Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Living in Knife River, MN: what to set up and who to call
Knife River has no town government of its own, so Lake County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Lake Superior Public School District. Power in Knife River comes from Cooperative Light & Power, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Knife River, 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 Knife River.
Power comes from Cooperative Light & Power
Cooperative Light & Power (Cooperative Light & Power), a cooperative utility, serves all of Knife River.
Start or move service: clpower.com · (800) 580-5881
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
2 home internet providers serve Knife River
100% of 175 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zito Media | Fiber | 99% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Frontier | DSL | 53% | 10/1 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Knife River’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Knife River.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Knife River is in Lake Superior Public 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.
No town hall: the county runs things
Knife River is unincorporated, so Lake County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Knife River spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Knife River residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Knife River | ZIP’s residents in Knife River |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55609 | Knife River, MN | 88% | 69% |
| 55616 | Two Harbors, MN | 12% | 0% |
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 Knife River
Who provides electricity in Knife River?
Cooperative Light & Power (Cooperative Light & Power), a cooperative utility.
What internet providers serve Knife River?
Zito Media, Frontier (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Knife River?
55609 (88%), 55616 (12%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Knife River in?
Lake Superior Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Knife River?
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 Lake 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.