Half of Knife River’s homes were built after 1977
Most of Knife River was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977.
Where Knife River’s name came from
How did Knife River get its name?
The community is located between Duluth and Two Harbors on the North Shore Scenic Drive (County 61), at the mouth of the Knife River, from which it gets its name.
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Knife River’s history
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →