# Carlton County, Minnesota *County in Minnesota, United States* Carlton County is a county of [[Minnesota]]. The lead of its Wikipedia article gives 1857 as its year of formation.[^1] The 2020 census counted 36,207 residents, and the county seat is the city of Carlton.[^1] The county sits on the state's eastern border with Wisconsin. A portion of the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation falls within its northeastern part.[^1][^2] It belongs to the Duluth, MN–WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.[^1] The reservation traces to the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe. Under that treaty, reservations were set aside in return for the Lake Superior Ojibwe land of the Arrowhead Region.[^3] In presidential voting, the county went to the [[Democratic Party (United States)]] in every election from 1932 to 2012.[^7] In 2024 it was carried by Donald Trump, the first nominee of the [[Republican Party (United States)]] to win it since Herbert Hoover in 1928.[^7] ## Geography The county forms part of Minnesota's eastern edge, and Wisconsin lies across its eastern line.[^2] The Saint Louis River crosses it toward the east-southeast and empties into Lake Superior.[^2] The Moose Horn River runs southwest to join the Kettle River.[^2] The Nemadji River and its South Fork both flow east and meet a few miles beyond the county's eastern boundary before reaching Lake Superior.[^2] The land is low and rolling, heavily wooded, and falls away toward several river valleys.[^2] The northwest corner stands at 1,329 ft (405 m) above sea level. A small hill 0.2 miles (0.32 km) west of Rogers Lake reaches 1,450 ft (440 m).[^2] Of the county's 875 square miles (2,270 km²), 861 square miles (2,230 km²) are land and 14 square miles (36 km²), or 1.6%, are water.[^2] Saint Louis County borders Carlton County to the north, Douglas County, Wisconsin to the east, Pine County to the south, and Aitkin County to the west.[^2] Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highways 23, 27, 33, 45, 73, 210 and 289 serve the county.[^2] Protected lands in the county include Jay Cooke State Park and portions of the Fond du Lac State Forest and the Nemadji State Forest.[^2] They also include the Black Hoof, Dye, Kettle Lake and Sawyer wildlife management areas.[^2] ## History The 1854 Treaty of La Pointe created the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation along with other reservations.[^3] In exchange, the Lake Superior Ojibwe gave up all their land in the Arrowhead Region.[^3] The source gives two dates for the county's beginning. Its lead says the county was formed in 1857. Its History section says the county was formed and organized in 1870.[^1][^3] The county takes its name from Reuben B. Carlton, who sat in the [[Minnesota Senate]] in 1857–58.[^3] An immense forest fire, the Cloquet fire, occurred in October 1918.[^3] The Carlton County Historical Society keeps a permanent exhibit on that fire. It also has exhibits on the Ojibwe of Carlton County and on the Logging Era.[^3] ## Climate and weather In recent years at Carlton, the county seat, mean temperatures have run from a January low of 1 °F (−17 °C) to a July high of 80 °F (27 °C).[^4] The recorded extremes are −45 °F (−43 °C), set in January 1912, and 105 °F (41 °C), set in July 1936.[^4] Average monthly precipitation runs from 0.87 inches (22 mm) in February to 4.34 inches (110 mm) in September.[^4] ## Demographics The 2020 census counted 36,207 people, with a median age of 42.0 years.[^5] Of these residents, 22.4% were under 18 and 18.7% were 65 or older.[^5] The census recorded 109.2 males per 100 females overall and 109.7 males per 100 females among adults.[^5] By race, the census reported 86.0% White, 6.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, and 1.6% Black or African American.[^5] It also reported 0.4% Asian, under 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% some other race, and 5.4% two or more races.[^5] Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 1.7%.[^5] Rural residents made up 63.5% of the population and urban residents 36.5%.[^5] The census counted 13,789 households.[^5] Of these, 29.8% included children under 18, and 51.0% were married-couple households.[^5] Single-person households made up 27.5% of all households, and 12.0% consisted of someone 65 or older living alone.[^5] Of the 15,688 housing units, 12.1% stood vacant.[^5] Owners occupied 79.9% of occupied units and renters 20.1%. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate 5.9%.[^5] The 2010 census had counted 35,386 residents.