Grand Rapids is a city in, 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, Itasca County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 11,126 at the 2020 census. The city is named for the long

rapids Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep stream gradient, gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Flow, gradient, constriction, and obstacles are four factors that are needed for a rapid t ...

in the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

which was the uppermost limit of practical

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

travel during the late 19th century. Today the rapids are hidden below the

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

of UPM Paper Company.

History

Edge of the Wilderness - Grand Rapids Gateway - NARA - 7718201

Grand Rapids became a logging town, as the

provided an optimal method of log shipment to population centers. Blandin Paper Mill opened in 1902. The Forest History Center, located in Grand Rapids, MN, is a State Historic Site and a living history museum that recreates life as it was in a turn of the 20th century logging camp. Costumed interpreters guide visitors through a recreated circa 1890s

logging camp A logging camp (or lumber camp) is a transitory work site used in the logging industry. Before the second half of the 20th century, these camps were the primary place where lumberjacks would live and work to fell trees in a particular area. Many ...

to educate the public on the history of white pine logging and its relevance to today's economy. Miles of nature trails, educational naturalist programming, and an interpretive museum are also located on the site. Old Central School, located in downtown Grand Rapids, was built in 1895 in the

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a architectural style, style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revivalism (architecture), revival style incorporates 11th- and 12th-century ...

style of architecture. The three-story building served as an elementary school from 1895 to 1972. A community effort restored the building in 1984 and it now serves as a location for commerce and is listed on 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 ...

. In 1991

Enbridge Enbridge Inc. is a multinational pipeline transport, pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Enbridge owns and operates pipelines throughout Canada and the United States, transporting crude oil, natural gas, and n ...

Line 3 pipeline The Line 3 pipeline is an oil pipeline owned by the Canadian multinational pipeline and energy company, Enbridge. Operating since 1968, it runs mainly from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada all the way to Superior, Wisconsin, United States. Concerns ...

ruptured, spilling 1.7 million gallons of oil into the area, including the Prairie River, in the largest inland oil spill in US history.

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.

Major highways

The city of Grand Rapids sits at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 169. U.S. Highway 2 runs west towards

Bemidji Bemidji ( ) is a city and the county seat of Beltrami County, in northern Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 at the 2020 census. According to 2022 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,946, makin ...

and east towards

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 ...

. U.S. Highway 169 heads south to Hill City, and ultimately towards the city of

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 ...

. In the opposite direction, U.S. Highway 169 heads up the

Mesabi Range The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district and mountain range in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iro ...

passing through Hibbing and several smaller towns along the way until it reaches the city of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Grand Rapids is also the starting point of State Highway 38, designated a

National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

by the

USDOT The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the president of the United States a ...

, and marked as the ''Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway'' as it travels toward Effie. The following routes are located within the city of Grand Rapids. * US 2

U.S. Highway 2 * U.S. Highway 169 * MN-38

Minnesota State Highway 38 – Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway

Climate

The city of Grand Rapids 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 ...

(

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

Dfb) with warm summers and long, cold winters, typical of its location on the

Mesabi Iron Range The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district and mountain range in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Ir ...

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 10,869 people, 4,615 households, and 2,633 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 4,910 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.6%

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 ...

, 0.6%

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 ...

, 1.9% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.0% 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 1.2% of the population. There were 4,615 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% 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, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.9% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 42 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.4% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 20.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,764 people, 3,446 households, and 1,943 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,621 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.53%

, 0.28%

, 1.93% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.03%

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 ...

, 0.39% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population. There were 3,446 households, out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.6% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,991, and the median income for a family was $39,468. Males had a median income of $36,035 versus $20,759 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 $17,223. About 9.2% of families and 11.2% 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 15.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

Churches in Grand Rapids include the New Song Alliance Church, the Grand Rapids Alliance Church, the Grand Rapids Evangelical Free Church, St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church, member of the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as Christian theology, theologically conservative, it was founded ...

