Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Bemidji, MN: what to set up and who to call
Bemidji has its own drop-off, Waste Management, on Bemidji. Bemidji Public Library, at 509 America Avenue, is the library in town.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Bemidji, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Bemidji.
Power comes from Otter Tail Power
Otter Tail Power (Otter Tail Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves 96.8% of Bemidji residents. Its homes paid an average of 11.3¢ per kWh in 2025, about $102 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: ottertail.com · (866) 410-8780
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Bemidji water system
The Bemidji water system supplies Bemidji: about 91% of residents live in its service area. About 9% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 15,147 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2023, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MN1040002.
5 home internet providers serve Bemidji
100% of 4,451 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Bunyan Communications | Fiber, DSL | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Midco | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 1,250/60 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 11% | 60/5 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 74% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 64% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Bemidji has its own drop-off: Waste Management
Where to take trash and recycling in Bemidji, and where the rules are.
Waste Management
Bemidji, MN, 56601
Before you go, check the rules on ci.bemidji.mn.us.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026 (last edited Aug 2025). © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Bemidji is in Bemidji Public School District.
B−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jan 2024; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Bemidji is in ZIP code 56601
ZIP codes where Bemidji residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Bemidji | ZIP’s residents in Bemidji |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56601 | Bemidji, MN | 100% | 42% |
56619 is P.O. box or single-organization ZIP with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Bemidji
Who supplies Bemidji’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Bemidji water system (EPA ID MN1040002). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Bemidji?
Otter Tail Power (Otter Tail Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Bemidji?
Paul Bunyan Communications, Midco, CenturyLink, Verizon, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Bemidji?
56601. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Bemidji in?
Bemidji Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Bemidji?
In Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Beltrami County Auditor. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.