Detroit Lakes is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and 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 ...

of Becker County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsummers, due to seasonal residents and tourists. U.S. Highways 10 and 59, and Minnesota State Highway 34 serve as the primary routes through the city. Detroit Lakes is located 45 miles east of the

Fargo–Moorhead Fargo–Moorhead, also known as the FM area, is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead, Minnesota; and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota–Minnesota border, on opp ...

ND-MN statistical metropolitan area. The nearest major metropolitan area with a population over 1 million is

Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi, Minnesota River, Minnesota, and St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota), ...

, which is approximately 205 miles southeast of Detroit Lakes. Detroit Lakes is a regional summer and winter recreation destination, attracting large numbers of tourists and seasonal residents each year. Its economy is fueled by seasonal population increases, with tourism being the area's chief industry.

History

The city of Detroit Lakes was founded by Colonel George Johnston in 1871. The city's current name has been extant since 1927, to avoid confusion with

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. Beforehand, it was simply called Detroit. The name was given by a French missionary. Détroit is French and translates to strait or narrows, referring to the sand bar separating Big Detroit lake from Little Detroit lake. The sand bar was dredged and partially submerged to make the Pelican River watershed navigable by steamboat in the late 19th century. Detroit Lakes was a resting place on the Red River Oxcart Trails. The Ojibwe name for Detroit Lakes is "Gaiajawangag", meaning a lake with a crossing in a sandy place. The city grew quickly with the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. In 1877, an election finally decided that Detroit Lakes, then still known as Detroit, was to become the county seat. Detroit won the election by a ninety percent majority. The nearby cities of Frazee, Lake Park, and

Audubon The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such org ...

were also in the running for the county seat. By 1884, Detroit Lakes had many businesses, including the Hotel Minnesota, the Lakes Hotel, a bank, a newspaper, and an opera house. The first county courthouse was built in Detroit Lakes that year also. Some of the city's historic buildings still stand, such as the 1908 railroad station and the historic Holmes Theater. The Becker County Museum, located near the Holmes Theater in Detroit Lakes, has information and exhibits on the history of the city and the surrounding area.

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 a total area of , of which is land and is water. See also Detroit Lake (Minnesota).

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2023

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, there are 4,485 estimated households in Detroit Lakes with an average of 2.15 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $62,123. Approximately 10.2% of the city's population lives at or 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 ...

. Detroit Lakes has an estimated 60.1% employment rate, with 32.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.5% holding a high school diploma. The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (98.1%), Spanish (0.9%), Indo-European (0.6%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.1%), and Other (0.3%). The median age in the city was 41.5 years.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 9,869 people, 4,462 households, and 2,400 families residing 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 5,205 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.19%

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 ...

, 1.26%

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 ...

, 4.16% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.09%

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 ...

, 0.86% from some other races and 7.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.42% of the population. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.5% were under 5 years of age, and 24.7% were 65 and older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 8,569 people, 3,864 households, and 2,093 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,535 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.57%

, 0.72%

, 4.38% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.06%

, 0.57% from some other races and 2.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.63% of the population. There were 3,864 households, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% 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, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.8% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% 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 2000 census, there were 7,348 people, 3,319 households, and 1,845 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,782 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.98%

, 4.50% Native American, 0.53%

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans with ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants). Although this term had historically been used fo ...

, 0.42%

, 0.01%

, 0.59% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.20% of the population. There were 3,319 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were

living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,264, and the median income for a family was $42,267. Males had a median income of $28,939 versus $21,439 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 $18,509. About 9.9% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the

, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Detroit Lakes is the county seat of Becker County, with the county courthouse and law enforcement center. District headquarters for the

Minnesota Department of Transportation The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT, ) oversees Transportation in Minnesota, transportation by all modes including land, water, air, rail, walking and bicycling in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Cabinet (government), cabinet-lev ...

and the Minnesota State Patrol are also located in the city. A nine-member City Council serves the city, with the mayor voting in case of a tie. There are three wards, with two council members serving each of the three primary wards and three serving the "at large" area. There are 14 city boards and commissions, including the Park Board, Library Board, Public Utilities Commission, Planning Commission, Police Civil Service Commission, the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the Airport Commission, and the Tourism Bureau. Detroit Lakes is located in

Minnesota's 7th congressional district Minnesota's 7th congressional district covers the majority of western Minnesota. It is by far the state's largest district, and has a very rural character. Except for a few southern counties in the Minnesota's 1st congressional district, 1st ...

, represented by

Michelle Fischbach Michelle Louise Helene Fischbach (; born November 3, 1965) is an American politician and attorney serving since 2021 as the United States Representative, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 7th congressional district. The district, which is heav ...

. The city is in Minnesota Senate District 4 after 2012 redistricting, represented by Rob Kupec (DFL), and Minnesota House District 4B, represented by Jim Joy (GOP).

