Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Heron Lake, MN: what to set up and who to call
Power in Heron Lake comes from Federated Rural Electric Assn, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. For emergencies, Heron Lake is closest to Windom Area Health, 10.9 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Heron 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 Heron Lake.
Power comes from Federated Rural Electric Assn
Federated Rural Electric Assn (Federated Rural Electric Assn), a cooperative utility, serves all of Heron Lake. Its homes paid an average of 12.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $160 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: econdev.federatedrea.coop · (507) 847-3520
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Heron Lake water system
The Heron Lake water system supplies almost all of Heron Lake. It buys treated ground water (EPA lists Red Rock Rural Water System as seller) and serves 691 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 2.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 70% of similar systems’ latest results.
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. MN1320002.
7 home internet providers serve Heron Lake
100% of 345 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest MN Broadband Services | Fiber | 99% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Federated Rural Electric Association | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 53% | 40/3 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 43% | 40/3 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 99% | 150/130 |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | 94% | 25/5 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 52% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Heron Lake’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Heron Lake.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Heron Lake is in Heron Lake-Okabena School District.
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.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Heron Lake is in ZIP code 56137
ZIP codes where Heron Lake residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Heron Lake | ZIP’s residents in Heron Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56137 | Heron Lake, MN | 100% | 57% |
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 Heron Lake
Who supplies Heron Lake’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Heron Lake water system (EPA ID MN1320002). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Heron Lake?
Federated Rural Electric Assn (Federated Rural Electric Assn), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 12.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Heron Lake?
Southwest MN Broadband Services, Federated Rural Electric Association, CenturyLink, GigFire, Rise Broadband, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Heron Lake?
56137. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Heron Lake in?
Heron Lake-Okabena School District.
How do I register to vote in Heron 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 Jackson 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.
- 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.