Isanti County, Minnesota

County in the United States

County in Minnesota

Isanti County

County

Isanti County Government Center

Logo

Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota

Minnesota's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 45°34′N 93°17′W﻿ / ﻿45.56°N 93.29°W﻿ / 45.56; -93.29
Country|  United States
State|  Minnesota
Founded| February 13, 1857
Named after| Izaty Indians
Seat| Cambridge
Largest city| Cambridge
Area

• Total

| 452 sq mi (1,170 km2)
• Land| 436 sq mi (1,130 km2)
• Water| 16 sq mi (40 km2)  3.5%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 41,135

• Estimate

(2024)

| 43,687
• Density| 88.8/sq mi (34.3/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 8th
Website| www.co.isanti.mn.us

Isanti County (/aɪˈsæntiː/ eye-SAN-tee)[1] is a county in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,135.[2] Its county seat is Cambridge.[3]

## History

[edit]

The county was formed on February 13, 1857.[4] Its name came from the Izaty Indians, the ancient name for the Santee Indians, members of the Dakota alliance. Isanti is derived from the Dakota word for "knife" and refers to the Santee tribe.[5]

Isanti County is included in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

## Geography

[edit]

The Rum River flows south through the county's central part. The county's terrain is hilly and etched with drainages and gullies, and dotted with lakes and ponds.[6] The terrain generally slopes to the south and east; its highest point is near its northwest corner, at 1,020 ft (310 m) ASL.[7] The county has an area of 452 square miles (1,170 km2), of which 436 square miles (1,130 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (3.5%) is water.[8]

Soils and Savanna distribution in Isanti County[9]

Soils of Isanti County's Tip Toe Savannas

### Major highways

[edit]

* Minnesota State Highway 47
* Minnesota State Highway 65
* Minnesota State Highway 95
* Minnesota State Highway 107
* List of county roads

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Kanabec County \- north
* Pine County \- northeast
* Chisago County \- east
* Anoka County \- south
* Sherburne County \- southwest
* Mille Lacs County \- northwest

### Protected areas

[edit]

Source:[6]

* Cranberry Wildlife Management Area
* Crooked Road State Wildlife Management Area
* Marget Lake State Wildlife Management Area
* Marvin W. Schubring Memorial Wildlife Management Area
* Maywood County Park
* Spectacle Lake Wildlife Management Area
* Springvale County Park
* Twin Lake Scientific and Natural Area

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1860| 284| | —
1870| 2,035| | 616.5%
1880| 5,063| | 148.8%
1890| 7,607| | 50.2%
1900| 11,675| | 53.5%
1910| 12,615| | 8.1%
1920| 13,278| | 5.3%
1930| 12,081| | −9.0%
1940| 12,950| | 7.2%
1950| 12,123| | −6.4%
1960| 13,530| | 11.6%
1970| 16,560| | 22.4%
1980| 23,600| | 42.5%
1990| 25,921| | 9.8%
2000| 31,287| | 20.7%
2010| 37,816| | 20.9%
2020| 41,135| | 8.8%
2024 (est.)| 43,687| [10]| 6.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[2]

### 2020 census

[edit]

Isanti County, Minnesota - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)  Race / Ethnicity  | Pop 2010[15] | Pop 2020[16] | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 35,958  | 37,559  | 95.09%  | 91.31%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 228  | 314  | 0.60%  | 0.83%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 163  | 201  | 0.43%  | 0.53%
Asian alone (NH)  | 302  | 488  | 0.80%  | 1.29%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 12  | 13  | 0.03%  | 0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH)  | 20  | 154  | 0.05%  | 0.41%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)  | 517  | 1,510  | 1.37%  | 3.99%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 582  | 5,308  | 1.54%  | 2.37%
Total | 37,816 | 41,135 | 100.00% | 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

### 2000 census

[edit]

2022 US Census population pyramid for Isanti County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the census of 2000, there were 37,816 people, 14,331 households, and 8,415 families in the county. The population density was 86.7 per square mile (33.5/km2). There were 12,062 housing units at an average density of 27.7 per square mile (10.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.0% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 1.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 30.3% were of German, 21.3% Swedish, 12.7% Norwegian and 5.1% Irish ancestry.

There were 11,236 households, of which 38.1% had children under 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.15.

The county population contained 28.7% under 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,127, and the median income for a family was $55,996. Males had a median income of $39,381 versus $26,427 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,348. About 4.0% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under 18 and 8.6% of those 65 or older.

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Braham (partially in Kanabec County)
* Cambridge (county seat)
* Isanti
* St. Francis (mostly in Anoka County)

### Census-designated place

[edit]

* Stanchfield

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Andree
* Bodum (ghost town)
* Athens
* Blomford
* Bradford
* Carmody
* Crown
* Dalbo
* Day
* Edgewood
* Elm Park
* Grandy
* Oxlip
* Pine Brook
* Spencer Brook
* Spring Lake
* Springvale
* Stanchfield Corner
* Stanford
* Stanley
* Walbo
* Weber
* West Point
* Wyanett

### Townships

[edit]

* Athens Township
* Bradford Township
* Cambridge Township
* Dalbo Township
* Isanti Township
* Maple Ridge Township
* North Branch Township
* Oxford Township
* Spencer Brook Township
* Springvale Township
* Stanchfield Township
* Stanford Township
* Wyanett Township

## Politics

[edit]

This rural turned exurban county is more conservative than the state as a whole. In 2008, John McCain won this county with almost 57% of the vote, while losing the state with 44% of the vote. Norm Coleman also did well, obtaining 48% of the vote while losing the state with 42%. Both George W. Bush and Tim Pawlenty won this county twice, winning a majority of the county each time.

