Blue Sturgeon Lake building, 2021
Sturgeon Lake’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2021.
- 1881Sturgeon Lake is settled
Sturgeon LakeMN
A town of 464, settled in 1881.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
464
2025 Census estimate · +5% since 2020
Typical home
$276K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
48.1
years
Jobs based here
49
A commuter town
Is Sturgeon Lake a good place to live?
The biggest park or preserve is General C.C. Andrews State Forest, at 50 acres. Sturgeon Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
464 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Sturgeon Lake TownshipWindemere TownshipSturgeon Lake
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sturgeon Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sturgeon Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSturgeon Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers68% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sturgeon Lake’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn 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).vote.govWho runs elections herePine County CourthousePine County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5578355783 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sturgeon Lake.
Work & commute
Most of Sturgeon Lake’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.3 jobs for each of them
4.8% of Sturgeon Lake workers work remotely from home, below both Minnesota’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (11%). Only 1% of working residents stay in Sturgeon Lake for work; the rest commute out. Also worth knowing: the town’s average trip to work comes in at 19 minutes. The median commute is under 29 miles.
1%work in town
| Sturgeon Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 4.8% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Sturgeon Lake1%
Moose Lake13%
Sandstone7%
Cloquet6%
Willow River4%
29 mi
median commute distance
49
jobs based in Sturgeon Lake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
A home in Sturgeon Lake is worth about $276K, on Zillow’s estimate
Values rose 3.8% in the 12 months to September 2026. 77% of Sturgeon Lake households own their home, near the Minnesota town median (75%) and above the median of U.S. towns (73%). In Sturgeon Lake, the midpoint rent is $1,094 a month.
$276KZillow home value
| Sturgeon Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,094 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Sturgeon Lake$276K
Minnesota$349K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Sturgeon Lake
In July, afternoons reach 79°; in January, nights fall to 1°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a winter.
64″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–23°
Spring29–52°
Summer53–77°
Fall34–54°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Sturgeon Lake is
Among adults in Sturgeon Lake, 9.9% have diabetes. In Sturgeon Lake, 18% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 73% had a checkup this year.
| Sturgeon Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 75% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better26 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Sturgeon Lake | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.3% | 8.9% |
| More smokers | 17.7% | 13.1% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 18.2% | 15.1% |
Essentia Health Moose Lake
5.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Sturgeon Lake, with inland flooding at the top
The national flood insurance program has paid 3 claims in Sturgeon Lake since 2016. On expected storm and flood damage, Sturgeon Lake sits above nearly three fifths of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 61% come from inland flooding and 27% from cold waves.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
3
paid flood claims since 2016
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Sturgeon Lake has set aside 2.1% of its land for conservation
There are 2.8 miles of trail across 2 parks and preserves. Sturgeon Lake’s trail network density stands at 0.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is General C.C. Andrews State Forest, at 50 acres.
2.1%conserved
| Sturgeon Lake | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
2.1%
conserved · 50 of 2,410 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. General C.C. Andrews State Forest | 0.1 mi | 50 |
| 2. Moose Lake Wildlife Management Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sturgeon Lake
18pages on Sturgeon Lake
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sturgeon Lake; the nearest are
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Cloquet27.2 mi$6,006 in-state tuitionPine Technical & Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pine City40.1 mi$4,738 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Sturgeon Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Sturgeon Lake for work
Where Sturgeon Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
49jobs based in Sturgeon Lake
1%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Sturgeon Lake
City in Minnesota, United States
Sturgeon Lake is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 436 at the 2020 census. Interstate 35, County Road 46, and County 61 (Main Street) are three of the main routes in the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Area
- 3.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,073 ft
- ZIP code
- 55783
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Sturgeon Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sturgeon Lake, MN a good place to live?
Sturgeon Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Sturgeon Lake, MN known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Clay Wilson and George Cunningham.