Red Lake Falls, Minnesota

Image:Red Lake River.jpg

Red Lake Falls was the site of a North West Company fur post as early as 1796 or 1797, making it one of the oldest sites of European occupation in the State of Minnesota. A French Canadian fur trader, Jean Baptiste Cadot, partner of the noted British-Canadian fur trader, Alexander Henry the elder, established the post as part of a strategy to ward off Hudson's Bay Company intrusion into the Red River Valley. The famous Canadian explorer David Thompson took shelter from a storm in Cadotte's cabin here in March 1798.See D'Arcy Jenish, Epic Wanderer: David Thompson & The Mapping of the Canadian West (2003), at pages 103-04 The post was abandoned early in the 1800s, as British fur traders withdrew from United States territory.

The surrounding territory was homesteaded by French-American settlers led by Pierre Bottineau, who were relocating via ox cart from their temporary stopping points in Ramsey and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota, in 1876. These pioneers were augmented in 1878 by a number of French-Canadian settlers from Upper Canada. The area developed as a grain farming region. In 1878, Earnest Buse and his partner, Otto Kankel, established a flour mill at the confluence of the two rivers.

The town of Red Lake Falls soon after was platted by Mr. Buse, who then moved on to other environs. The Kankel family continued as a prominent presence in the town through the 1950s. The town prospered for a time, as both the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway ran their lines through the town in the 1880s and early 1890s (both lines are now abandoned), and when Red Lake County split off from Polk County, in 1896, Red Lake Falls became the county seat of the newly formed county, a reason for existence that persists to the present day. The population peaked shortly afterward, in 1900, and has been in decline ever since.

The last significant historic event in Red Lake Falls occurred on August 27, 1927, when the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife landed at the nearby airport during a barnstorming trip through the Upper Midwest and were taken on automobile rides to Huot and Crookston.

Red Lake Falls is located on a tributary of the Red River of the North, the Red Lake River, at its confluence with the Clearwater River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|2.03|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=November 13, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archivedate=January 25, 2012}}

Minnesota Highway 32 serves as a main route in the city. Minnesota Highway 92 is nearby.

{{Weather box

|location = Red Lake Falls, Minnesota (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1913–present)

|single line = Y

|width = auto

|Jan record high F = 53

|Feb record high F = 62

|Mar record high F = 77

|Apr record high F = 97

|May record high F = 102

|Jun record high F = 103

|Jul record high F = 110

|Aug record high F = 102

|Sep record high F = 96

|Oct record high F = 91

|Nov record high F = 73

|Dec record high F = 57

|year record high F = 110

|Jan high F = 15.0

|Feb high F = 19.8

|Mar high F = 33.7

|Apr high F = 51.2

|May high F = 65.6

|Jun high F = 74.6

|Jul high F = 78.9

|Aug high F = 78.2

|Sep high F = 68.9

|Oct high F = 53.2

|Nov high F = 35.0

|Dec high F = 21.3

|year high F = 49.6

|Jan mean F = 6.0

|Feb mean F = 10.0

|Mar mean F = 24.4

|Apr mean F = 40.6

|May mean F = 54.3

|Jun mean F = 64.6

|Jul mean F = 68.7

|Aug mean F = 67.0

|Sep mean F = 57.9

|Oct mean F = 43.5

|Nov mean F = 27.2

|Dec mean F = 13.5

|year mean F = 39.8

|Jan low F = −2.9

|Feb low F = 0.2

|Mar low F = 15.0

|Apr low F = 30.1

|May low F = 43.1

|Jun low F = 54.6

|Jul low F = 58.4

|Aug low F = 55.8

|Sep low F = 46.9

|Oct low F = 33.8

|Nov low F = 19.3

|Dec low F = 5.6

|year low F = 30.0

|Jan record low F = −50

|Feb record low F = −47

|Mar record low F = −39

|Apr record low F = −11

|May record low F = 15

|Jun record low F = 25

|Jul record low F = 35

|Aug record low F = 28

|Sep record low F = 15

|Oct record low F = −4

|Nov record low F = −29

|Dec record low F = −43

|year record low F = −50

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.60

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.57

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.89

|Apr precipitation inch = 1.32

|May precipitation inch = 2.85

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.49

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.58

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.50

|Sep precipitation inch = 2.81

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.09

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.85

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.78

|year precipitation inch = 24.33

|Jan snow inch = 10.1

|Feb snow inch = 8.6

|Mar snow inch = 7.8

|Apr snow inch = 3.8

|May snow inch = 0.1

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 1.5

|Nov snow inch = 5.6

|Dec snow inch = 12.4

|year snow inch = 49.9

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 7.6

|Feb precipitation days = 6.2

|Mar precipitation days = 6.7

|Apr precipitation days = 7.5

|May precipitation days = 10.7

|Jun precipitation days = 12.5

|Jul precipitation days = 11.2

|Aug precipitation days = 9.2

|Sep precipitation days = 9.7

|Oct precipitation days = 8.7

|Nov precipitation days = 6.6

|Dec precipitation days = 8.4

|year precipitation days = 105.0

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 7.8

|Feb snow days = 6.3

|Mar snow days = 4.8

|Apr snow days = 2.2

|May snow days = 0.2

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 1.1

|Nov snow days = 4.5

|Dec snow days = 9.1

|year snow days = 36.0

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=fgf

| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = September 24, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00216787&format=pdf

| title = Station: Red Lake Falls, MN

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = September 24, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1880= 32

|1890= 774

|1900= 1885

|1910= 1757

|1920= 1549

|1930= 1386

|1940= 1530

|1950= 1733

|1960= 1520

|1970= 1740

|1980= 1732

|1990= 1481

|2000= 1590

|2010= 1427

|2020= 1339

|estyear=2024

|estimate=1327

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 27, 2025}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}
2020 Census

}}

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,427 people, 615 households, and 366 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|703.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 670 housing units at an average density of {{convert|330.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.1% White, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 615 households, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the city was 41.2 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,590 people, 608 households, and 380 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|749.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 652 housing units at an average density of {{convert|307.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.53% White, 4.53% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.

There were 608 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,536, and the median income for a family was $41,413. Males had a median income of $29,792 versus $20,185 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,177. About 8.3% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

{{Hidden begin|titlestyle=background:#ccccff|title=Presidential election results}}

{{Hidden end}}

• Adrian Baril, NFL player
• Roxy Beaudro, ice hockey player

{{Reflist}}

• Red Lake County Historical Society, Inc., A History of Red Lake County (1976), pp. 108–138.

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.redlakefalls.com City website]
• [http://www.redlakecountyhistory.org/ History of Red Lake County]
• [http://www.co.red-lake.mn.us/ Official Red Lake County website]

{{Red Lake County, Minnesota}}

{{Minnesota}}

{{Minnesota county seats}}

{{Coord|47|52|56|N|96|16|27|W|type:city_region:US-MN|display=title}}

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Category:Cities in Red Lake County, Minnesota

Category:Cities in Minnesota

Category:County seats in Minnesota