Big Lake is a city in

Sherburne County Sherburne County is a county in Central Minnesota. At the 2020 census, the population was 97,183. The county seat is Elk River. Sherburne County is included in the Minneapolis-St. Paul- Bloomington, MN- WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. H ...

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 t ...

, United States. The population was 11,686 at the 2020 census.

Facts

In 2019 it was named the safest city to live in, and th
second safest city in 2021
with the lowest property crime rate in the state. It houses the tallest structure in Minnesota, the KPXM-TV Tower.

U.S. Highway 10 U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Unlike most U.S. routes with "0" as the last digit of its route number, US 1 ...

and

Minnesota State Highway 25 Minnesota State Highway 25 (MN 25) is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with U.S. Highway 169 in Belle Plaine and continues north to its intersection with State Highway 210 in Brainerd. Route description State High ...

are two of the main routes in Big Lake. Big Lake is located 41 miles northwest of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

; and 27 miles southeast of St. Cloud. It was originally called Humboldt until 1867. The average median household income is $87,129 Has a population of 11,226, with 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

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 th ...

, the city has a total area of ; is land and is water. A portion of the city lies along the Elk River. Located about forty-one miles northwest 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 sta ...

, Big Lake was once a popular location for escapes from the city, its lakes dotted with summer cabins. Now it is considered an

exurb An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing density, and growth. It sh ...

of the metro area, with a significant portion of residents commuting into the Cities daily. The lake for which the town is named was once an important part of the Twin Cities economy, as in the days before modern refrigerators, much of the ice for metropolitan iceboxes was harvested from Big Lake.Big Lake, Minnesota (MN) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news
/ref> There is a connection to Mitchell Lake by a small channel on the north side of Big Lake. Big Lake station is currently the northernmost terminus of the Northstar Commuter Rail line connecting the northwest suburbs and downtown

; the line will be extended to St. Cloud at some point in the future. Currently, commuters can use the Northstar Link Commuter Bus to reach St. Cloud, MN.

Demographics

The median house/condo value in 2005 was estimated to be $207,400 (67% increase from 2000).

2020 census

As of the census of 2020 there were 11,686 people, and 3,846 households. The racial makeup of the city was 89.0% White, 3.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latinos of any race made up 5.6% of the population.

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 10,060 people, 3,377 households, and 2,500 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 3,640 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.4%

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 ...

, 1.7%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.7% of the population. There were 3,377 households, of which 50.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% 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 ...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.0% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.38. The median age in the city was 29.5 years. 34.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 35.7% were from 25 to 44; 17.1% were from 45 to 64; and 5.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.4% male and 49.6% female. 2013 Estimated Population is 10,298

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,063 people, 2,117 households, and 1,570 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,206 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.70%

, 0.13%

, 0.49% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.89% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.80% of the population. 38.6% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 15.2% Norwegian, 7.5% Irish, 7.5% Swedish and 5.9% Polish ancestry. There were 2,117 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were

living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.23. In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.5% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $50,658, and the median income for a family was $54,038. Males had a median income of $35,279 versus $26,601 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 $18,931. About 3.5% of families and 4.7% of the population 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 ...

, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

History

Big Lake was originally called Humboldt until 1867. Big Lake was originally established to harvest ice in both of its towns' lakes (Big and Mitchell Lakes). Due to the rich amount of ice Big Lake provided, it needed to be transported quickly, enabling Big Lake to be suitable for a railway station which was built in 1871. Big Lake was served by both the Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railroad, later Burlington Northern Railroad, now BNSF Railway. The city was host to a station of both GN and NP railways until the NP station burned in 1918, in later years both railroads shared a depot. The depot no longer stands.

Culture

Big Lake is known locally for its annual summer festival "Spud Fest," which celebrates all things potato-related. The festival is also known for its large softball tournament, attracting teams from all over the state. Lakeside Park 2018

Big Lake is also home to the area famous ice auger company, Strike Master. The local newspaper is the Patriot Newspaper The local youth baseball league is the Big Lake Baseball Association. Big Lake is also host to the largest youth football tournament in the Upper Midwest.

Education

The city hosts ISD #727, which includes Big Lake High School.

References

External links

City of Big Lake, MN – Official Website

Big Lake Public Schools website
{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Sherburne County, Minnesota