Education

Higher education

The Detroit Lakes campus of the Minnesota State Community and Technical College system is one of four campus locations (others are in Moorhead, Fergus Falls, and Wadena). The Detroit Lakes campus, located on Minnesota Highway 34, enrolls approximately 650 students in 25 different degree programs. The college offers both classroom and online distance education programs and grants AAS, AS, diploma, certificate, and AFA degrees.

K–12

* Rossman Elementary School (K–5) * Roosevelt Elementary School (K–5) * Detroit Lakes Middle School (6–8) * Detroit Lakes High School (9–12) * Lakes Area Learning Center Alternative High School (ALC) (9–12) * Holy Rosary Catholic School (K–8) ''(Private)'' * Faith Christian School (K–8) ''(Private)'' * Adventist Christian School (K–8) ''(Private)''

Carnegie Library

Built in 1913 with a $10,000 grant from the

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

Foundation, the Detroit Lakes Public Library is a branch of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library Network (LARL). Originally on two floors, the library was designed by the architectural firm of

Claude and Starck Claude and Starck was an architect, architectural firm in Madison, Wisconsin, at the turn of the twentieth century. The firm was a partnership of Louis W. Claude (1868–1951) and Edward F. Starck (1868–1947). Starck apprenticed with Edward Townse ...

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

. The building today is on the National Register of Historic Places. Most notably, the building features a

Louis Sullivan Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago school (architecture), Chicago ...

exterior frieze, lead and stained glass windows and doors, and a completely open and unobstructed interior. The building, designed in the

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

architectural style popularized by such architects as

and

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

, is also noted for its orange clay-tiled hip roof that defies regional construction convention. In 1985, due to space issues, the original Carnegie building was expanded.

Architecture

National Register of Historic Places

Numerous works of architecture and engineering in Detroit Lakes have been added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The Detroit Lakes Carnegie Library of the

architectural style, by architects

and significant of the period from 1900 to 1924, was added to the Register in 1976. The Graystone Hotel, significant of the periods 1900–1924 and 1925–1949, was added in 1999. The Amtrak Depot, formerly the Northern Pacific Passenger Depot and later the Burlington Northern Depot, significant of the periods 1900–1924 and 1925–1949, now primarily serving as a small shop and eatery, was added in 1988. The Homer E. Sargent House on Lake Avenue, currently a privately owned domestic dwelling of the Queen Anne architectural style and significant of the periods 1875–1899 and 1900–1924, was added to the Register in 1988. The Edgewater Beach Cottages, also known a
Stovewood Cottages
by architects George Jewell and Frederick Wright and significant of the period 1925–1949, were added in 1989. Fairyland Cottages Historic District on W. Lake Shore Drive, significant of the period 1925–1949, were added to the National Register in 1989. Finally, the Holmes Block (also known as the Opera House Block), including downtown commercial buildings occupying addresses 710–718 Washington Avenue, are significant of various historical periods ranging from 1875 to 1974. The downtown block was added to the National Register in 2001.

Economy

The city's economy is largely driven by summer tourism and seasonal population increases. A variety of health care services, retail stores, and service businesses are available to area residents and tourists. Detroit Lakes is home to approximately 15 chain and independent hotels. Numerous resorts in the area provide many additional units. The city's downtown offers a shopping center, including Washington Square Mall. Most newer chain retail businesses, including discount and home centers, restaurants, and strip malls, are located along Highways 10 and 59. The city is also home to a number of businesses servicing tourism ranging from sporting goods retailers to amusement parks and river tubing companies. With two industrial parks in the city's outskirts, it is also home to many manufacturing and industrial businesses.

Top employers

According to the City's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

Recreation

In and around Detroit Lakes are several lakes used for fishing, boating, wake sports, sailing, jet-skiing, swimming, and freshwater scuba diving. Most prominent and heavily used is

Detroit Lake Detroit Lake is a reservoir impounded by the Detroit Dam on the North Santiam River southeast of Salem, Oregon, United States. The lake is adjacent to Oregon Route 22 near the city of Detroit, Oregon, Detroit. This mesotrophic lake stores water ...

, which features the mile-long city beach. The beach annually hosts the city's

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

celebration and fireworks display. In and around Detroit Lakes are 14 golf courses. The area also features an amusement park, a paintball arena, two river tubing companies, and a horseback riding ranch. The city also hosts the annual Becker County Fair. The Shrine Circus performs in Detroit Lakes each year at the Kent Freeman Arena. In the winter off-season, the area remains a popular recreation destination for ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and downhill skiing and snowboarding at the newly renovated Detroit Mountain Recreation Area. The city is one of perhaps three in the Nation that has a park dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic (rededicated on April 15, 2015).

