Pennington County is a county in Minnesota, United States, in the northwestern part of the state along the Red Lake River. It had a population of 13,992 at the 2020 census and covers 618 square miles (1,600 km2) centred near 48°04′N 96°02′W.
Thief River Falls is the county seat, and its postal code is 56701. The county has three incorporated cities, seven unincorporated communities, and 21 organized townships. Pennington County observes Central Time.
Towns & Villages in Pennington County
Pennington County has three incorporated cities — Thief River Falls (the seat and by far the largest), Goodridge, and St. Hilaire — alongside a scatter of unincorporated communities and rural trailer-court settlements recognized in county records. CDP means census-designated place; Unincorp. covers places with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thief River Falls | City · seat | River Falls | — | 56701 |
| Goodridge | City | Goodridge | — | 56725 |
| St. Hilaire | City | Rocksbury | — | 56754 |
| Dakota Junction | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Erie | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hazel | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Highlanding | Unincorp. | Highlanding | — | — |
| Kratka | Unincorp. | Kratka | — | — |
| Mavie | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| River Valley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Basswood Court | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Carpenters Corner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Challenger Court | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Countryside MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Greendale Manor | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Jamar MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Northside Trailer Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Northwestern Trailer Court | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Riverview MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
The old listing repeated Erie twice; that duplicate has been removed here. The nine mobile-home-park and trailer-court entries near the bottom of the table are small residential clusters rather than platted towns, and no population or ZIP figure for them is independently verifiable, so those cells are left blank rather than guessed.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| River Falls | — | Thief River Falls (city, separately governed) |
| Goodridge | — | Goodridge |
| Rocksbury | — | St. Hilaire |
| Highlanding | — | Highlanding |
| Kratka | — | Kratka |
| Black River | — | — |
| Bray | — | — |
| Clover Leaf | — | — |
| Deer Park | — | — |
| Hickory | — | — |
| Mayfield | — | — |
| Norden | — | — |
| North | — | — |
| Numedal | — | — |
| Polk Centre | — | — |
| Reiner | — | — |
| Sanders | — | — |
| Silverton | — | — |
| Smiley | — | — |
| Star | — | — |
| Wyandotte | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 56701 — Thief River Falls (also serves most of the county’s rural townships)
- 56725 — Goodridge
- 56754 — Saint Hilaire
Pennington County has only these three ZIP codes; every unincorporated community and township uses whichever of the three has the nearest post office.
Geography
Pennington County sits in a stretch of low, gently rolling farmland at the edge of the Red River Valley, with terrain that is lightly wooded and almost entirely turned over to agriculture. The Red Lake River crosses the county from east to west through its central portion, running directly through Thief River Falls before continuing on toward the Red River of the North.
The county borders Marshall County to the north, Beltrami County to the east, Clearwater County to the southeast, Red Lake County to the south, and Polk County to the west.
Demographics
Pennington County’s population was 13,992 at the 2020 census. Thief River Falls is by far the largest community, holding roughly nine in ten county residents; Goodridge is a distant second. That works out to a density of about 23 people per square mile, one of the more densely settled rural counties in northwestern Minnesota thanks to Thief River Falls’ concentration of population. Household income in the county runs below the Minnesota median of $85,086, typical of the state’s agricultural northwest.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — small grains, sugar beets, and soybeans grown on the flat land east of the Red River Valley — underpins the rural township economy, while Thief River Falls carries most of the county’s manufacturing and retail base. Digi-Key Electronics, one of the country’s largest electronic-component distributors, is headquartered and operates its main distribution center in Thief River Falls and is the county’s largest private employer. The city was also the birthplace of Polaris Industries, the snowmobile and powersports manufacturer founded there in 1954. Northland Community and Technical College maintains a campus in Thief River Falls.
History
Pennington County was organized on November 23, 1910, carved out of neighboring Red Lake County and among the last counties created in Minnesota. It was named for Edmund Pennington, a longtime Minnesota railroad executive who was president of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (the “Soo Line”) at the time the county was formed. Thief River Falls had already developed as a lumber and rail town on the Red Lake River decades before the county itself existed, and it became the natural choice as seat once the county was organized.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 59 runs north-south through the county, meeting Minnesota Highways 1, 32, and 219, which connect Thief River Falls to the surrounding townships and neighboring counties.
- Crookston, Minnesota — about 35 miles southwest
- Grand Forks, North Dakota — about 65 miles west
- Bemidji, Minnesota — about 70 miles southeast
- Roseau, Minnesota — about 60 miles northeast
Thief River Falls Regional Airport, just outside the city, offers subsidized commercial air service to Minneapolis–Saint Paul in addition to general aviation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pennington County?
It is in the northwestern corner of Minnesota, along the Red Lake River between the Red River Valley and the Beltrami Island forest country.
What is the population of Pennington County?
13,992 at the 2020 census.
How big is Pennington County?
618 square miles (1,600 km2), of which about 1.7 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Pennington County?
Thief River Falls is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Pennington County?
Three incorporated cities — Thief River Falls, Goodridge, and St. Hilaire — plus several unincorporated communities across the county’s 21 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Pennington County?
56701 (Thief River Falls), 56725 (Goodridge), and 56754 (Saint Hilaire).
What is Pennington County’s biggest employer?
Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, is the county’s largest private employer.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Minnesota.