The territorial legislature created Douglas County on March 8, 1858, shortly before Minnesota attained statehood. It was named for political figure Stephen A. Douglas, who was serving as a US Senator from Illinois at the time of the county's creation.[5] The county organization was completed in 1866.
Geography
Spruce Creek flows southeast through northeastern Douglas county. The county consists of rolling hills, heavily dotted with lakes and ponds, especially in its north-to-south central portion.[6] The hilly terrain generally slopes to the south and west; its highest point is near the northeast corner, at 1,483 ft (452 m) ASL.[7] The county has an area of 720 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 637 square miles (1,650 km2) is land and 83 square miles (210 km2) (11%) is water.[8] It contains more than 250 lakes.
The county includes two of Minnesota's biomes: prairie grassland in the west and southeast, savannas (also prairie ecosystems) in the middle, and temperate deciduous forest in the south-central, north, and east.[9] Douglas is one of 17 Minnesota counties where savanna soils predominate.
As of the census of 2000, there were 32,821 people, 13,276 households, and 9,027 families in the county. The population density was 51.5 per square mile (19.9/km2). There were 16,694 housing units at an average density of 26.2 per square mile (10.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.49% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.5% were of German, 24.6% Norwegian and 8.1% Swedish ancestry.
There were 13,276 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.93.
The county population contained 24.00% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,703, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $30,968 versus $21,240 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,850. About 5.60% of families and 8.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.30% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.
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