St. Louis County is home to 200,000 people and an abundance of natural resources including lakes, forests, wetlands and minerals. Much of the County's population growth is linked to growth in industries that draw on the County's natural resources, including mining, timber and shipping. The major industries include mining, wood and paper products, shipping, aviation, higher education, health care and tourism.

We are the gateway to both the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and to Lake Superior, the greatest of the Great Lakes. Spanning 7,000 square miles, we are the largest county east of the Mississippi river, and are larger than three states (Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Delaware). We are home to the mineral rich Iron Range, as well as millions of acres of woods used for both timber harvest and recreation.

To serve the citizens of our vast county, we maintain courthouses in Duluth, Virginia and Hibbing, and a Government Services Center in Ely, plus numerous smaller offices and Public Works facilities in other towns. St. Louis County consists of 27 cities, 73 townships, 74 unorganized townships and portions of two Indian reservations. For a list of City and Township Officers, please click here.

The mission of the St. Louis County is to promote health and safety, ensure sound infrastructure, embrace our natural resources, and support an environment where communities prosper.