Willow River Rutabaga Warehouse and Processing Plant · National Register of Historic Places
Willow River’s story
137 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1889Willow River is settled
Willow RiverMN
A town of 400, settled in 1889.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
400
2025 Census estimate · +3.4% since 2020
Typical home
$263K
+5.5% in a year
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
37.7
years
Jobs based here
186
Balanced
Is Willow River a good place to live?
Willow River’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 4 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Willow River. Willow River’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile, against 0.5 in Minnesota’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is General C.C. Andrews State Forest, 194 acres with 1.6 miles of trail. Willow River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
400 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Kettle River TownshipSturgeon Lake TownshipWillow River
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Willow River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Willow River, and how to reach them.
PowerMinnesota Power15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWillow River water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Willow River’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 code5579555795 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 Willow River.
Schools
The schools Willow River’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Willow River Public School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willow River ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 231 | C+ |
| Willow River SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 205 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
The typical home in Willow River is valued at about $263K
The typical Willow River home is worth about $263,000, up 5.5% in a year, 25% below the Minnesota typical home. Willow River’s median rent is $743 a month.
$263KZillow home value
| Willow River | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $743 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Willow River$263K
Minnesota$349K
+5.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
15.7%conserved
15.7%
conserved · 194 of 1,232 acres
2.9 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. General C.C. Andrews State Forest | 1.6 mi | 194 |
| 2. Frank Magdziarz Feild | — | 2 |
| 3. Willow River City Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Willow River, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Willow River has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Willow River is 80°F.
64″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–24°
Spring29–52°
Summer54–77°
Fall34–54°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Willow River
Most working residents leave Willow River for work: only 7% work in town. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Willow River. The top destinations are Moose Lake (16%), Duluth (5%) and Sandstone (4%).
7%work in town
| Willow River | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.8% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Willow River7%
Moose Lake16%
Duluth5%
Sandstone4%
Finlayson3%
32 mi
median commute distance
186
jobs based in Willow River
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Willow River is
Willow River beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 36% of Willow River adults have high blood pressure.
| Willow River | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Willow River | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.2% | 5.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 5.9% |
| More smokers | 16.4% | 13.1% |
Essentia Health Moose Lake
9.3 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
Willow River faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Willow River.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
5
paid flood claims since 1984
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Willow River
18pages on Willow River
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Willow River; the nearest are
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Cloquet31.1 mi$6,006 in-state tuitionPine Technical & Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pine City35.5 mi$4,738 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Willow River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Willow River
City in Minnesota, United States
Willow River is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, at the confluence of the Kettle and Willow Rivers. As of the 2020 census, Willow River had a population of 384. Interstate 35, County Road 43, and County 61 (Cross Street) are three of the main routes in the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1891
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,040 ft
- ZIP code
- 55795
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Willow River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Willow River, MN a good place to live?
Willow River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.