Kanabec

Formed March 13, 1858 (55^th county)

Kanabec County (16,027), Mora (3,672)

The tan brick and stone Romanesque Revival courthouse was constructed in 1894 and sits on Vine Street at Maple Street.  Minnesota State Highway 65 is two blocks to the east of the location.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1937 and 1974 and renovated in 1999.  Buechner and Jacobson provided the designs.  It features a tower.  Brunswick was the first county seat until 1882 when Mora became the county seat.  There was an 1883 courthouse previously.  The county was established on March 13, 1858 from Pine County as the 55^th county.  The county name comes from the Native American for the Snake River.  Mora is named for Mora, Sweden. 

Kanabec County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer, an auditor, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Forty-three District Court Judges serve Kanabec, Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties (judicial.) The county is in the northeast part of the state.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is south of the county.  The county center is 4.3 miles North of Mora.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Aitkin, Pine, Chisago, Isanti, and Mille Lacs counties. 

The area of the county is 524.9 square miles.  It is 66 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 52 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 30.5 persons per square mile making it 40 out of 87 in the state.  Kanabec County has 27.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county looks like a letter S.  Mora is in the southern third of the county.  Mora is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 22.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KAN-A-BEC.