Duluth , city (1990 pop. 85,493), seat of St. Louis co., NE Minn., at the west end of Lake Superior, at the head of lake navigation and opposite Superior, Wis.; inc. 1870. It is a commercial, industrial, and cultural center of N Minnesota, as well as a major port on the Great Lakes, a convention headquarters, and the gateway to a resort region. Large amounts of grain, iron ore (especially taconite), oil, and bulk cargo are shipped on lake freighters and ocean vessels. The diverse industries include fish processing and grain elevator services, and the manufacture of steel, concrete, piping, chemical lime, paper, and hand tools. Tourism is important, and the military air-defense installation at Duluth International Airport is valuable to the economy.

Native American settlements were found there in the 1670s by the early explorers and fur traders, including the sieur Duluth (for whom the city was named). Permanent settlement began c.1852. Built largely on rocky bluffs overlooking the lake, the city was at first a trade and shipping center for the timber country. Discovery of iron (1865) in the Mesabi range made it the chief ore-shipping point for the nation's steel mills. With the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway (1959), it became one of the leading ports on the Great Lakes for the export of grain.

Duluth is the seat of the College of St. Scholastica, the Duluth Institute of Technology, and a branch of the Univ. of Minnesota. It has a symphony orchestra, a community theater, and various museums. Of interest are the huge Aerial Lift Bridge, linking the city to 7 mi (11.3 km) of sand beach on Park Point; the Skyline Blvd., winding high above the city for 15 mi (24 km); and Leif Erikson Park.

Duluth: Introduction

The seat of St. Louis County in Minnesota, Duluth is the focus of a metropolitan statistical area comprising both St. Louis County and Wisconsin's Douglas County. The city has developed into the second-largest port on the Great Lakes and is the commercial, industrial, and cultural center of northern Minnesota. Duluth is noted for its dramatic geographic setting. Steep inclines, dotted with buildings that seem to pop out of hillsides, provide the backdrop for Duluth's famous 30-mile-long Skyline Parkway, which winds above the city.

Duluth: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents

1980: 266,650

1990: 239,971

2000: 243,815

Percent change, 1990–2000: 1.02%

U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported

U.S. rank in 2000: 146th

City Residents

1980: 92,811

1990: 85,493

2000: 86,918

2003 estimate: 85,734

Percent change, 1990–2000: 1.01%

U.S. rank in 1980: 184th

U.S. rank in 1990: 243rd

U.S. rank in 2000: 321st (State rank: 4th)

Density: 1,278.1.6 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 80,532

Black or African American: 1,415

American Indian and Alaska Native: 2,122

Asian: 993

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 25

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 921

Other: 251

Percent of residents born in state: 75.1% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 4,695

Population 5 to 9 years old: 4,924

Population 10 to 14 years old: 5,505

Population 15 to 19 years old: 7,886

Population 20 to 24 years old: 9,549

Population 25 to 34 years old: 10,484

Population 35 to 44 years old: 12,222

Population 45 to 54 years old: 11,615

Population 55 to 59 years old: 3,913

Population 60 to 64 years old: 2,978

Population 65 to 74 years old: 5,684

Population 75 to 84 years old: 5,116

Population 85 years and over: 2,347

Median age: 35.4 years

Births (2003)

Total number: 1,054

Deaths (2003)

Total number: 2,182 (of which, 10 were infants under the age of 1 year) (St. Louis County data)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $18,969

Median household income: $33,766

Total households: 35,547

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 4,398

$10,000 to $14,999: 3,338

$15,000 to $24,999: 5,465

$25,000 to $34,999: 5,061

$35,000 to $49,999: 5,826

$50,000 to $74,999: 6,334

$75,000 to $99,999: 2,752

$100,000 to $149,999: 1,579

$150,000 to $199,999: 366

$200,000 or more: 428

Percent of families below poverty level: 8.6% (48.3% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 5,340