Turtle Lake, North Dakota, 2008
Turtle Lake’s story
140 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1886Turtle Lake is settled
Turtle LakeND
A town of 524, settled in 1886.
Photo: In memoriam afiler · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
524
2025 Census estimate · −3.1% since 2020
Typical home
$136K
+7.3% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
50.3
years
Jobs based here
183
Balanced
Is Turtle Lake a good place to live?
Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of residents 65 or older than Turtle Lake. Schlafmann Barn is on the National Register of Historic Places. Turtle Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
524 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Turtle Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Turtle Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Turtle Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Turtle Lake’s trash rules yet
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereMcLean County AuditorMcLean County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2022
ZIP code5857558575 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Turtle Lake.
Housing
Homes in Turtle Lake are worth about $136K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Turtle Lake home is worth about $136,000, up 7.3% in a year, 53% below the North Dakota typical home. 81% of Turtle Lake households own their home, against 57% in North Dakota’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Turtle Lake’s median rent is $779 a month.
$136KZillow home value
| Turtle Lake | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 57% | 73% |
| Median rent | $779 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Turtle Lake$136K
North Dakota$291K
+7.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Turtle Lake’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Turtle Lake-Mercer 72 school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 97 | B+ |
| Turtle Lake-Mercer High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 85 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Cold waves leads a low hazard risk in Turtle Lake
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities.
23risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Turtle Lake has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Turtle Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. At 82°F, Turtle Lake’s July high is where North Dakota’s towns sit at 82°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–23°
Spring29–52°
Summer54–80°
Fall32–55°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 14
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Turtle Lake
Most working residents leave Turtle Lake for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Turtle Lake has lost 39 jobs, to 183 in 2023. The average trip to work in Turtle Lake is 22 minutes.
8%work in town
| Turtle Lake | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 7.6% | 39% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Turtle Lake8%
Garrison20%
Bismarck9%
Minot7%
Fargo6%
43 mi
median commute distance
183
jobs based in Turtle Lake
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
Turtle Lake stands out in North Dakota and nationally: a larger share of its adults have high blood pressure
40% of Turtle Lake adults have high blood pressure. Only 2 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Turtle Lake. 20% of Turtle Lake adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Turtle Lake | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 16% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
8 better16 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Turtle Lake | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.4% | 5.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7% | 8.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.9% | 6.1% |
CHI St. Alexius Health Turtle Lake
0.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.3%conserved
| Turtle Lake | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 2.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
0.3%
conserved · 1 of 338 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Park in Turtle Lake | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Turtle Lake
18pages on Turtle Lake
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Turtle Lake; the nearest are
Bismarck State CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bismarck48.5 mi$5,247 in-state tuitionMinot State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Minot53.6 mi$8,702 in-state tuitionDakota College at BottineauCommunity college · Public · Bottineau92.9 mi$5,388 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Turtle Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
About Turtle Lake
City in North Dakota, United States
Turtle Lake is a city in McLean County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 542 at the 2020 census. Turtle Lake was founded in 1905. A segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail is routed just to the north and east of Turtle Lake within the Brekken-Holmes Recreation Area. This trail segment can be hiked as a point-to-point hike or as a 9.2-mile loop hike from the ND Highway 41 trailhead parking area (map).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1904
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,890 ft
- ZIP code
- 58575
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Turtle Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Turtle Lake, ND a good place to live?
Turtle Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.