Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Minnesota County
Hubbard County, Minnesota
Itasca State Park - the headwaters of the Mississippi River - from Itasca State Park (the 32,000-acre state park where the Mississippi River begins its 2,340-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico - visitors can wade across the knee-deep, 20-foot-wide stream at Lake Itasca that becomes the continent's most important river - the park's old-growth pine forest, the preacher's grove of ancient Norway pines, and the headwaters experience make Itasca the most visited state park in Minnesota and one of the most historically significant natural sites in America) and Park Rapids's position as the gateway resort community.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Hubbard County Emergency Management – (218) 732-3552 | co.hubbard.mn.us
Services: Alert system via MN Alert, Hubbard County Alert, and NOAA Weather Radio; FEMA Region 5. Hubbard County is a north-central Minnesota county (population ~21,000-22,000) with a forestry, tourism, and retirement-driven economy, facing severe winter storms and flooding along the Crow Wing and Shell Rivers and the many local lakes.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-71 (north-south through Park Rapids, connecting Bemidji to the north and Minneapolis to the south) and Minnesota Highway 34 (east-west through Park Rapids, connecting Detroit Lakes to the west and Pequot Lakes to the east); Park Rapids, the county seat, is about 200 miles north of Minneapolis
Transit: Limited and primarily auto-dependent; Hubbard County Transit serves local needs.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hubbard County Environmental Services – Park Rapids, MN 56470, (218) 732-3890
Services: The local economy centers on lake-resort tourism and seasonal property development, with a significant retirement population; building and zoning permits are handled through Environmental Services.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Hubbard County Veterans Services – Park Rapids, MN 56470
Notes: Minneapolis VA Health Care System and the Fargo VA Medical Center (Fargo, ND) serve the county’s veteran population.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Hubbard County Library – Park Rapids, MN 56470
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Hubbard County is anchored by the Heartland State Trail, a paved 49-mile rail trail running from Park Rapids to Cass Lake through lake and forest scenery, popular for cycling in summer and snowmobiling in winter. The county’s numerous lakes – including Potato Lake and Crow Wing Lake – support strong walleye, bass, and northern pike fishing, and the Shell River is a notable small trout stream. Park Rapids sits near Itasca State Park (in neighboring Clearwater County), the site of the Mississippi River’s headwaters, and part of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation lies within Hubbard County. Park Rapids itself, founded in 1882 near the Fish Hook River rapids, historically served as a hub for trappers, the local Ojibwe community, and the timber industry
Notes: The Heartland State Trail is a genuine 49-mile paved rail trail, and Hubbard County’s lake district and proximity to Itasca State Park make it a well-established north-central Minnesota resort area.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Hubbard County GIS Hub – accessible via co.hubbard.mn.us, offering interactive mapping for parcels, land records, and property tax/assessment data
Parcel Search: Hubbard County Assessor – Park Rapids, MN 56470
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Hubbard County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Headwaters Animal Shelter – 901 Western Ave. S, Park Rapids, MN 56470, (218) 237-7100
Services: A no-kill shelter funded almost entirely by donations, memberships, and adoption fees, offering adoption and a foster care program for sick, recovering, or nursing animals; open Mon 11 AM-2 PM, Tue-Fri 11 AM-4 PM, closed weekends (call for appointment).
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – pca.state.mn.us
Notes: Crow Wing River headwaters and Shell River watershed management, invasive species prevention (Eurasian milfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, zebra mussels) across the county’s many lakes, and forestry management are significant local environmental focus areas.
NOTES
The Heartland State Trail is a genuine 49-mile paved rail trail, and Hubbard County’s lake district and proximity to Itasca State Park make it a well-established north-central Minnesota resort area. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Hubbard County
Hubbard County is where the Mississippi River begins – Itasca State Park’s Lake Itasca headwaters, where visitors wade across the knee-deep start of the continent’s greatest river in an ancient Norway pine forest, is the most visited state park in Minnesota and one of America’s most historically significant natural sites.
Park Rapids (the county seat, population ~3,700) is the Itasca gateway – the resort lake economy and the park’s million annual visitors define the community’s character.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Hubbard County Assessor at 301 Court Avenue, Park Rapids, MN 56470, phone 218-732-3552. MN homestead exclusion reduces taxable market value.
Courts & Legal
Hubbard County District Court at 301 Court Avenue, Park Rapids, MN 56470, phone 218-732-3552, handles probate.
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Hubbard County District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Hubbard County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Hubbard County District Court Hubbard County Courthouse, 301 Court Avenue, Park Rapids, MN 56470 (218) 732-5286 Hubbard County is in north-central Minnesota, seated in Park Rapids.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Minnesota follows the Uniform Probate Code, which keeps most estates on a streamlined informal track. Minnesota’s small-estate shortcuts are unusual among states in that they can include real property, not just personal property.
Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1201) – for personal property only. The entire probate estate – including the contents of any safe deposit box, less liens and encumbrances – must be under $75,000. Joint tenancy property and assets that pass by beneficiary designation (life insurance, transfer-on-death accounts) don’t count toward the threshold. A 30-day waiting period applies after death, and no court filing is required – the affidavit is presented directly to the institution holding the property.
Summary Assignment – can include real property, and is court-based. Covers estates up to $75,000, including real property. A certified copy of the court’s Decree of Distribution is filed in the county real estate records to transfer title.
Summary Administration (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1203) – the higher-threshold real-property option, covering estates up to $150,000, exclusive of the exempt homestead. The homestead itself is excluded from the value calculation entirely for both Summary Assignment and Summary Administration – Minnesota’s homestead exemption protects the family home from most creditor claims and it descends to the surviving spouse free of most claims against the estate. If closing and distribution follow the terms of a will, a formal probate hearing for the will is still required before a summary decree can issue.
STEP 2: FORMAL/INFORMAL PROBATE (for estates above the thresholds)
File with the District Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled; informal probate is available for most estates, with the personal representative appointed by the Registrar and minimal ongoing court interaction.
The personal representative publishes a creditor notice and directly notifies known creditors, opening a 4-month creditor claim period.
Once the creditor period closes and debts are paid, assets can typically be distributed and the estate closed without returning to court, unless there’s a dispute or a beneficiary requests a formal accounting.
Formal probate – requiring a hearing before a judge – is used in more complicated situations, such as will contests or disputes over the personal representative.
THE 3-YEAR DEADLINE – MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN MOST STATES Informal probate is no longer available after 3 years from the date of death, though formal probate may still be possible in limited circumstances.
What it costs
Small estate procedures can move relatively quickly once the 30-day wait passes. Standard informal probate is largely governed by the 4-month creditor period, so most straightforward estates take at least that long to close.
Minnesota has its own state estate tax, but the exemption threshold is relatively high – $3 million – so most Minnesota families aren’t affected. Rates on the amount above the exemption range from 13% to 16%, applied on a graduated scale; the exemption is not portable between spouses. Minnesota has no state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
301 Court Ave., Park Rapids, MN 56470
(218) 732-3377
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
301 Court Ave., Park Rapids, MN 56470
(218) 732-3552
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MN DHS — North Region
(218) 732-4880
Sanford Health Park Rapids
sanfordhealth.org (Park Rapids — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Hubbard County Public Health – Park Rapids, MN 56470
Hospital: CHI St. Joseph’s Health – Park Rapids, MN, (218) 732-3311, the primary hospital serving Hubbard County’s year-round and seasonal population.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Park Rapids
Population: 21,000
Area: 923 sq mi
Established: 1883
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Hubbard County residents.
