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.Beltrami County MN Google Maps (accessed March 4, 2019) The terrain slopes to the east and north. Its highest point is a small hill northwest of Wolf Lake, at ASL;Beltrami County High Point, Minnesota. PeakBagger.com (accessed May 4, 2019) 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

Racial and ethnic composition +Beltrami County, Minnesota – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)26,75928,33730,24333,06632,44586.37%82.41%76.27%74.40%70.18%Black or African American alone (NH)37981392515190.12%0.29%0.35%0.56%1.12%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3,9175,6047,9408,8219,19812.64%16.30%20.03%19.85%19.90%Asian alone (NH)511942233042680.16%0.56%0.56%0.68%0.58%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census51815xx0.01%0.04%0.03%Other race alone (NH)88521171340.28%0.01%0.05%0.04%0.29%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census6851,2892,541xx1.73%2.90%5.50%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1301463946761,1080.42%0.42%0.99%1.52%2.40%Total30,98234,38439,65044,44246,228 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 46,228. The median age was 35.6 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 70.9% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 20.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 6.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.4% of the population.

32.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 67.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 17,678 households in the county, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.8% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 21,271 housing units, of which 16.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.1% were owner-occupied and 31.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.

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

Elbow Lake 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 with a slightly higher percentage, but the margin of victory shrank due to the decrease in vote share for third party candidates. Trump continued this trend in 2024 when he increased his share of the vote to nearly 52%.

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.

+County Board of CommissionersPositionNameDistrictCommissionerCraig GaasvigDistrict 1Commissioner Joe GouldDistrict 2CommissionerScott WingerDistrict 3CommissionerTim SumnerDistrict 4CommissionerJohn CarlsonDistrict 5 +State Legislature (2023-2025)PositionNameAffiliationDistrictSenateSteve Green RepublicanDistrict 2House of RepresentativesMatt Grossell RepublicanDistrict 2AHouse of RepresentativesMatt Bliss RepublicanDistrict 2B +U.S Congress (2023-2025)PositionNameAffiliationDistrictHouse of RepresentativesPete StauberRepublican8thSenateAmy KlobucharDemocraticN/ASenateTina SmithDemocraticN/A

Education School districts include: - Text list Bemidji Area Schools Blackduck Public School District Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools Kelliher Public School District Red Lake School District Grygla Public School District

See also 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