# Chisago County, Minnesota *County in east-central Minnesota, United States* Chisago County lies in east-central [[Minnesota]]. It spans 442 square miles (1,140 square kilometers), and the 2020 Census counted 56,621 residents. It belongs to the [[Minneapolis]]–St. Paul–Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.[^1] Center City is the seat of county government. North Branch is the most populous city. Shafer, Chisago City, Lindström and Center City together make up the Chisago Lakes area. Manufacturing, agriculture and tourism all contribute to the local economy.[^1] The St. Croix River forms the county's eastern edge and the boundary with Wisconsin.[^2] A five-member County Board governs the county. In presidential elections, its voters have chosen the Republican candidate in every contest since 2000.[^3] ## History The [[Dakota]] occupied the southern part of what is now the county before European settlement, and the Ojibwe occupied the northern part. Sieur duLuth, in 1679, was the first European to explore the area. During the 18th century, French and English traders set up posts at Taylors Falls and Sunrise. Fur traders travelling south from Lake Superior in the late 18th and early 19th centuries built posts along the river as far south as Taylors Falls.[^4] An 1837 treaty between the United States and the Chippewa Nation transferred all land between the St. Croix and the [[Mississippi River]], which opened the area to European settlement.[^4] The settlers were mostly of Swedish descent. They came for land and opportunity, and they built small farms and communities across the county. Farming, logging and mining sustained the early economy. Some Swedish emigrants left to escape the Lutheran Church of Sweden. Most, however, emigrated for other reasons and continued to identify as Lutherans. In the absence of ordained clergy, early congregations were led by lay members; one example is the Chisago Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church in Center City. The area was then within the [[Minnesota Territory]], and the county was formally established in 1851.[^4] ## Geography The St. Croix River runs south-southeast along the county's eastern boundary, which is also the state line with Wisconsin.[^2] The Sunrise River flows north through the middle of the county. It picks up the North Branch Sunrise River and Hay Creek and then empties into the St. Croix at the eastern boundary. The two largest lakes are Green Lake, at 1,800 acres, and Chisago Lake, at 897 acres. Wetlands cover 72,257 acres.[^2] The land is mostly rolling, agricultural hills that slope toward the south and east. The highest point is a hill west of Wild Mountain Ski Area, seven miles north of Taylors Falls, at 1,130 feet (340 m) above sea level. Of the county's 442 square miles, 415 are land and 28 (6.2%) are water.[^2] The county is served by Interstate 35, U.S. Highways 8 and 61, and Minnesota State Highways 95 and 243. Its neighbors are Pine County to the north, Burnett County, Wisconsin, to the northeast, Polk County, Wisconsin, to the east, Washington County to the south, Anoka County to the southwest, Isanti County to the west, and Kanabec County to the northwest.[^2] Protected areas include Interstate State Park, Wild River State Park, Franconia Bluffs and Lawrence Creek Scientific and Natural Areas, Fish Lake County Park, Ojiketa Regional Park, and part of the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway.[^2] ## Climate and weather Under the Köppen classification, the county has a humid continental (Dfb) climate. Winters are long and cold, and summers are warm. Summer highs average about 80 °F (27 °C), and winter lows average about 5 °F (−15 °C). The recorded extremes are −38 °F (−39 °C), set in January 1977, and 104 °F (40 °C), set in July 1988.[^5] The county receives an average of 30 inches (760 mm) of rain and 47 inches (1,200 mm) of snow each year. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes peak in spring, and winter brings heavy snow and blizzards.[^5] ## Demographics The county grew faster than most Minnesota counties between 1960 and 2010. From 2000 to 2014, it added 12,924 people, a 31.4 percent increase that ranked fifth in the state.[^6] Among residents, 95.4% hold at least a high school diploma, 22.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 4.9% are veterans.[^6] At the 2020 Census, the population of 56,621 had a median age of 40.8 years. Residents under 18 made up 23.1% of the population, and those 65 or older made up 16.1%. There were 106.0 males for every 100 females.