Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Living in Kerkhoven, MN: what to set up and who to call
Trash goes out on Mondays in Kerkhoven. Tap water in Kerkhoven comes from the Kerkhoven water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 22% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Kerkhoven, 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 Kerkhoven.
Power comes from Otter Tail Power
Otter Tail Power (Otter Tail Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Kerkhoven. 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 Kerkhoven water system
The Kerkhoven water system supplies almost all of Kerkhoven. It draws ground water and serves 806 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 2021–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. MN1760006.
5 home internet providers serve Kerkhoven
100% of 360 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 98% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TDS Telecom | Fiber | 97% | 8,000/8,000 |
| Spectrum | Cable | 94% | 1,000/50 |
| Midco | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 100% | 150/130 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 87% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Kerkhoven is Monday
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Kerkhoven, from the town’s own site.
This month
- TrashEvery week
From cityofkerk.com, the town’s official site, checked Oct 22, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Kerkhoven is in Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
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 Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Kerkhoven is in ZIP code 56252
ZIP codes where Kerkhoven residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Kerkhoven | ZIP’s residents in Kerkhoven |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56252 | Kerkhoven, MN | 100% | 61% |
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 Kerkhoven
Who supplies Kerkhoven’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Kerkhoven water system (EPA ID MN1760006). 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 0.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Kerkhoven?
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 Kerkhoven?
TDS Telecom, Spectrum, Midco, GigFire, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Kerkhoven?
56252. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Kerkhoven in?
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
How do I register to vote in Kerkhoven?
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 Swift 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: Kerkhoven’s own website (cityofkerk.com), read Oct 22, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- 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.