(WELS); St. Andrew's Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Churches, members of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...

(ELCA);, the

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

of Grand Rapids, St. Joseph's

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, Full Gospel Church, Grand Rapids, River of Life Church; Apostolic; Pentecostal; and the non-denominational Grace Bible Chapel.

Government

Grand Rapids is represented at the federal and state level by: * U.S. House of Representatives 8th District – by Republican Pete Stauber * Minnesota Senate District 5 – formerly by Republican Justin Eichorn (until his resignation 3/20/25) * Minnesota House of Representatives District 5B – by Republican Spencer Igo *It is also the county seat.

Economy

Historically, the local economy of Grand Rapids was based on timber harvesting; and, to this day, Blandin Paper Mill—now owned by the Finnish-based UPM paper company—has downtown paper-making facilities. Ainsworth (formerly Potlach) produced

oriented strand board Oriented strand board (OSB) is a type of engineered wood, formed by adding adhesives and then compressing layers of wood strands (flakes) in specific orientations. It was invented by Armin Elmendorf in California in 1963. OSB may have a rough and ...

and was located just outside the city limits until ceasing operations in September 2006. The

or Iron Range, frequently referred to as "The Range" by residents, region of Minnesota begins in Grand Rapids with one iron mine to the southwest and a number to the northeast of the city. Although technically and geographically a member of the Iron Range, Grand Rapids and its economy has been historically based on paper manufacturing and other wood products. Although founded in Marcell, ASVI (All Season Vehicles Inc), now Yanmar Compact Equipment North America, has been a contributor to the Grand Rapids economy since the mid-1990's manufacturing compact track loaders at its Grand Rapids facility. The contemporary economy also boasts a large tourist footing, with many local resorts, four golf courses, over one million acres (4,000 km²) of public and industrial forestlands that provide excellent regional hunting, and more than 1,000 lakes for fishing. It also is the service center for 46,000 people due to a large seasonal and weekend population of summer residences on surrounding lakes, and a number of smaller bedroom communities located near Grand Rapids.

Annual tourism events

* Home & Cabin Show - March * White Oak Classic Dog Sled Race – March * Children's Fair - April * Bluegrass Music in the Pines Festival - June * Itasca Pride - June * Wizard of Oz Festival – June * Timberman Triathlon - July * Weekend On Wheels Northern Mn Swap Meet & Car Show – July * Tall Timber Days – August * Grand Slam of Golf Tournament – August * Threshing & Antique Show - August * Bargains are Great on 38 - September * Mississippi River Festival - September * National Ruffed Grouse Society Annual Hunt – October * WinterGlo Festival - December

Education

The public school district is ISD 318. West Elementary, East Elementary, Robert J. Elkington Middle School, and Grand Rapids High School are located within the city limits. Parochial schools include St. Joseph's Catholic School
Minnesota North College - Itasca
serves the community.

Media

Local radio stations

The following radio stations are based in Grand Rapids. The city is also served by many other radio stations from the Iron Range area. * KOZY 1320 AM – Talk/

Oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

* K201IX FM 88.1, Simulcasting Duluth's

Contemporary Christian Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

KDNW owned by the University of Northwestern – St Paul * KMFY 96.9 FM –

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

* KAXE 91.7 FM –

Public Radio Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...

(first rural public radio station in the United States) * WDKE 96.1 FM –

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

* K256CW FM 99.1, Simulcasting Duluth's

Christian talk and teaching Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...

