Koochiching County is a county in Minnesota, United States, on the Canadian border along the Rainy River. It had a population of 12,062 at the 2020 census and covers 3,104 square miles (8,040 km2) of land, centred near 48°16′N 93°46′W.
International Falls is the county seat, and its postal code is 56649. The county has 6 incorporated cities and towns plus a scatter of unincorporated communities and resorts, sits in the Central time zone, and is Minnesota’s second-largest county by land area.
Towns & Villages in Koochiching County
Koochiching County has 6 incorporated cities, the rest are unincorporated communities, resorts, and mobile-home parks scattered along the Rainy River and its logging roads. The table below lists the incorporated places with confirmed 2020 census figures, followed by notable unincorporated communities.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Falls | City · seat | 5,668 | 56649 |
| Littlefork | City | 640 | 56653 |
| Big Falls | City | 194 | 56627 |
| Northome | City | 184 | 56661 |
| Ranier | City | 140 | 56668 |
| Mizpah | City | 67 | 56660 |
| Ericsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Birchdale | Unincorp. | — | 56629 |
| Loman | Unincorp. | — | 56654 |
| Margie | Unincorp. | — | 56658 |
| Indus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Craigville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nett Lake | Unincorp. · Bois Forte Reservation | — | — |
| Gemmell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wildwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Island View | Unincorp. | — | — |
South International Falls is a small unincorporated community immediately south of the city of the same name, not a separate municipality — the two are often confused on maps. A handful of names from older listings for this county (Ben Linn Landing, Falls Junction, Gates Corner, Hendrickson Landing, Jameson, Laurel, Lindford, Manitou, Merklings Trailer Court, Nakoda, Nichols Trailer Court, Pelland, Pinetop, Rauch, Ray, Ridgeview MH Park, Riverside MH Court, Sha-Sha Resort, Silverdale, Spring Lodge Resort and Marina, Sturgeon River Landing, Thunderbird Resort, Wayland, Wisner, Woodland MH Park, Forest Grove, Crescent Drive Mobile Village, Griffith MH Park, Hayes MH Park, Frontier, Border, Fairland, Central) are resorts, mobile-home courts, boat landings, or informal locality names rather than verifiable census places — they are omitted here pending independent confirmation.
ZIP Codes
- 56649 — International Falls
- 56653 — Littlefork
- 56627 — Big Falls
- 56661 — Northome
- 56668 — Ranier (PO Box)
- 56660 — Mizpah
- 56654 — Loman
- 56658 — Margie
- 56629 — Birchdale (PO Box)
- 56669 — Kabetogama
- 56679 — South International Falls (PO Box)
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Ericsburg, Indus, Craigville, Nett Lake, Gemmell, and Island View use the ZIP code of the nearest post office town above rather than one of their own.
Geography
Koochiching County lies in far northern Minnesota along the Rainy River, which forms the international boundary with Ontario, Canada for most of the county’s northern edge. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, dominated by the Big Fork and Little Fork rivers, extensive peatlands, and boreal forest. A portion of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation lies within the county, and a small section of Voyageurs National Park extends across the county’s eastern boundary near Rainier and Kabetogama.
Koochiching County borders Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada, to the north; Saint Louis County to the east; Itasca County to the south; Beltrami County to the southwest; and Lake of the Woods County to the northwest.
Demographics
Koochiching County had 12,062 residents at the 2020 census, a population density of about 3.9 people per square mile — among the lowest in Minnesota. International Falls is by far the largest community, home to roughly 46% of the county’s population, followed distantly by Littlefork. Median household income runs well below the Minnesota median of $85,086, reflecting the county’s dependence on forestry and a shrinking working-age population as young residents leave for the Twin Cities and Duluth.
Economy & Local Life
The economy has long centred on the forest-products industry: Koochiching County is home to a major paper mill in International Falls (historically operated by Boise Cascade, now Packaging Corporation of America) that has anchored local employment for over a century. Rainy Lake and Voyageurs National Park draw fishing, hunting, and boating tourism each summer, and International Falls markets itself as the “Icebox of the Nation” for its notoriously cold winter temperatures, celebrated each January with the Icebox Days festival. Public services, Rainy River Community College, and Rainy Lake Medical Center round out the local employment base.
History
Koochiching County was organized on December 19, 1906, separated from Itasca County. Its name comes from an Ojibwe or Cree word referring to “the place of many inlets,” describing the mouth of the Rainy River and the string of islands and channels around Rainy Lake. International Falls grew up around the falls of the Rainy River and the paper mill built there in the early 1900s, which drove the county’s early-20th-century settlement. The fictional “Frostbite Falls” of the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons is set in the county, a nod to the real town’s reputation for extreme cold.
Getting There
US Route 53 runs north–south through International Falls and Littlefork, and US Route 71 crosses the southern part of the county; Minnesota State Highways 1, 6, 11, 46, 65, and 217 provide additional connections to surrounding towns.
- Duluth — about 160 miles southeast
- Bemidji — about 90 miles southwest
- Grand Rapids — about 75 miles south
- Fort Frances, Ontario — directly across the Rainy River from International Falls
Falls International Airport (INL) in International Falls offers regional commercial air service; the nearest larger hub is Duluth International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Koochiching County?
It is in far northern Minnesota, on the Rainy River along the Canadian border with Ontario.
What is the population of Koochiching County?
12,062 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Koochiching County?
3,104 square miles (8,040 km2) of land — Minnesota’s second-largest county by land area.
What is the county seat of Koochiching County?
International Falls is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Koochiching County?
6 incorporated cities — International Falls, Littlefork, Big Falls, Northome, Ranier, and Mizpah — plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Koochiching County?
ZIP codes include 56649 (International Falls), 56653 (Littlefork), 56627 (Big Falls), 56661 (Northome), 56668 (Ranier), and 56660 (Mizpah), among others.
Why is International Falls called the “Icebox of the Nation”?
It regularly records the coldest temperatures in the contiguous United States each winter, a reputation celebrated locally each January during Icebox Days.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Minnesota.