Pine

Formed March 1, 1856 (38^th county)

Pine County (28,883), Pine City (3,135)

The Modern concrete 2008 courthouse replaced a 1940 facility.  It sits on Northridge Drive.  Minnesota State Highway 61 is one block to the east.  BKV Group provided the courthouse designs.  There were earlier versions dating from 1886 and 1940.  Pine County was created on March 1, 1856 from parts of Chisago and Ramsey counties as the 38^th county with Pine City as the only county seat.  The county and county seat are named for the numerous pine forests in the area. 

Pine 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 Pine, Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties (judicial.) The county is in eastern Minnesota.  Wisconsin forms its eastern border.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is south of the county.  The county center is 28.3 miles North-Northeast of Pine City nearer Sandstone.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Carlton County and Wisconsin and Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, and Aitkin counties. 

The area of the county is 1411.0 square miles.  It is 13 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 37 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 20.5 persons per square mile making it 53 out of 87 in the state.  Pine County has 38.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 crosses the county from north to south from Carlton County to Chisago County.  The county looks like an oil funnel bending toward the southwest.  Pine City is in the southern quarter of the county.  Pine City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.9% of the county population.