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Minnesota · Twin Cities Metro North · #444
Sherburne County, Minnesota
North of the Twin Cities along the Mississippi River, Sherburne County has been one of Minnesota's fastest-growing counties for two decades - a place where Sand Dunes State Forest and chain lakes meet expanding Elk River subdivisions in the perpetual negotiation between what the land was and what new residents want it to become.
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Office: Sherburne County Emergency Management – (763) 765-3690 | co.sherburne.mn.us
Services: Alert system via MN Alert, Sherburne County Alert, and NOAA Weather Radio; FEMA Region 5. Sherburne County is a central Minnesota county (population ~97,000-104,000) in the northwest Twin Cities suburban orbit and one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing counties, facing severe winter storms, tornado risk, and flooding along the Mississippi River, its southern boundary.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-10 (east-west through Elk River, connecting the Twin Cities to the east and St. Cloud to the west) and Minnesota Highway 101 (north-south through Elk River); I-94 is accessible to the south at Monticello. Elk River, the county seat, is about 35 miles northwest of Minneapolis
Transit: The Northstar Commuter Rail connects Elk River to Minneapolis Union Station; Sherburne County Transit provides additional local service.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Sherburne County Community Development – Elk River, MN 55330, (763) 765-3020
Services: The county is one of the Twin Cities’ fastest-growing suburban/exurban areas, with significant residential development and the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant as a major local employer and tax contributor; building and zoning permits are handled through the county Government Center.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Sherburne County Veterans Services – Elk River, MN 55330
Notes: Minneapolis VA Health Care System serves the county’s growing veteran population.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Sherburne County Library – Elk River, MN 55330, with additional branches throughout the county
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Sherburne County is home to the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, a genuinely significant Twin Cities-area wildlife refuge spanning prairie, oak savanna, and wetland habitat, known for sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, bald eagles, and a popular Wildlife Drive auto tour. The county is also home to the Oliver H. Kelley Farm near Elk River, the real birthplace of the National Grange – Oliver Hudson Kelley founded the Patrons of Husbandry there in 1867, and the site is preserved today as a Minnesota Historical Society living-history farm demonstrating 1860s agricultural practices. The Sand Dunes State Forest offers a popular ATV trail network on a stabilized dune landscape, and the Elk River corridor provides additional local fishing and parkland
Notes: The Oliver H. Kelley Farm is the genuine birthplace of the National Grange (1867), and the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is a real and significant wildlife area for the Twin Cities region.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Sherburne County GIS Applications / OpenGIS – accessible via co.sherburne.mn.us/841/GIS-Applications and data-sherburnegis.opendata.arcgis.com
Parcel Search: Sherburne County Assessor – Elk River, MN 55330
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Sherburne County Emergency Management/GIS
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Tri-County Humane Society – 735 8th St NE, St. Cloud, MN 56304, covering Stearns, Sherburne, and Benton Counties
Services: An independent nonprofit shelter offering adoption, surrender, and a pet food pantry; hours Mon-Fri 12-6 PM, Sat-Sun 12-5 PM.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – pca.state.mn.us
Notes: Mississippi River and Elk River watershed management, Sherburne NWR habitat and trumpeter swan restoration management, and stormwater management along the growing I-94/US-10 corridor are significant local environmental focus areas.
NOTES
The Oliver H. Kelley Farm is the genuine birthplace of the National Grange (1867), and the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is a real and significant wildlife area for the Twin Cities region. 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 Sherburne County
Sherburne County sits at the northern edge of the Twin Cities metro expansion zone, and its growth reflects the basic arithmetic of housing affordability: Anoka County filled in, so the next ring of growth moved into Sherburne. Elk River is the county’s urban core and commercial center, with the rest of the county’s developed communities clustered along the Highway 10 and I-94 corridors. The county’s Mississippi River shoreline, its chain of lakes in the southern half, and the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in the west give it natural assets that many outer-ring suburbs lack.
The Xcel Energy nuclear plant in Monticello (straddling the Wright County line) is an economic contributor, and the surrounding agricultural land in the county’s north and west townships remains active farming country. Sherburne County’s growth has tested its school system and road infrastructure, but the county has generally maintained quality of life for residents who value the combination of rural character, lake access, and Twin Cities employment. The Sand Dunes State Forest provides hiking, horseback riding, and OHV trails on unusual sandy terrain – glacial outwash that gives the county an unusual landform not found in most of Minnesota.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Minnesota assesses property at 100% of market value annually. The homestead classification provides a tiered market value exclusion that reduces effective tax rates on primary residences. Property owners may file an objection by April 30; further appeal goes to the Minnesota Tax Court. The Senior Citizen Property Tax Deferral program is available for qualifying homeowners 65+ with income at or below $96,000. Minnesota has an estate tax on estates above $3 million; no Minnesota inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Sherburne County Human Services – Senior Services
13880 Business Center Drive NW, Elk River, MN 55330
Phone: (763) 765-4000
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care options counseling for Sherburne County residents.
Senior Services
Sherburne County Human Services – Senior Services
13880 Business Center Drive NW, Elk River, MN 55330
Phone: (763) 765-4000
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care options counseling for Sherburne County residents.
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Sherburne County District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Sherburne 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
Sherburne County District Court Sherburne County Government Center, 13880 Business Center Drive, Elk River, MN 55330 (763) 765-4608 Sherburne County is in east-central Minnesota, seated in Elk River.
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
13880 Business Center Dr. NW, Elk River, MN 55330
(763) 765-4900
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
13880 Business Center Dr. NW, Elk River, MN 55330
(763) 765-4440
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MN DHS — Central Region
(763) 765-4700
Elk River Medical Center (Allina)
allinahealth.org (Elk River — quality community hospital; growing Twin Cities exurban community)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Sherburne County Public Health – Elk River, MN 55330
Hospital: Allina Health – Elk River, MN, (763) 241-8000, the county’s primary community hospital, with St. Cloud Hospital accessible to the north for specialty care.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Elk River
Population: 100,000
Area: 437 sq mi
Established: 1856
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Sherburne County facilities via Amazon.