Culture

Historic Holmes Theatre

The Historic Holmes Theatre, a physical and organizational branch of the Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center complex, is a recently renovated

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

theatre that hosts year-round music, drama and dance performances. With seating for nearly 1,000, the theatre features a wide variety of professional national and international touring shows (including

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...

, the Chinese Golden Acrobats, the New York Theatre Ballet, and the

Guthrie Theater The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions among Sir Tyrone Gut ...

), local performing groups (Playhouse 412, Fargo/Moorhead Jazz Arts Group, Wadena Madhatters) and events (wedding receptions, business meetings, and Detroit Lakes' Annual Festival of the Birds).

Music Festivals

Each August since 1983, the city has hosted WE Fest, a prominent camping and country music festival. Campgrounds packed with tents surround a large stage, and the three-day concert attracts around 50,000 music-lovers each summer. In 2007, the attendance reached a record high of 83,000 people over the weekend at the themed "Heavin in '07" concert. The music festival is held annually at the Soo Pass Ranch on Highway 59 south of Detroit Lakes. Formerly held in July each year at the Soo Pass Ranch venue, the 10,000 Lakes Festival was put on hiatus as of December 18, 2009. According to 10KLF.com the festival could not grow to financial success.

Community & Cultural Center

A recently built Community & Cultural Center serves Detroit Lakes, incorporating a new fitness center with the completely renovated brick building that once was the Holmes School. The fitness and aquatic area features an 8-lane Olympic regulation pool, an indoor track, a fieldhouse featuring 2 basketball courts, a weight room, cardio fitness center, racquetball courts, and a golf driving/putting range. The old 1931 school building houses the renovated 837-seat Historic Holmes Theatre featuring orchestra and balcony level seating, and conference rooms. When completed in 2001, a building of was the result of $9.5 million in expenses.

Religion

There are several

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

churches in and around the city of Detroit Lakes. In greatest number are Lutheran churches of varied

synods A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

. In addition to Holy Rosary Church (

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

), the city contains one of each of the following denominational churches: Episcopal Church,

United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a socially liberal mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Restorationist, Continental Reformed, and Lutheran t ...

Mennonite Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...

, Community Alliance Church

Christian & Missionary Alliance The Alliance World Fellowship (or The Alliance, also C&MA and CMA) is an evangelical Christian denomination It includes 6.2 million members throughout 88 countries within 22,000 churches. History The Alliance has its origins in two organization ...

, Vineyard Church. There is also an interdenominationa
Christian Fellowship Church
At present, no religious denominations outside of Christianity have places of worship in Detroit Lakes.

Local media

Radio

Television

* TV3: Lakes Area Television (

News News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the te ...

/Local Programming)
TV3 is a "commercial supported

Public-access television Public-access television (sometimes called community-access television) is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is Narrowcasting, narrowcast through cable tele ...

cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television broadcast programming, programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This ...

station" that broadcasts out of Detroit Lakes for the regional Arvig Communication Cable System.

Newspaper

The

Forum Communications Company Forum Communications Company is an American multimedia and technology company headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. With multiple online and print news brands throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, Forum Communications of ...

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...

, owns and operates the '' Detroit Lakes Tribune'' (twice weekly publication) and also provides the regional daily newspaper, ''

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead ''The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead'' or more recently ''The Forum'' is an American, English language newspaper. It is the major newspaper for Fargo, North Dakota and the surrounding region, including Moorhead, Minnesota. It is the flagship and name ...

'', with coverage spanning the

metropolitan area and much of northwest

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 ...

and northeast

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

. *''

'' (daily) *The '' Detroit Lakes Tribune'' (published Saturdays) *''White Earth - Anishinaabeg Today''

Transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great North ...

(stops daily at Detroit Lakes' Amtrak station) *

Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...

Intercity Bus Line * Detroit Lakes Airport

In popular culture

Detroit Lakes is referred to in the author

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...

's book, ''Travels with Charley'', depicting his 1960 road trip across the United States with his dog, Charley. In the novel, Steinbeck purports to have passed through and stayed the night near Detroit Lakes. A postcard depicting the Fairyland Cottages in Detroit Lakes appear in the opening credits of the 1983 movie ''

National Lampoon's Vacation ''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American black comedy road film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Chris ...

'', though the cabins no longer stand as they were destroyed in May 2008 by the Detroit Lakes Fire Department, in a training exercise. It is now home to a condominium complex. A fictional version of Detroit Lakes' courthouse and rural countryside is featured in

Ali Selim Ali Selim (born 1960/1961) is an American film and television director. Over the past fifteen years he has directed over 850 television commercials, five half-hour documentaries and several music videos. Early life Selim was born in Saint Paul, ...

's 2006 independent film ''

Sweet Land ''Sweet Land'' is a 2005 American Independent film, independent period drama film written and directed by Ali Selim. It is an adaptation of the 1989 short story "A Gravestone Made of Wheat" by Will Weaver. The film stars Elizabeth Reaser, Tim Gu ...

