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County · code 27137

St. Louis CountyMinnesota

St. Louis County is a county in Minnesota with its seat in Duluth. It was created in 1856 from Itasca and Newton counties and named after the Saint Louis River.

  • Founded1856
  • County seatDuluth
  • Named forSaint Louis River, Minnesota and Wisconsin
  • Land area6,248 sq mi + 613 sq mi water
  • Population200,231 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped185,566 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in St. Louis County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

CarltonLakeItascaDouglas, WIAitkinKoochiching Duluth Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

St. Louis on the map of Minnesota

Minnesota has 87 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Aitkin CountyAnoka CountyBecker CountyBeltrami CountyBenton CountyBig Stone CountyBlue Earth CountyBrown CountyCarlton CountyCarver CountyCass CountyChippewa CountyChisago CountyClay CountyClearwater CountyCook CountyCottonwood CountyCrow Wing CountyDakota CountyDodge CountyDouglas CountyFaribault CountyFillmore CountyFreeborn CountyGoodhue CountyGrant CountyHennepin CountyHouston CountyHubbard CountyIsanti CountyItasca CountyJackson CountyKanabec CountyKandiyohi CountyKittson CountyKoochiching CountyLac qui Parle CountyLake CountyLake of the Woods CountyLe Sueur CountyLincoln CountyLyon CountyMcLeod CountyMahnomen CountyMarshall CountyMartin CountyMeeker CountyMille Lacs CountyMorrison CountyMower CountyMurray CountyNicollet CountyNobles CountyNorman CountyOlmsted CountyOtter Tail CountyPennington CountyPine CountyPipestone CountyPolk CountyPope CountyRamsey CountyRed Lake CountyRedwood CountyRenville CountyRice CountyRock CountyRoseau CountyScott CountySherburne CountySibley CountyStearns CountySteele CountyStevens CountySwift CountyTodd CountyTraverse CountyWabasha CountyWadena CountyWaseca CountyWashington CountyWatonwan CountyWilkin CountyWinona CountyWright CountyYellow Medicine CountySt. Louis County St. Louis
Counties of Minnesota · St. Louis highlighted

History

Formed in 1856 from Itasca County, Newton County and Benton County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

