The largest county in Minnesota
There are two right answers. By land area it is St. Louis County; by population it is Hennepin County. Which one you want depends on what you meant by largest.
Sources: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026; US Census Bureau, Gazetteer Files, 2025 Gazetteer Files, released 10 September 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
By land area
| Rank | Name | Land area | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis County | 6,248 sq mi | 200,518 |
| 2 | Koochiching County | 3,105 sq mi | 11,587 |
| 3 | Itasca County | 2,667 sq mi | 45,404 |
| 4 | Beltrami County | 2,505 sq mi | 47,055 |
| 5 | Lake County | 2,109 sq mi | 10,746 |
| 6 | Cass County | 2,021 sq mi | 31,430 |
| 7 | Otter Tail County | 1,972 sq mi | 61,041 |
| 8 | Polk County | 1,971 sq mi | 30,545 |
| 9 | Aitkin County | 1,821 sq mi | 16,252 |
| 10 | Marshall County | 1,775 sq mi | 8,798 |
By population
| Rank | Name | Population | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hennepin County | 1,284,784 | 2,319 per sq mi |
| 2 | Ramsey County | 541,623 | 3,557 per sq mi |
| 3 | Dakota County | 457,710 | 814 per sq mi |
| 4 | Anoka County | 381,605 | 904 per sq mi |
| 5 | Washington County | 286,895 | 746 per sq mi |
| 6 | St. Louis County | 200,518 | 32.1 per sq mi |
| 7 | Olmsted County | 166,731 | 255 per sq mi |
| 8 | Stearns County | 164,110 | 122 per sq mi |
| 9 | Scott County | 159,017 | 447 per sq mi |
| 10 | Wright County | 157,559 | 238 per sq mi |
And the smallest
More on Minnesota
Rebuilt from source data 30 August 2026. How these figures are produced.