Pine County is a county in Minnesota, United States, along the Interstate 35 corridor between the Twin Cities and Duluth. It had a population of 28,876 at the 2020 census and covers 1,411 square miles (3,650 km2) of land plus 23 square miles (60 km2) of water, centred near 46°08′N 92°44′W.
Pine City is the county seat, and its postal code is 55063. The county has 14 cities, 34 organized townships, and about 16 unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Pine County
Pine County’s 14 incorporated cities range from the county seat, Pine City, down to small townsite communities that grew up along the Northern Pacific and Soo Line rail lines. The rest of the county is organized into 34 townships, plus a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities. CDP = Census Designated Place; Unincorp. = an unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine City | City · seat | Chengwatana | — | 55063 |
| Hinckley | City | Hinckley | — | 55037 |
| Sandstone | City | Sandstone | — | 55072 |
| Askov | City | Partridge | — | 55704 |
| Brook Park | City | Fleming | — | 55007 |
| Bruno | City | Bruno | — | 55712 |
| Denham | City | Partridge | — | — |
| Finlayson | City | Finlayson | — | 55735 |
| Henriette | City | Royalton | — | 55036 |
| Kerrick | City | Barry | — | 55756 |
| Rock Creek | City | Chengwatana | — | 55067 |
| Rutledge | City | Barry | — | — |
| Sturgeon Lake | City | Sturgeon Lake | — | 55783 |
| Willow River | City | Willow River | — | 55795 |
| Beroun | Unincorp. | Bruno | — | — |
| Cloverdale | Unincorp. | Wilma | — | — |
| Cloverton | Unincorp. | Bruno | — | — |
| Duquette | Unincorp. | Barry | — | — |
| Duxbury | Unincorp. | Duxbury | — | — |
| Ellson | Unincorp. | Kerrick | — | — |
| Friesland | Unincorp. | Norman | — | — |
| Greeley | Unincorp. | Partridge | — | — |
| Groningen | Unincorp. | Norman | — | — |
| Kingsdale | Unincorp. | Kerrick | — | — |
| Lake Lena | Unincorp. | Kettle River | — | — |
| Markville | Unincorp. | Norman | — | — |
| Mission Creek | Unincorp. | Chengwatana | — | — |
| Nickerson | Unincorp. | Kettle River | — | — |
| Pokegama | Unincorp. | Partridge | — | — |
| West Rock | Unincorp. | Chengwatana | — | — |
Grasston, on the county’s western edge, has a Pine County ZIP code (55030) even though the townsite itself sits just across the line in Kanabec County — a common Rural Free Delivery-era ZIP arrangement in this part of Minnesota.
Townships
Civil townships cover most of Pine County’s land area outside the 14 incorporated cities. Named settlements below are the small unincorporated places each township is best known for; 2020 township-level population figures are not separately published by the Census Bureau in a form this page can verify, so those cells are left blank rather than guessed.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Chengwatana | — | Pine City, Rock Creek, Mission Creek |
| Hinckley | — | Hinckley |
| Sandstone | — | Sandstone |
| Partridge | — | Askov, Denham, Pokegama |
| Barry | — | Kerrick, Rutledge, Duquette |
| Bruno | — | Bruno, Beroun, Cloverton |
| Sturgeon Lake | — | Sturgeon Lake |
| Willow River | — | Willow River |
| Finlayson | — | Finlayson |
| Royalton | — | Henriette |
| Norman | — | Friesland, Groningen, Markville |
| Kettle River | — | Nickerson, Lake Lena |
ZIP Codes
- 55063 — Pine City
- 55037 — Hinckley
- 55072 — Sandstone
- 55783 — Sturgeon Lake
- 55007 — Brook Park
- 55735 — Finlayson
- 55795 — Willow River
- 55030 — Grasston (also serves communities on the Pine/Kanabec county line)
- 55704 — Askov
- 55712 — Bruno
- 55756 — Kerrick
- 55036 — Henriette
- 55067 — Rock Creek (PO Box service)
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Beroun, Cloverdale, Duxbury, Ellson, Groningen, Kingsdale, Mission Creek, Nickerson, and West Rock have no ZIP code of their own and use the nearest post office town’s code.
Geography
Pine County’s terrain slopes generally south and east toward the St. Croix River, with the highest ground near the northeast corner around 1,319 feet (402 meters) above sea level. The Kettle River, a state-designated Wild and Scenic river, cuts through the county’s eastern half past Sandstone and Banning State Park before joining the St. Croix. Pine County contains part of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s reservation land near Hinckley.
Pine County borders Aitkin County to the northwest, Carlton County to the north, Douglas County, Wisconsin to the northeast, Chisago County to the south, Isanti County to the southwest, and Kanabec County to the west.
Demographics
Pine County’s population was 28,876 at the 2020 census. Pine City and Hinckley are its two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs below the Minnesota median of $85,086, typical for a rural county built on forestry, agriculture, and tourism rather than metro-area wages. Population density is roughly 20 people per square mile, among the more sparsely settled counties in east-central Minnesota.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism tied to Interstate 35 traffic between the Twin Cities and Duluth is a major driver, anchored by Grand Casino Hinckley and the outlet shopping and lodging that cluster around Hinckley’s freeway exits. Forestry and wood products remain significant employers in the county’s northern townships, alongside dairy and hay farming in the flatter south. Banning State Park, on the Kettle River near Sandstone, draws whitewater kayakers and campers in summer. Sandstone is also home to a federal correctional institution, a notable local employer.
History
Pine County was created on March 1, 1856, from portions of Chisago and Ramsey counties, and organized in 1872; it takes its name from the extensive white and red pine forests early surveyors found here. Chengwatana was the original county seat before it moved to Pine City. The county was devastated by the Great Hinckley Fire of September 1, 1894, one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, which killed more than 400 people and destroyed the town of Hinckley; the Hinckley Fire Museum today documents the disaster and the rebuilt town’s recovery.
Getting There
Interstate 35 runs the length of the county north–south, with Minnesota Highways 18, 23, 48, 70, 107, and 123 providing east–west connections.
- Duluth — about 60 miles north
- Minneapolis — about 75 miles south
- St. Cloud — about 55 miles southwest
- Grand Casino Hinckley/Hinckley — centrally located on I-35
The nearest commercial airport is Duluth International Airport, roughly an hour’s drive north; Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport is about 90 minutes south.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pine County, Minnesota?
It’s in east-central Minnesota, along Interstate 35 roughly halfway between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth.
What is the population of Pine County?
28,876 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Pine County?
1,411 square miles (3,650 km2) of land, plus 23 square miles (60 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Pine County?
Pine City is the county seat.
How many towns are in Pine County?
14 incorporated cities, 34 organized townships, and about 16 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Pine County?
Thirteen ZIP codes serve the county, led by 55063 (Pine City), 55037 (Hinckley), and 55072 (Sandstone).
What happened in Pine County in 1894?
The Great Hinckley Fire killed more than 400 people and destroyed the town of Hinckley, one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Minnesota.