[^6] By race, the census reported 90.8% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, 0.9% some other race, and 4.9% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 2.6% of the population. About a third of residents (34.3%) lived in urban areas, and 65.7% lived in rural areas.[^6] The census counted 20,900 households, and 32.0% of them included children under 18. Married couples headed 58.7% of households. Of the 22,294 housing units, 6.3% were vacant, and 86.6% of occupied units were owner-occupied.[^6] ## Education The county's high schools are Chisago Lakes High School, North Branch Area High School and Rush City High School.[^7] ## Communities The county has ten cities: Center City, Chisago City, Harris, Lindström, North Branch, Rush City, Shafer, Stacy, Taylors Falls and Wyoming. Its unincorporated communities are Almelund, Franconia, Palmdale, Rush Point, Stark and Sunrise.[^7] The townships are Amador, Chisago Lake, Fish Lake, Franconia, Nessel, Rushseba, Shafer and Sunrise. Lent and Wyoming townships no longer exist.[^7] ## Culture German, Swedish and Norwegian immigrants arrived in the mid-19th century, and their influence on the county's culture remains strong. The Swedish novelist [[Vilhelm Moberg]] set much of his 1950s series *The Emigrants* in the county. He drew on archival and oral-history research to reconstruct its early Swedish immigration.[^8] A bronze statue of Moberg by sculptor Ian Dudley stands in Chisago City's park.[^8] In the novels, Karl Oskar is the first settler near Lake Ki-Chi-Saga. The name comes from the Ojibwe for "big lake with an outlet" and was later shortened to Lake Chisago. Lindström holds Karl Oskar Days each year to celebrate the settlers' heritage.[^8] ## Government and politics The five members of the [[County Board]] are elected from districts to staggered four-year terms. The Board sets the tax rate and adopts the budget. It also appoints boards and commissions, approves grants and personnel actions, and supervises county administration.[^3] The Court Administrator's Office keeps records, manages case flow and juries, and collects fines for all District Court matters in the county. These include juvenile, civil, family, probate, criminal and conciliation cases. Three chambered judges sit in the county full-time. The county belongs to the 10th Judicial District, which covers eight counties and has 45 judges, any of whom may hear Chisago County cases.[^3] In recent state and federal elections, the county's voting has shifted conservative. It has supported the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2000 onward.[^3] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Chisago County, Minnesota* (rev. 1379299228, retrieved 2026-10-25) — area, 2020 Census population, metropolitan area, county seat, largest city, economy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisago_County,_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Chisago County, Minnesota* (rev. 1379299228, retrieved 2026-10-25) — geography, rivers, lakes, wetlands, terrain, land and water area, highways, adjacent counties, protected areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisago_County,_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Chisago County, Minnesota* (rev. 1379299228, retrieved 2026-10-25) — County Board structure and duties, court administration, 10th Judicial District, presidential voting since 2000. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisago_County,_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Chisago County, Minnesota* (rev. 1379299228, retrieved 2026-10-25) — Dakota and Ojibwe presence, 1679 exploration, trading posts, 1837 treaty, Swedish settlement, 1851 establishment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisago_County,_Minnesota [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Chisago County, Minnesota* (rev. 1379299228, retrieved 2026-10-25) — climate classification, temperatures, records, precipitation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisago_County,_Minnesota [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Chisago County, Minnesota* (rev. 1379299228, retrieved 2026-10-25) — population growth, education attainment, 2020 Census age, race, households and housing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisago_County,_Minnesota [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Chisago County, Minnesota* (rev. 1379299228, retrieved 2026-10-25) — high schools, cities, unincorporated communities, townships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisago_County,_Minnesota [^8]: Wikipedia contributors, *Chisago County, Minnesota* (rev. 1379299228, retrieved 2026-10-25) — immigrant heritage, Vilhelm Moberg, Dudley statue, Lake Ki-Chi-Saga, Karl Oskar Days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisago_County,_Minnesota