Itasca County

Itasca County, with a population of approximately 45,564, is located in north central Minnesota and is the third largest county in the state of Minnesota.
The County of Itasca was named after Lake Itasca, which is the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Itasca County was organized in 1849 when Minnesota was formed as a new territory. The original boundary included present day Cook, Lake, St. Louis, Carlton, Koochiching, and part of Aitkin and Beltrami Counties. Over the years these new counties were formed and the size of Itasca diminished until 1906 when the current size was created.