KDNI owned by the University of Northwestern – St Paul * KBAJ 105.5 FM –

Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

Newspapers

* ''Grand Rapids Herald-Review'' – Published on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Television stations

Grand Rapids TV is primarily fed in from Duluth, MN television stations, but some cable subscribers also receive Bemidji, MN & Minneapolis, MN television stations as well. Local government and community events are covered by the local community television station. Television stations available in Grand Rapids are: * KAWE 9 –

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

station based in

. * KRII 11 –

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

station serving Chisholm/ Hibbing (multiplexed into several

digital subchannel In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a method of transmitting more than one independent program stream simultaneously from the same digital radio or television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compress ...

s; 11.1 rebroadcasts

KBJR-TV KBJR-TV (channel 6) is a television station licensed to Superior, Wisconsin, United States, serving the Duluth, Minnesota, area as an affiliate of NBC and CBS. It is owned by Gray Media alongside CW+ affiliate KDLH (channel 3). The two stations ...

6 of

& 11.3 rebroadcasts KDLH

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

3 of

). * KCCW 12 –

station serving

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

/ Brainerd (rebroadcast of

WCCO-TV WCCO-TV (channel 4), branded CBS Minnesota, is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, serving the Twin Cities area. It is owned and operated by the CBS television network through its CBS News and Stations divisi ...

4 of

). * WIRT 13 – ABC station serving Hibbing (rebroadcast of WDIO ABC 10 of

). * K29EB 29 –

Translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''trans ...

KQDS-TV KQDS-TV (channel 21) is a television station in Duluth, Minnesota, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. Owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company, the station has studios on London Road in Duluth (along I-35), and its transmit ...

FOX 21 of

. * WRPT 31 –

station serving Hibbing (rebroadcast of WDSE

8 of

Notable people

* Bill Baker, member of the

Miracle on Ice The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. It was played between the hosting United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, during the medal round of the men's ice hockey t ...

1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team * Chilton C. Baker, member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

Hugh Beaumont Eugene Hugh Beaumont (February 16, 1910 – May 14, 1982) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series ''Leave It to Beaver'', originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, and as private detec ...

, known for ''

Leave it to Beaver ''Leave It to Beaver'' is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It starred Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers. CBS first broadcast the show ...

'' *

Jon Casey Jonathon James Casey (born March 29, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Boston Bruins, and St. Louis Blues from 1984 to 1997. Early life Jon Cas ...

, professional hockey player for the

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

, iconic actress and singer, born June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids * Alex Goligoski, former professional hockey player for the

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...

Lois Hall Lois Grace Hall, (August 22, 1926 – December 21, 2006) was an American actress and, more often known as Lois Willows after her marriage, an active member of the Bahá'í Faith communities of California and Hawaii. Early years Hall was born on ...

, actress * Eric Enstrom - photographer of ''

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...

,''the state photograph of Minnesota * Trent Klatt, played in

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 ...

* Robert N. Lemen, member of the Minnesota House of Representatives *

Don Lucia Don Lucia (born August 20, 1958) is an American former ice hockey head coach, who was named as inaugural commissioner of the second Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) on June 17, 2020. The CCHA, which began play in the 2021–22 NCAA D ...

, hockey coach at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

* Jeff Nielsen, professional hockey player for the

* Norman Ornstein, political scientist * Jim Pehler, Minnesota state legislator *

Dick Pesonen Dick Pesonen is a former defensive back in the National Football League. Pesonen first played with the Green Bay Packers during the 1960 NFL season. He was later selected in the 1961 NFL expansion draft by the Minnesota Vikings and played that ...

, professional football player * Janelle Pierzina, '' Big Brother'' television series cast member * Norman Rudolph Prahl, Minnesota state legislator * Jon Rohloff, professional hockey player for the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

* Dusty Rychart, basketball player for the

Cairns Taipans The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team based in Cairns, Queensland. The Taipans compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Cairns Convention Centre, known colloquially as "The S ...

* Granville Van Dusen, actor * Adam Johnson, professional hockey player for the

Nottingham Panthers The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. RHPS are the Panthers' major sponsor for 2024–25. The Nottingham Panthers have won four league ...

References

External links

City of Grand Rapids official website

Grand Rapids ''Herald Review''

Visit Grand Rapids Tourism
{{Authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Itasca County, Minnesota Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River County seats in Minnesota Mining communities in Minnesota