Albert Lea ( ) is a city in

Freeborn County Freeborn County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 30,895. Its county seat is Albert Lea, Minnesota, Albert Lea. Freeborn County compri ...

, in southern

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...

. It is on the shores of Fountain Lake, Pickerel Lake, Albert Lea Lake, Goose Lake, School Lake, and Lake Chapeau. Fountain Lake and Albert Lea Lake are part of the Shell Rock River flowage. The city's early growth was based on

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, farming support services and

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...

, and it was a significant rail center. At one time it was the site of

Cargill Cargill, Incorporated is an American multinational food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865 by William Wallace Cargill, it is the largest privately held c ...

's headquarters. Other manufacturing included Edwards Manufacturing (barn equipment), Scotsman Ice Machines, Streater Store fixtures, and Universal Milking Machines. As in many U.S. cities, Albert Lea's manufacturing base has substantially diminished. A major employer was the Wilson & Company meatpacking plant, later known as Farmstead and Farmland. This facility was destroyed by fire in July 2001.

History

The city is named after Albert Lea Lake, which was named after Albert Miller Lea, a topographer with the United States

Dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

, who surveyed southern Minnesota and northern

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

in 1835, including the current site of Albert Lea. Captain Nathan Boone, a son of

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

, was the scout for Lea's unit. The city received national attention in 1959 after Local 6 of the United Packinghouse Workers of America went on strike against Wilson & Co., one of the Big Four meatpacking plants at the time, over issues involving mandatory overtime requirements.Register, Cheri (2001) ''Packinghouse Daughter'',

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

. When Wilson & Co. attempted to operate the plant with replacement workers, violence erupted and split the town. During the 109-day strike, Governor Orville Freeman acted to quell the violence by closing the plant, calling in the Minnesota National Guard, and declaring martial law on December 11. A federal district court in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

ruled against Freeman on December 23, and the plant turned back to Wilson & Co. just days later.Frost, Richard T. (1961) ''Cases in State and Local Government'',

Prentice-Hall Prentice Hall was a major American educational publisher. It published print and digital content for the 6–12 and higher-education market. It was an independent company throughout the bulk of the twentieth century. In its last few years it ...

LCCR
61008224
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Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. Myre-Big Island State Park is nearby. There are three main lakes in Albert Lea: Fountain Lake, Pickerel Lake and Albert Lea Lake.

Climate

Albert Lea has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

of the hot-summer subtype (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfa''). Albert Lea varies from cold winters to hot summers, with significant contrasts between seasons. Its climate type is typical for inland northern United States locations, but due to its southern position in the state, its summers and winters have higher temperatures than other, more northerly regions of the state. An exception to this rule is the urban core of

- St. Paul, which sees higher temperatures typical of an

urban heat island Urban areas usually experience the urban heat island (UHI) effect; that is, they are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparent when winds ar ...

, but Albert Lea is significantly warmer than locations such as

Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 18,016 people, 7,774 households, and 4,644 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 8,410 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 5.3% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 13.2% of the population. There were 7,774 households, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the city was 44 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 22.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 18,356 people, 7,785 households, and 4,826 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 8,133 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.80%

, 0.37%

, 0.29% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.03%

, 4.54% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 9.48% of the population were

or Latino of any race. Of the 7,785 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.88. 23.0% of Albert Lea's population were under the age of 18, 7.9% were 18 to 24, 24.6% were 25 to 44, 23.2% were from 45 to 64, and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,841, and the median income for a family was $42,407. Males had a median income of $31,383 versus $21,114 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,979. 10.2% of the population and 6.9% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. 10.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

The Marion Ross Performing Arts Center is a historic building in downtown Albert Lea. The 255-seat theater is used for the arts, business meetings, and seminars. The Freeborn County Fair takes place annually in Albert Lea, and includes live entertainment, an antique tractor show, a draft horse show, a small and baby animal show, a midway featuring rides, concessions, and other attractions, and a Sunday church service. A number of well-known and popular Country and Western bands have appeared at the Fair, including Kelly Pickler, Jason Aldean, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Statler Brothers, among many others. The Albert Lea Art Center hosts public events.

Sports

The Albert Lea Thunder was a junior hockey team that played at Albert Lea Ice Arena and was a member of the

North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 50th season of operation in 2024–25. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...

