Living in Elbow Lake, MN: what to set up and who to call
Elbow Lake has no town government of its own, so Becker County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Public Schools. Power in Elbow Lake comes from Wild Rice Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Elbow Lake, 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 Elbow Lake.
Power comes from Wild Rice Electric Coop
Wild Rice Electric Coop (Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Elbow Lake. Its homes paid an average of 14.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $182 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: wildriceelectric.com · (218) 935-2517
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
2 home internet providers serve Elbow Lake
49% of 79 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 34% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARVIG | DSL, Fiber | 99% | 1,000/500 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 72% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Elbow Lake’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Elbow Lake.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Elbow Lake (97%) is in Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Public Schools; parts are in Bagley Public School District (3%).
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Elbow Lake is unincorporated, so Becker County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Elbow Lake is in ZIP code 56589
ZIP codes where Elbow Lake residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Elbow Lake | ZIP’s residents in Elbow Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56589 | Waubun, MN | 100% | 6% |
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 Elbow Lake
Who provides electricity in Elbow Lake?
Wild Rice Electric Coop (Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 14.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Elbow Lake?
ARVIG, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Elbow Lake?
56589. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Elbow Lake in?
Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Public Schools. Parts of the city are in Bagley Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Elbow Lake?
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 Becker County Courthouse. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- 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.