[^5] That count was 89.7% White, 5.9% Native American, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, and 2.4% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents made up 1.4%.[^5] Leading reported ancestries were German (16.4%), Finnish (13.5%), Norwegian (8.9%) and Swedish (8.6%).[^5] ## Communities The county's cities are Barnum, Carlton (the county seat), Cloquet, Cromwell, Kettle River, Moose Lake, Scanlon, Wrenshall and Wright.[^6] Big Lake, Esko and Mahtowa are census-designated places.[^6] Unincorporated communities include Atkinson, Automba, Duesler, Harney, Holyoke, Iverson, Nemadji, Otter Creek, Pleasant Valley, Sawyer and Scotts Corner.[^6] The townships are Atkinson, Automba, Barnum, Beseman, Blackhoof, Eagle, Holyoke, Kalevala, Lakeview, Mahtowa, Moose Lake, Perch Lake, Silver, Silver Brook, Skelton, Split Rock, Thomson, Twin Lakes and Wrenshall.[^6] The unorganized territories are Clear Creek and North Carlton. These take in the Corona, Progress, Red Clover and Sawyer unorganized townships.[^6] ## Government and politics ### Local government Kelly Lake has been the county [[sheriff]] since April 2005 and still held the office as of 2025.[^7] The [[County Board]] of Commissioners has five members, one for each district.[^7] In April 2019, Lake and the Fond du Lac Police Department jointly ran sex trafficking training for other sheriff agencies. These were agencies that would be affected by the upcoming Enbridge Line 3.[^7] In 2017 the county published a *Jail & Criminal Justice System Planning Study*.[^7] Carlton County Public Health has operated since 1920. As of 2019, it had 36 county employees and 6 contract staff.[^7] ### Elections Democratic presidential candidates won the county by wide margins in every election from 1932 through 2012.[^7] Over that span, the only Republican to reach 40% of the county vote was Richard Nixon in 1972.[^7] Donald Trump lost the county by 300 votes in 2016 and by 307 votes in 2020. Each margin was under 2%, and the Democratic candidate won only a plurality both times.[^7] In 2024 Trump carried the county with 50.1% of the vote.[^7] In the 2022 midterm elections, the Republican candidates for attorney general, [[state auditor]] and the U.S. House of Representatives each won the county.[^7] Republicans also took State House District 11A, which covers most of the county. The flip came alongside other Republican pickups on the Iron Range, although the party did not win control of the State House.[^7] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Carlton County, Minnesota*, lead section (revision 1381773378, retrieved 2026-10-25) — formation year 1857, 2020 population, county seat, Fond du Lac reservation, metropolitan area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlton_County,_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Carlton County, Minnesota*, Geography section (revision 1381773378, retrieved 2026-10-25) — location, rivers, terrain, elevations, area, highways, adjacent counties, protected areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlton_County,_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Carlton County, Minnesota*, History section (revision 1381773378, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 1854 Treaty of La Pointe, formation and organization in 1870, naming, 1918 Cloquet fire, historical society exhibits. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlton_County,_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Carlton County, Minnesota*, Climate and weather section (revision 1381773378, retrieved 2026-10-25) — temperature averages and records, precipitation at Carlton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlton_County,_Minnesota [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Carlton County, Minnesota*, Demographics section (revision 1381773378, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2020 and 2010 census figures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlton_County,_Minnesota [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Carlton County, Minnesota*, Communities section (revision 1381773378, retrieved 2026-10-25) — cities, census-designated places, unincorporated communities, townships, unorganized territories. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlton_County,_Minnesota [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Carlton County, Minnesota*, Government and politics section (revision 1381773378, retrieved 2026-10-25) — sheriff, county board, 2019 training, 2017 jail study, public health staffing, presidential and 2022 election results. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlton_County,_Minnesota