Map of Grand Rapids city, Minnesota

Grand Rapids is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States, and it is the county seat. The population was 11,126 at the 2020 census. The city is named for the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) long rapids in the Mississippi River which was the uppermost limit of practical steamboat travel during the late 19th century. Today the rapids are hidden below the dam of UPM Paper Company.

Grand Rapids city overview:
Name:	Grand Rapids city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Minnesota
County:	Itasca County
Elevation:	1,289 ft (393 m)
Total Area:	24.46 sq mi (63.36 km²)
Land Area:	22.57 sq mi (58.46 km²)
Water Area:	1.89 sq mi (4.90 km²)
Total Population:	11,126
Population Density:	492.91/sq mi (190.32/km²)
ZIP code:	55744
Area code:	218
FIPS code:	2725118
GNISfeature ID:	0656428
Website:	cityofgrandrapidsmn.com

Online Interactive Map

Click on to view map in "full screen" mode.

Grand Rapids online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Grand Rapids location map. Where is Grand Rapids city?

Grand Rapids location on the U.S. Map. Where is Grand Rapids city. — Grand Rapids location on the U.S. Map.

Grand Rapids location on the Minnesota map. Where is Grand Rapids city. — Location of Grand Rapids in Minnesota.

History

Grand Rapids became a logging town, as the Mississippi River provided an optimal method of log shipment to population centers. Blandin paper mill opened in 1902. The Forest History Center is a State Historic Site and a living history museum that recreates life as it was in a turn of the 20th century logging camp. Costumed interpreters guide visitors through a recreated circa 1890s logging camp to educate the public on the history of white pine logging and its relevance to today’s economy. Miles of nature trails, educational naturalist programming, and an interpretive museum are also located on the site.

Old Central School, located in downtown Grand Rapids, was built in 1895 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture. The three story building served as an elementary school from 1895 to 1972. A community effort restored the building in 1984 and it now serves as a location for commerce and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1991 Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline ruptured, spilling 1.7 million of gallons of oil into the area, including the Prairie River, in the largest inland oil spill in US history.

Grand Rapids Road Map

Grand Rapids city Satellite Map

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.44 square miles (63.30 km), of which 22.56 square miles (58.43 km) is land and 1.88 square miles (4.87 km) is water.

Major highways

The city of Grand Rapids sits at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 169. U.S. Highway 2 runs west towards Bemidji and east towards Duluth. U.S. Highway 169 heads south to Hill City, and ultimately towards the city of Minneapolis. In the opposite direction, U.S. Highway 169 heads up the Mesabi Range passing through Hibbing and several smaller towns along the way until it reaches the city of Virginia. Grand Rapids is also the starting point of State Highway 38, designated a National Scenic Byway by the USDOT, and marked as the Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway as it travels toward Effie. The following routes are located within the city of Grand Rapids.

U.S. Highway 2
U.S. Highway 169
Minnesota State Highway 38 – Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway

Climate

The city of Grand Rapids has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Climate Classification Dfb) with warm summers and long, cold winters, typical of its location on the Mesabi Iron Range.