16,338 8-Aug-1995 Roseau
St. Louis 200,528 10-Aug-2006 Duluth yes
Scott 89,498 18-Aug-1998 Shakopee
Sherburne 64,417 Elk River
Sibley 15,356 Gaylord
Stearns 133,166 St. Cloud
Steele 33,680 18-Aug-1998 Owatonna yes
Stevens 10,053 10-Aug-2005 Morris yes
Swift 11,956 10-Aug-2005 Benson
Todd 24,426 Long Prairie
Traverse 4,134 10-Aug-2005 Wheaton
Wabasha 21,610 Wabasha
Wadena 13,713 Wadena
Waseca 19,526 18-Aug-1998 Waseca yes
Washington 201,130 19-Aug-1998 Stillwater
Watonwan 11,876 St. James
Wilkin 7,138 10-Aug-2005 Breckenridge
Winona 49,985 Winona
Wright 89,986 Buffalo
Yellow Medicine 11,080 10-Aug-2005 Granite Falls

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