Northeast Region, MN Land for Sale

The Northeast region of Minnesota borders Canada to the north and Lake Superior and Wisconsin to the east. The largest city is Duluth, which is also a port city on Lake Superior. There are a number of smaller towns with heritage museums and art galleries, as well as the towns in the north woods which can be an adventure for visitors. There are several major waterways, including the lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park, as well as Lake Superior. There are a number of unspoiled areas to enjoy camping, as well as lakeside resorts. There are many opportunities for fishing, boating, hiking, biking, canoeing and many other outdoor activities.

St. Louis County is located toward the eastern part of the Northeast Minnesota region, bordering Canada to the north and Lake Superior in the southeast. It is the largest county by area in the state, and the largest in the country east of the Mississippi River. The largest city is Duluth, which is also the county seat. Duluth, with its port on Lake Superior, is considered one of the most important fresh-water ports in the U.S. Other larger cities are Hibbing and Hermantown. Voyageurs National Park is in the northwestern corner of the county, on the south shore of Rainy Lake on the US-Canada border, and draws many tourists for canoeing, kayaking, boating and fishing. Parts of the Superior National Forest is in the county, as well as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, one of the most visited wilderness areas in the country. It is over a million acres and is a designated area for fishing, camping, hiking, and canoeing. There are more than 500 lakes in the county, including larger lakes, Pelican lake and Vermillion Lake, as well as Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, Namakan Lake, Sand Point Lake and Crane Lake. Pulpwood production and tourism are the major industries in the county. Surface mining iron ore is also an important part of the economy, and this county is in what is called the Iron Range. Bois Forte and Fond du Lac Indian Reservations are located in St. Louis County.

Itasca County is located in the western part of the Northeast Minnesota region. It is named after Lake Itasca, which is a shortened version of Latin words meaning "truth" and "head," referring to the source of the Mississippi River. Note that Lake Itasca is no longer in Itasca County. Grand Rapids is the largest city and the county seat, Cohasset is also a larger city, but there are many other small cities and townships. Portions of the Bois Forte and Leech Lake Indian Reservations are in Itasca County. The county is the third largest county in Minnesota by land area. The landscape is fairly diverse, with low plains, gentle hills and wetlands where there were glaciers, and areas that are heavily forested. Forestry and logging are a major part of the economy in this county. Forests in this area include Chippewa National Forest, Big Fork State Forest, George Washington Forest, Golden Anniversary State Forest and Marcell Experimental Forest. There are over 1,400 lakes in the county, and also small creeks and major rivers. Lake Winnibioshish, Pokegama Lake, Deer Lake, Bowstring Lake and Blandin Paper Mill Reservoir are the largest lakes, and the Mississippi River also runs through the county.

Aitkin County is located in the southern part of the Minnesota's Northeast region. The county was named after William Alexander Aitkin, a fur trader who traded with the Native Americans in the early 1800's. Aitkin is the largest city in the county, which is actually fairly small itself, and is the county seat. There are a handful of other small cities on the county and many townships. A part of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is in Aitkin County. Rice Lake National Wilde Life Refuge and Savanna Portage State Park are both in this county. The Mississippi River runs through the county, and there are more than 300 lakes and many hiking trails, providing opportunities in the summer for fishing and other water play, and in the winter snowmobiling, skiing and other winter sports. Big Sandy Lake, Farm Island Lake and Cedar Lake are some of the largest.