Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota
Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
Sunset over Zippel Bay State Park, Lake of the Woods | |
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota | |
| Coordinates: 48°46′N 94°54′W / 48.77°N 94.9°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| Founded | November 28, 1922 (created by vote) January 1, 1923 (organized) |
| Named after | Lake of the Woods (lake) |
| Seat | Baudette |
| Largest city | Baudette |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,775 sq mi (4,600 km2) |
| • Land | 1,298 sq mi (3,360 km2) |
| • Water | 477 sq mi (1,240 km2) 27% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,763 |
• Estimate (2024) | 3,797 |
| • Density | 2.9/sq mi (1.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | co.lake-of-the-woods.mn.us |
Lake of the Woods County is the northernmost county of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,763, making it the state's second-least populous county. Its county seat is Baudette.
The county contains the Northwest Angle, the northernmost point of the Lower 48 States, and the U.S. portion of Lake of the Woods, shared with Canada. The county also includes the exclave of Elm Point. Since Alaska has no counties, Lake of the Woods is the northernmost county in the United States. It is also the only county in the United States with four words in its name, although there is a parish in Louisiana called St. John the Baptist Parish, and the United States Census Bureau treats parishes as county equivalents for census purposes.