St. Louis County was created in 1856 from Itasca and Newton counties, initially organized and attached to Benton County for judicial purposes. In 1858, it was fully organized and detached from Benton, with Isanti and Manomin attached to it for judicial and other purposes, though these attachments changed over the following years. By 1891, St. Louis County had shed most of its attached territories: Carlton, Itasca, Lake, and Cook were all detached and organized independently or attached elsewhere.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1856
    St. Louis County created St. Louis created from Itasca and Newton (Newton eliminated); St. Louis organized for county government, attached to Benton "for judicial purposes."
    from Itascafrom Newtonfrom Benton
    · Minn. Terr. Laws 1856, ch. 35, secs. 1-4/p. 63
  2. 1857
    Lost territory St. Louis lost to the creation of Carlton; St. Louis remained attached to Benton.
    to Carltonto Benton
    · Minn. Terr. Laws 1857, ext. sess., ch. 5, secs. 3, 6/pp. 52-54
  3. 1858
    Changed St. Louis fully organized, detached from Benton; Isanti and Manomin attached to St. Louis "for judicial and other purposes."
    BentonIsantiManomin
    · Minn. Laws 1857-1858, gen., ch. 67, sec. 2/p. 157
  4. 1861
    Eliminated Buchanan attachment to St. Louis ended when Buchanan eliminated as a county.
    into Buchanan
    · Minn. Laws 1861, spec., ch. 31, secs. 1-3/p. 273
  5. 1895
    Lost territory St. Louis lost to Lake. Since 1856 the boundary had run due north from the mouth of the Knife River; in 1895 it was moved west to the range line.
    to Lake
    · Minn. Laws 1895, gen., ch. 248, sec. 1/p.622
Show all 13 changes (8 more)
  1. 1856
    St. Louis County created St. Louis created from Itasca and Newton (Newton eliminated); St. Louis organized for county government, attached to Benton "for judicial purposes."
    from Itascafrom Newtonfrom Benton
    · Minn. Terr. Laws 1856, ch. 35, secs. 1-4/p. 63
  2. 1857
    Lost territory St. Louis lost to the creation of Carlton; St. Louis remained attached to Benton.
    to Carltonto Benton
    · Minn. Terr. Laws 1857, ext. sess., ch. 5, secs. 3, 6/pp. 52-54
  3. 1858
    Changed St. Louis fully organized, detached from Benton; Isanti and Manomin attached to St. Louis "for judicial and other purposes."
    BentonIsantiManomin
    · Minn. Laws 1857-1858, gen., ch. 67, sec. 2/p. 157
  4. 1860
    Changed Manomin (extinct) detached from St. Louis, attached to Anoka "for judicial purposes."
    ManominAnoka
    · Minn. Laws 1859-1860, spec., ch. 50, sec. 1/p. 89
  5. 1860
    Changed Buchanan detached from Chisago, attached to St. Louis; Carlton attached to St. Louis; Isanti detached from St. Louis, attached to Anoka; Itasca detached from Morrison, attached to St. Louis; Lake detached from Benton, attached to St. Louis.
    BuchananChisagoCarltonIsantiAnokaItascaMorrisonLakeBenton
    · Minn. Laws 1859-1860, spec., ch. 65, sec. 1/p. 107
  6. 1861
    Eliminated Buchanan attachment to St. Louis ended when Buchanan eliminated as a county.
    into Buchanan
    · Minn. Laws 1861, spec., ch. 31, secs. 1-3/p. 273
  7. 1871
    Changed Carlton fully organized, detached from St. Louis.
    Carlton
    · Minn. Laws 1871, gen., ch. 86, secs. 1-2/p. 149
  8. 1871
    Changed Itasca detached from St. Louis, attached to Crow Wing "for record and judicial purposes."
    ItascaCrow Wing
    · Minn. Laws 1871, spec., ch. 75, secs. 1-3/p. 285
  9. 1873
    Changed Boundary between St. Louis and Lake authorized to be altered slightly, dependent upon local referendum; change not effected.
    Lake
    · Minn. Laws 1873, gen., ch. 93, secs. 1-3/pp. 211-213
  10. 1874
    Changed Cook attached to St. Louis "for judicial purposes."
    Cook
    · Minn. Laws 1874, gen., ch. 100, secs. 1-3, 11/pp. 242-245
  11. 1891
    Changed Cook detached from St. Louis, attached to Lake "for judicial purposes." (Cook remained indirectly attached to St. Louis, through Lake, until 27 February 1891).
    CookLake
    · Minn. Laws 1891, gen., ch. 138, sec. 1/p. 230
  12. 1891
    Changed Lake fully organized, detached from St. Louis.
    Lake
    · Minn. Laws 1891, gen., ch. 139, sec. 1/p. 231
  13. 1895
    Lost territory St. Louis lost to Lake. Since 1856 the boundary had run due north from the mouth of the Knife River; in 1895 it was moved west to the range line.
    to Lake
    · Minn. Laws 1895, gen., ch. 248, sec. 1/p.622

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in St. Louis

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

St. Louis by the Census

Population
200,231 2020 Census count
Housing units
103,681 2020 Census count
Land area
6,248 square miles
Water area
613 square miles
People per sq mi
32 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

GIS and maps

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open St. Louis County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about St. Louis County

When was St. Louis County founded?
St. Louis County was founded in 1856, formed from Itasca County, Newton County and Benton County, and named after Saint Louis River, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
What is the county seat of St. Louis County?
The county seat of St. Louis County is Duluth.
Is there an online parcel map for St. Louis County?
Yes. St. Louis County publishes a parcel map of 185,566 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has St. Louis County's boundary or name changed?
St. Louis County was created in 1856 from Itasca County, Newton County and Benton County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 12 later changes, chiefly involving Lake County, Benton County and Carlton County.
Who issues building permits in St. Louis County?
The county's page on building permits: Permits, Licenses and Records. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in St. Louis County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Our Staff.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for St. Louis County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door