'', a love story revolving around a German immigrant's settlement in rural

Becker County, Minnesota Becker County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,183, and was estimated to be 35,444 in 2024, Its county seat is Detroit Lakes. Part of the White Earth Indian Reservation extends into t ...

in the aftermath of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The scene was filmed in

Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

, Minnesota. The late

Ed Schultz Edward Andrew Schultz (January 27, 1954 – July 5, 2018) was an American television and radio host, Pundit, political commentator, news anchor and sports broadcaster. He was the host of ''The Ed Show'', a weekday news talk program on MSN ...

, former

MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ', which itself comes from the Greek (). Anch ...

of the ''

The Ed Show ''The Ed Show'' was an hour-long weekday news commentary program on MSNBC that aired from 2009 to 2015. The program was hosted by Ed Schultz, who also hosted the nationally syndicated radio program '' The Ed Schultz Show'' from 2004 to 2014. Th ...

'', often taped or broadcast his show live from a studio in Detroit Lakes. The 2016

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

documentary, '' The Seventh Fire'', exposing gang culture on American Indian Reservations, was filmed on location in Detroit Lakes, surrounding towns, and the nearby

White Earth Indian Reservation The White Earth Indian Reservation () is home to the White Earth Band, in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in the state by land area. The reservation includes all of Mahnomen County, plus parts of Becker and Clea ...

. A popular

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

channel named CBOYSTV films and is headquartered at nearby Cormorant Lake (8 Miles East of

). CBoysTV is an American comedy and motorsports channel consisting of 5 guys. Their channel has amassed over 1 million subscribers.

Notable people

* Tillie Anderson, prominent in bicycle racing in the 1890s, spent summers at a lakeside cabin, died there in 1965 * Dick Beardsley, marathon runner, motivational speaker and author, third-fastest American-born male marathon runner,

Grandma's Marathon Grandma's Marathon (sport), Marathon (Grandma's) is an annual Road running, road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors, Minnesota, Two Harbor ...

record holder,

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

silver medalist (1982), founder of Dick Beardsley Running Company, formerly resided in Detroit Lakes * Jason Blake, retired

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

player, resides in Detroit Lakes * James Evans, Minnesota state legislator, resided in Detroit Lakes *

Mary Evelyn Fredenburg Mary Evelyn "Mev" Fredenburg (January 12, 1923 – January 12, 2020) was an American nurse and a missionary in Eku, Delta, Eku, Nigeria for over forty years. Early life Mary Evelyn Fredenburg was born in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, the daughter ...

, nurse missionary in Nigeria, born in Detroit Lakes in 1923 * Phil Hansen, retired NFL player,

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

defensive end 1991–2001, three-time

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

participant, resides in Detroit Lakes *

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...

, Oscar-winning actress, briefly resided in Detroit Lakes, where she attended her junior year of high school (ca. 1966) *

Collin Peterson Collin Clark Peterson (born June 29, 1944) is an American accountant, politician, and lobbyist who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 1991 to 2021. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer– ...

, former

Congressman A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...

, chair of

House Agriculture Committee The United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agricul ...

, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, 7th Congressional District of Minnesota, resides in Detroit Lakes * Dennis Poppenhagen, Minnesota state legislator and businessman, resides in Detroit Lakes *

Dave Reichert David George Reichert ( ; born August 29, 1950) is an American retired police officer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2005 to 2019. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he served as the sheriff of King Count ...

, former

, Republican Party, 8th Congressional District of Washington, was born in Detroit Lakes *

, former syndicated talk radio host, cable news anchor of ''

'' on

, seasonally resided in Detroit Lakes until his death in 2018 *Caroline Smith, musician, singer/songwriter for

Indie Rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps, grew up in Detroit Lakes * Adam Thielen, wide receiver for the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

, was born and grew up in Detroit Lakes * Loren P. Thompson, Minnesota state legislator, resided in Detroit Lakes from 2009 until his death * Harriet Hilreth Weeks, Minnesota state legislator, resided in Detroit Lakes

References

External links

City of Detroit Lakes – official website

Detroit Lakes Tourism Bureau and Regional Chamber of Commerce

Detroit Lakes

WE FEST Country Music Festival

10,000 Lakes Festival (old website)
10,000 Lakes Festival
Minnesota State Community & Technical College

Detroit Lakes Public Library

This Seamstress Conquered Bike Racing in the 1890s

Outside (magazine) ''Outside'' is a magazine focused on the outdoors. The first issue of the ''Outside'' magazine was published in September 1977. It is published by Outside Inc., a company that also owns various other ventures. History ''Outside'' founders were ...

{{authority control Cities in Becker County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota County seats in Minnesota