Crow Wing County, Minnesota

Crow Wing County, Minnesota

Crow Wing County, Minnesota – originally covered with white pine forests – is located in the north-central part of Minnesota.

Crow Wing County, established in 1857, is bordered:

• on the north by Cass County,
• on the west by Cass County and Morrison County,
• on the south by Morrison County, and
• on the east by Aitkin County.

The Mississippi River flows through Crow Wing County.

Crow Wing County was named after the Crow Wing River, which has an island that some say is shaped like a Crow’s wing.

Crow Wing County Courthouse

The current Crow Wing County stone Beaux-Arts Courthouse – built in 1920 and located in Brainerd at 326 Laurel St. – is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Crow Wing County Population

Crow Wing County, Minnesota had a population of 62,500 as of the 2010 Census, an increase of 13.4% over the 2000 Census population of 55,099.

Crow Wing County Primary Cities

The city of Brainerd, established in 1870 and incorporated in 1881, is the county seat of Crow Wing County, Minnesota.

The city of Brainerd was founded after the Northern Pacific Railroad determined that it would easiest to cross the Mississippi River at that location.

The city is named after Mrs. Brainerd Smith, the wife of the first president of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Regular passenger service to Brainerd on the Northern Pacific Railroad began in 1877.

Other cities in Crow Wing County, Minnesota include Baxter, Breezy Point, Crosby, Crosslake, Cuyuna, and Deerwood.