Carlton County was established, with boundaries as they currently are, in 1857, and is home to over 35,000 citizens, including over 3,200 people of the Fond du Lac Reservation, the Lake Superior Band of Ojibway. Our population is mostly rural, 34.8 persons per square mile, with ten cities. Our largest city is Cloquet, which is home to 12,124 persons and the Fond Du Lac Tribal & Community College. You can also visit the City of Moose Lake, one of our many caring communities. The City of Carlton has served as the county seat since 1871.
Carlton County is well known for the devastating Fire of 1918. The Carlton County Historical Society and the Cloquet Public Library can provide you with more information on this chapter and other chapters of Carlton County history.