. The team operated for two seasons in 2008–10 and folded due to financial difficulties. On May 11, 2010, it was reported that the team had found new owners and would relocate to Texas for the 2010–11 season. Its roster was sold to the expansion Amarillo, Texas, franchise the Amarillo Bulls on May 26, 2010.

Government

Albert Lea's city hall is at 221 East Clark St. Albert Lea is in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Brad Finstad, a Republican from New Ulm. It is in Minnesota State Senate District 23, represented by State Senator Gene Dornink, a Republican from Brownsdale, and in Minnesota's House District 23A, represented by Peggy Bennett, a Republican.

Education

School District A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public Primary school, primary or Secondary school, secondary schools or both in various countries. It is not to be confused with an attendance zone, which is within a school dis ...

241 **Alternative Learning Center *

Elementary schools A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

**Halverson Elementary **Hawthorne Elementary **Lakeview Elementary **Sibley Elementary **St. Theodore's Catholic School *

Middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

s **Southwest Middle School *

High school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

**Albert Lea High School *

Higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

** Riverland Community College ** Lea College, operated 1966–1973 *Community education **Albert Lea Community Ed

Media

The Albert Lea Tribune, founded in 1897, is a newspaper published Monday through Saturday in Albert Lea. It is owned by Boone Newspapers. Radio stations with Albert Lea as the city of license include: *

KATE Kate may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American author o ...

an AM radio station broadcasting at 1450 kHz. The station airs news/talk programming and is owned by

Alpha Media Alpha Media LLC is a radio broadcasting company based in Portland, Oregon, and led by Bob Proffitt. The group does business under the Alpha Media name. It was formed from the merger of Alpha Broadcasting, L&L Broadcasting, and Main Line Broadc ...

. * KCPI "94.9 The Breeze" an FM radio station broadcasting at 94.9 MHz. The station airs an adult contemporary music programming and is owned by

. * KQPR "Power 96" an FM radio station broadcasting at 96.1 MHz. The station airs classic rock music programming and is owned by D&Z Media LLC.

Transportation

Local bus service in Albert Lea is provided by SMART. SMART operates one deviated fixed route and paratransit service.

Notable people

Clare Hibbs Armstrong Clare Hibbs Armstrong (January 23, 1894 – July 12, 1969) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of brigadier general. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, he was the commanding officer of the 50th A ...

, brigadier general during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

* Alfred Berglund, Minnesota state senator and farmer * Beatrice Gjertsen Bessesen (1886–1935), operatic soprano and namesake of the Bessesen Building * Tom Brown (Canadian football),

Minnesota Golden Gophers The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college athletics, college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 21 (9 men's, 12 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and com ...

and

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions playe ...

football star * Richard Carlson, sci-fi and horror, writer, director and actor * Vinny Cerrato, former

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

general manager *

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran ( ; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. His songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", " Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in ...

, rockabilly musician *

Robert Crumb Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American artist who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary American c ...

, cartoonist and musician * Richard Fitzgerald, farmer, businessman, and Minnesota state legislator *

Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American politician, comedian, and actor who served from 2009 to 2018 as a United States senator from Minnesota. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he worked as an ...

, comedian, commentator and U.S. Senator * Joan Claire Graham, writer, editor and publisher * Alexander Grinager, an artist most noted for his murals, born in Albert Lea * Rudolph Hanson, lawyer and Minnesota state legislator * Steve Heitzeg, composer, born in Albert Lea * Mary Kelly, conceptual artist * Jodi Jill, author, also known for having been raised as a child in a public storage facility * John A. Lovely, Minnesota Supreme Court justice * Paul Overgaard, businessman and Minnesota state legislator * Tim Penny, U.S. Representative (1983–1995), born in Albert Lea * Mark Piepho, businessman and Minnesota state legislator * Marion Ross, actress (''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...

'') * Olive Nelson Russell, composer, organist, and pianist * Perry Saturn, professional wrestler * William B. Sieglaff, double Navy Cross recipient and US Navy Admiral * Warren Stowell, teacher, businessman, and Minnesota state legislator * Ben Woodside, Professional Basketball Player

References

External links

City of Albert Lea Official website
{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Freeborn County, Minnesota County seats in Minnesota Populated places established in 1855 1855 establishments in Minnesota Territory