# Koochiching County, Minnesota *County in northern Minnesota, U.S. state; county seat International Falls* Koochiching County is a county on the northern edge of the U.S. state of [[Minnesota]], with its seat at International Falls. The 2020 census counted 12,062 residents.[^1] Part of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation and a small portion of Voyageurs National Park lie within the county. Lake of the Woods County adjoins it to the northwest.[^1] The county was formed in 1906 from Itasca County, which makes it one of the state's youngest counties.[^2] The county has no organized civil township governments. Neighboring Lake of the Woods County is the only other Minnesota county in that position. The source attributes this to legislative action by which the county absorbed its existing township governments.[^6] ## History Roughly 10,000 years ago, Lake Agassiz covered nearly 90 percent of what is now the county. When the lake retreated it left low-lying muskeg of decayed vegetation. Peat between 2 and 50 feet thick now underlies three-quarters of the county's northern part.[^2] The name derives either from the Ojibwe Gojijiing or from the Cree Kocicīhk, written "Ouchichiq" in some documents. Both are glossed as "at the place of inlets," a reference to the neighboring Rainy Lake and Rainy River.[^2] Reverend J.A. Gilfillan recorded two readings, "Neighbor lake" and "a lake somewhere." These may refer to Rainy Lake and to Lake Couchiching in southern Ontario.[^2] Early French inhabitants named the nearby waters Lac à la Pluie and Rivière à la Pluie for the mist-like rain at the falls of the Rainy River. The name later passed to the settlement that became International Falls.[^2] Settlement came late compared with the rest of Minnesota. European settlers began to arrive in the late 1800s. Some of the last lands were ceded by the Chippewa under a 1904 Land Act, and most homesteads were proven between 1900 and 1910.[^2] The settlers included lumberjacks, farmers and people in other trades. A passage quoted in the source says they "suffered through isolation, illness, harsh weather, and poverty," and that they built schools and churches and pressed for good roads.[^2] Koochiching County was organized in 1906, when it was separated from Itasca County.[^2] ## Geography Canada lies across the Rainy River along the county's northern boundary. The river runs west-northwest along that boundary.[^3] Several streams flow north through the county into the Rainy: - the Rat Root River, which drains the east-central part of the county; - the Little Fork River, in the eastern part; - the Big Fork River, in the east-central part; - the Black River, in the central part; - the Rapid River and the East Fork Rapid River, in the west. These two join in the northwest shortly before leaving the county.[^3] Low rolling hills make up much of the land. Swampy ground lies where the Lake Agassiz basin was deepest, and low areas hold peat from 1½ to 50 feet deep. Ledges of Precambrian rock break the fairly level soil. The bedrock includes Ely greenstone and greenstone schists.[^3] The land slopes toward the north. Its highest point, 1,515 feet (462 m) above sea level, is on the western part of the southern border.[^3] Of the county's 3,154 square miles (8,170 km²), 3,104 square miles are land and 50 square miles (1.6 percent) are water.[^3] By land area it ranks second in Minnesota, behind neighboring St. Louis County. By total area it ranks third.[^3] The county's highways include U.S. Highways 53 and 71 and Minnesota State Highways 1, 6, 11, 46 and 65, among others.[^3] ## Demographics The 2020 census recorded 12,062 residents, with a median age of 49.9 years.[^4] Children under 18 made up 18.5 percent of the population, and people aged 65 and over made up 25.9 percent. There were 100.5 males for every 100 females.[^4] The census recorded the following racial makeup:[^4] | Group | Share | |---|---| | White | 91.0 percent | | Black or African American | 0.4 percent | | American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.4 percent | | Asian | 0.3 percent | | Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander | 0.1 percent | | Some other race | 0.4 percent | | Two or more races | 5.4 percent | Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 1.4 percent of the population.[^4] Urban areas held 54.5 percent of residents, and rural areas held 45.5 percent.[^4] The census counted 5,604 households. Of these: - 21.3 percent included children under 18; - 43.8 percent were married couples; - 35.6 percent consisted of one individual.[^4] Of 7,402 housing units, 24.3 percent stood vacant. Owners occupied 78.1 percent of occupied units.[^4] The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3 percent, and the rental vacancy rate was 12.5 percent.[^4] The 2000 census had counted 14,355 people, 6,040 households and 3,962 families. Population density was 4.62 per square mile, and there were 7,719 housing units.[^4] ## Government and politics The county backed the Democratic presidential nominee in every election from 1932 through 1996 except 1972, the year of Nixon's landslide.[^5] George W. Bush carried it in 2000, the first Republican to do so since 1972, although he narrowly lost the national popular vote.[^5] Democrats won the county again in the next three elections. None of those nominees matched the vote shares of Mondale in 1984 or Dukakis in 1988.[^5] Donald Trump carried the county in 2016, the second Republican since 1972 to do so. He won it again in 2020 with a larger majority. That was the first time the county had voted Republican in two consecutive elections.[^5] In 2024 Trump won it a third time with nearly 62 percent of the vote. No Republican had previously won more than 60 percent of the county's vote.[^5] ## Communities Survey townships defined by the Public Land Survey System exist in the county, but none is organized as a government.[^6] Six city governments have been created: - Big Falls; - International Falls, the county seat, which was named Koochiching until January 1, 1903; - Littlefork; - Mizpah; - Northome; - Ranier. South International Falls has been part of International Falls since 1987.[^6] The rest of the county is made up of unorganized territories and unincorporated communities. The unorganized territories are East Koochiching, Nett Lake, Northome, Northwest Koochiching, Rainy Lake and South Koochiching.[^6] Part of the Nett Lake census-designated place lies in the county. The source also lists ghost towns, among them Rainy Lake City and Wayland.[^6] ## In popular culture The animated characters Rocky and Bullwinkle live in Frostbite Falls, a fictional town set in Koochiching County. The source suggests the town was probably named after International Falls, which is often called the nation's icebox.[^7] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Koochiching County, Minnesota* (revision 1375330259, retrieved 2026-10-25) — lead section: 2020 population, county seat, Bois Forte Reservation, Voyageurs National Park, Lake of the Woods County to the northwest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koochiching_County,_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia, *Koochiching County, Minnesota* (revision 1375330259, retrieved 2026-10-25) — History section: Lake Agassiz, peat, name origin, Gilfillan, French names, 1904 Land Act, homesteading, creation in 1906 from Itasca County. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koochiching_County,_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia, *Koochiching County, Minnesota* (revision 1375330259, retrieved 2026-10-25) — Geography section: rivers, terrain, bedrock, high point, area and rank, major highways. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koochiching_County,_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia, *Koochiching County, Minnesota* (revision 1375330259, retrieved 2026-10-25) — Demographics section: 2020 and 2000 census figures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koochiching_County,_Minnesota [^5]: Wikipedia, *Koochiching County, Minnesota* (revision 1375330259, retrieved 2026-10-25) — Government and politics section: presidential voting 1932–2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koochiching_County,_Minnesota [^6]: Wikipedia, *Koochiching County, Minnesota* (revision 1375330259, retrieved 2026-10-25) — Communities section: absence of organized townships, cities, unorganized territories, census-designated place, ghost towns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koochiching_County,_Minnesota [^7]: Wikipedia, *Koochiching County, Minnesota* (revision 1375330259, retrieved 2026-10-25) — In popular culture section: Frostbite Falls. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koochiching_County,_Minnesota