Democrats tend to do poorly here. In 2008, Barack Obama obtained just 41% while he won the state with 54% of the vote. Al Franken received just 33% of Isanti County's votes. Since 1992, no Democrat has won this county with over 50% of the vote. In 2016, Donald Trump won almost 65% of the vote here while narrowly losing the state to Hillary Clinton. In 2020, Trump increased his vote share to just over 68% and increased his vote share further to nearly 70% in 2024.[17]

Independents also do well in this county. In 1998, the county's results were Jesse Ventura's best performance in the state, winning the county with over 50% of the vote. Ross Perot came in a close third place with 29% of the vote while getting 24% statewide.

United States presidential election results for Isanti County, Minnesota[18] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 18,027  | 69.55% | 7,384  | 28.49%  | 507  | 1.96%
2020 | 16,491  | 68.05% | 7,138  | 29.45%  | 606  | 2.50%
2016 | 13,635  | 64.88% | 5,657  | 26.92%  | 1,724  | 8.20%
2012 | 11,675  | 57.75% | 8,024  | 39.69%  | 518  | 2.56%
2008 | 11,324  | 56.47% | 8,248  | 41.13%  | 481  | 2.40%
2004 | 11,190  | 57.94% | 7,883  | 40.82%  | 240  | 1.24%
2000 | 7,668  | 51.36% | 6,247  | 41.84%  | 1,014  | 6.79%
1996 | 4,450  | 34.35%  | 6,041  | 46.63% | 2,464  | 19.02%
1992 | 3,988  | 29.84%  | 5,386  | 40.30% | 3,992  | 29.87%
1988 | 5,246  | 45.81%  | 6,075  | 53.05% | 131  | 1.14%
1984 | 5,660  | 50.91% | 5,378  | 48.38%  | 79  | 0.71%
1980 | 4,480  | 41.45%  | 5,457  | 50.49% | 872  | 8.07%
1976 | 3,159  | 33.55%  | 6,013  | 63.85% | 245  | 2.60%
1972 | 3,715  | 48.66% | 3,660  | 47.94%  | 259  | 3.39%
1968 | 2,429  | 38.33%  | 3,439  | 54.27% | 469  | 7.40%
1964 | 1,982  | 32.93%  | 4,026  | 66.90% | 10  | 0.17%
1960 | 3,067  | 53.86% | 2,599  | 45.64%  | 28  | 0.49%
1956 | 2,348  | 47.35%  | 2,605  | 52.53% | 6  | 0.12%
1952 | 2,682  | 52.16% | 2,393  | 46.54%  | 67  | 1.30%
1948 | 1,918  | 38.41%  | 2,758  | 55.23% | 318  | 6.37%
1944 | 2,205  | 49.14%  | 2,225  | 49.59% | 57  | 1.27%
1940 | 2,617  | 48.82%  | 2,654  | 49.51% | 90  | 1.68%
1936 | 1,437  | 28.05%  | 3,442  | 67.19% | 244  | 4.76%
1932 | 1,484  | 30.43%  | 3,147  | 64.53% | 246  | 5.04%
1928 | 3,137  | 71.13% | 1,191  | 27.01%  | 82  | 1.86%
1924 | 1,588  | 39.54% | 79  | 1.97%  | 2,349  | 58.49%
1920 | 3,007  | 67.57% | 405  | 9.10%  | 1,038  | 23.33%
1916 | 1,123  | 48.18% | 935  | 40.11%  | 273  | 11.71%
1912 | 314  | 14.54%  | 333  | 15.42%  | 1,513  | 70.05%
1908 | 1,198  | 58.47% | 466  | 22.74%  | 385  | 18.79%
1904 | 1,603  | 84.06% | 137  | 7.18%  | 167  | 8.76%
1900 | 1,525  | 72.69% | 504  | 24.02%  | 69  | 3.29%
1896 | 1,490  | 66.52% | 750  | 33.48%  | 0  | 0.00%
1892 | 728  | 52.11% | 105  | 7.52%  | 564  | 40.37%

## See also

[edit]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Isanti County, Minnesota

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Minnesota Pronunciation Guide". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ Upham, Warren. Minnesota Geographic Names, p. 249 (1920). Accessed 12 March 2019
5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 166.
6. ^ a b Isanti County MN Google Maps (accessed March 12, 2019)
7. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Isanti County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 12, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
9. ^ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 61-64. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
10. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". Retrieved March 18, 2024.
11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
15. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Isanti County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
16. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Isanti County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
17. ^ Simon, Steve (November 21, 2024). "2024 State Canvassing Board Certificate". Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 22, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
18. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 19, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

* Minnesota DOT map of Isanti County

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Isanti County, Minnesota

| Mille Lacs County | Kanabec County | Pine County

|
|

|  |

Isanti County, Minnesota

| Chisago County
|  |
Sherburne County | Anoka County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Isanti County, Minnesota, United States

County seat: Cambridge

Cities|

* Braham‡
* Cambridge
* Isanti
* St. Francis‡

Map of Minnesota highlighting Isanti County

Townships|

* Athens
* Bradford
* Cambridge
* Dalbo
* Isanti
* Maple Ridge
* North Branch
* Oxford
* Spencer Brook
* Springvale
* Stanchfield
* Stanford
* Wyanett

CDP|

* Stanchfield

Unincorporated
communities|

* Andree
* Athens
* Blomford
* Bradford
* Carmody
* Crown
* Dalbo
* Day
* Edgewood
* Elm Park
* Grandy
* Oxlip
* Pine Brook
* Spencer Brook
* Spring Lake
* Springvale
* Stanchfield Corner
* Stanley
* Walbo
* Weber
* West Point
* Wyanett

Ghost town|

* Bodum

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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* e

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45°34′N 93°17′W﻿ / ﻿45.56°N 93.29°W﻿ / 45.56; -93.29
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