Mora is a city in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Kanabec County. It is located at the junction of Minnesota highways 23 and 65. The population was 3,571 at the 2010 census.

History

Mora was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1882 by Myron Kent. The city was named after

Mora, Sweden Mora is a urban areas of Sweden, locality and the seat of Mora Municipality, Sweden, Mora Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 10,896 inhabitants in 2010. History There are signs of human activity in the surroundings of Mora dating from ...

. when Israel Israelson suggested the name of his hometown in Dalarna County, Sweden. The post office has been in operation at Mora since 1883 with Myron Kent being the first post master of Mora.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Mora is located 72 miles north of Minneapolis-St. Paul at the intersection of Minnesota highways 23 and 65. It is also 52 miles northeast of St. Cloud and 91 miles southwest of

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

. Mora is along the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 3,571 people, 1,513 households, and 857 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,684 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American 0.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.2% of the population. There were 1,513 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.4% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,139 people, 1,381 households, and 814 families living in the city. The

in the year 2000 was 781.2 per square mile (301.4/km). There were 1,471 housing units at an average density of 359.9 per square mile (138.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 96.71%

, 0.28%

, 1.28% Native American, 0.19%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, 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 the original p ...

, 0.25% from

, and 1.25% from two or more races. 1.57% of the population were

of any race. There were 1,381 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,566, and the median income for a family was $40,577. Males had a median income of $32,222 versus $21,797 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,949. 9.0% of the population and 6.0% 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 t ...

. Out of the total population, 7.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Mora is served by the Mora Municipal Airport.

Major highways

The following routes are located within the city of Mora. *

Minnesota State Highway 23 Minnesota State Highway 23 (MN 23) is a state highway that stretches from southwestern to northeastern Minnesota. At in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1. This route, signed east–west, runs roughl ...

Minnesota State Highway 65 Minnesota State Highway 65 (MN 65) is a highway in the east–central and northeast parts of the U.S. state of Minnesota, which starts at its split from I-35W, skipping past the downtown Minneapolis core, only to resume at the intersection with ' ...

The following county roads also serve as important routes in the city of Mora. * Kanabec County 1 MN

Kanabec County Road 1 * Kanabec County 6 MN

Kanabec County Road 6 * Kanabec County 27 MN

Kanabec County Road 27

Arts and culture

Mora is the home of a gigantic

Dala horse A Dalecarlian horse or Dala horse (; Swedish: ''Dalahäst'') is a traditional carved, painted wooden statue of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia). In the old days the Dalecarlian horse was mostly used as a t ...

, and a

Mora clock Gustavian Mora clocks are a type of longcase clock which were made in, and derived their name from, the town of Mora in Dalarna province, Sweden. Production began in the late 18th century and continued through most of the 19th century, finally s ...

commemorating the town's Swedish roots. Mora's sister city and namesake is

Mora Mora may refer to: People * Mora (surname) Places Sweden * Mora, Säter, Sweden * Mora, Sweden, the seat of Mora Municipality * Mora Municipality, Sweden United States * Mora, Louisiana, an unincorporated community * Mora, Minnesota, a city * M ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, known for being the ending point of the

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

Vasaloppet (Swedish for 'the Vasa-race') is an annual long distance cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March. The course starts in the village of Berga, just south of Sälen in western Dalarna, Sweden, and ends in the town of Mora in the c ...

. They became sister cities in 1972 when the

was dedicated. The city of Mora also plays host each February to the Vasaloppet USA, the largest

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

event in Minnesota, as well as the Snake River Canoe Race, the Mora Half-Marathon, and the Mora Bicycle Tour.

Notable people

* Roger Crawford, state representative *

Dan Stevens Daniel Jonathan Stevens (born 10 October 1982) is a British actor and writer. He first drew international attention for his role as Matthew Crawley in the ITV acclaimed period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' (2010–2012). He also starred as D ...

, state senator * Bill Diessner, state senator and physician *

Alice Frost Alice Frost (August 1, 1910 – January 6, 1998) was an American actress. An inaugural member of Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre on radio and the stage, she later performed the role of Pamela North on the radio series ''Mr. and Mrs. North'' for ...

, actress *

Henry Rines Henry Rines (June 9, 1872 – October 5, 1950) was a Minnesota Republican politician, Minnesota State Treasurer, and Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Rines, a newspaper publisher, emigrated as a child from Orsa, Sweden. He w ...

Minnesota state treasurer The state treasurer of Minnesota was a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Twenty-six individuals occupied the office of state treasurer from 1858 until the office's abolition in 2003. The final state t ...

and speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives * Judy Soderstrom, state representative and businesswoman

References

External links

*
City of Mora – Official Websitedala.mn – Mora's community portal

{{authority control Cities in Minnesota County seats in Minnesota Cities in Kanabec County, Minnesota 1882 establishments in Minnesota Populated places established in 1882