Editing Belle Plaine, Minnesota

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Short description|City in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Belle Plaine
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = "A City That Works"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.belleplainemn.com/|title=The City of Belle Plaine Minnesota|publisher= The City of Belle Plaine Minnesota|access-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref>
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|image_map                = Scott_County_Minnesota_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Belle_Plaine_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of the city of Belle Plaine<br>within Scott County, Minnesota
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<!-- Location ------------->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Minnesota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Scott County, Minnesota|Scott]]
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|area_total_km2           = 16.00
|area_land_km2            = 15.42
|area_water_km2           = 0.58
|area_total_sq_mi         = 6.18
|area_land_sq_mi          = 5.95
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.22
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 7396
|pop_est_as_of            = 2021
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2021"/>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
|population_total         = 7395
|population_density_km2   = 479.58
|population_density_sq_mi = 1242.02
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone|CST]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
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|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 863
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|37|08|N|93|45|51|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 56011
|area_code                = [[Area code 952|952]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-04834
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2394113<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2394113}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.belleplainemn.com/|belleplainemn.com}}
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}}

'''Belle Plaine''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ɛ|l|_|ˈ|p|l|aɪ|n}} {{respell|bel|_|PLAYN}})<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ap.org/minnesota/prono.html |title=Minnesota Pronunciation Guide |website=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=July 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722194213/http://www.ap.org/minnesota/prono.html |archive-date=July 22, 2011 }}</ref> is a city in [[Scott County, Minnesota]], United States, about 40 minutes southwest of Minneapolis. The population was 7,395 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2704834 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 8, 2022}}</ref>

==History==
Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court Judge [[Andrew G. Chatfield]] selected the townsite of Belle Plaine in 1853 while traveling from Mendota to Traverse des Sioux to hold court, as it was a halfway marker on his usual path of travel. Chatfield chose to name the townsite ''Belle Plaine'', which is French for "Beautiful Prairie."<ref>{{cite book|author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company|title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA168|year=1908|page=168}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=20845|title=Profile for Belle Plaine, Minnesota, MN |publisher= ePodunk|access-date= October 14, 2012}}</ref>

From 1868 to 1974, Belle Plaine was incorporated as a [[Borough (United States)|borough]], the only one in Minnesota. In 1974, it became a city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.belleplainemn.com/belle-plaine-trivia |title="Belle Plaine Trivia," City of Belle Plaine |access-date=April 8, 2019 |archive-date=July 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724003012/https://www.belleplainemn.com/belle-plaine-trivia |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1870, the [[Minnesota State Legislature]] passed "An act to aid in the development of the salt springs at Belle Plaine", which donated six pieces of state-owned salt land to a holding company under certain conditions, notably that a well be drilled at Belle Plaine.<ref>N. H. Winchell and Warren Upham. "The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota 1872-1882" vol. 1. [[Minneapolis]]: [[Johnson, Smith & Harrison, State Printers]], 1884. pg. 104</ref> The funds put the company under great public scrutiny.<ref>William E. Lass (1990). [http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/52/v52i04p130-143.pdf "Minnesota's Quest for Salt".]</ref> A year later "An act to further aid the Belle Plaine Salt Company in the development of Salt Springs at Belle Plaine" passed.<ref>Alexander Winchell. "Report of a geological survey of the vicinity of Belle Plaine, Scott County". [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]]: [[D. Ramaly]], 1872.</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|6.11|sqmi|sqkm|2}}; {{convert|5.91|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.20|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112090031/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=January 12, 2012 }}</ref>

[[U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota|U.S. Highway 169]] and [[Minnesota State Highway 25]] are two of the main routes in the community. The U.S. Highway 169 corridor travels from the city of [[Virginia, Minnesota|Virginia]] along the western edge of Mille Lacs Lake, through the western suburbs of [[Minneapolis]], south through Belle Plaine and [[Mankato, Minnesota|Mankato]], and then into [[Iowa]]. It is a central route of travel and provides easy access to the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota.

Belle Plaine is along the [[Minnesota River]], which flows northeast through town. A bridge crosses on the north side of town via Minnesota State Highway 25.

Belle Plaine is in the Minnesota River Valley, an area of considerable width in which a great river once ran after the glaciers receded that left Minnesota with so many lakes. The ancient river's banks are discernible as the slopes of the valley rise up on either side of the town.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 497
|1880= 629
|1890= 814
|1900= 1121
|1910= 1204
|1920= 1251
|1930= 1236
|1940= 1407
|1950= 1708
|1960= 1931
|1970= 2328
|1980= 2754
|1990= 3149
|2000= 3789
|2010= 6661
|2020= 7395
|estyear=2021
|estimate=7396
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=August 8, 2022|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 8, 2022}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2010, there were 6,661 people, 2,362 households, and 1,680 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1127.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 2,501 housing units at an average density of {{convert|423.2|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The city's racial makeup was 94.2% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.1% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.4% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.2% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 2,362 households, of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.22.

The median age in the city was 32.5 years. 30% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 34.1% were from 25 to 44; 18.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 3,789 people, 1,396 homes and 949 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|932.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,424 housing units at an average density of {{convert|350.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The city's racial makeup was 97.39% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.13% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.40% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.71% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.45% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.92% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.13% of the population.

There were 1,396 households, of which 38.6% had children, 53.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

==Education==
Belle Plaine Public Schools are part of the [[Belle Plaine Public School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientschool.cgi?schoolname=school357|title=Belle Plaine Public School District|publisher=Belle Plaine Public School District|access-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref> The district educates nearly 1,500 students from kindergarten through grade 12. There are two elementary schools, with Chatfield Elementary holding preschool and kindergarten through second grade, and Oakcrest Elementary holding third through sixth grade. Seventh through 12th grades are held at Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School. Graduating classes from BPHS usually range from 100 to 120 students.

Trinity Lutheran School is a pre-K–grade 8 school of the [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]] in Belle Plaine.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trinity Lutheran School |url=http://school.trinitybelleplaine.org/}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Ryan Dungey]], four-time AMA Supercross and four-time AMA Motocross Champion
* [[Arthur A. Hahn]], Minnesota state senator and businessman
* [[Patrick J. Hessian]], 16th [[Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army]]
* [[Beth Riesgraf]], television actress
* [[Peter Roy]], Minnesota state and territorial legislator and farmer

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.belleplainemn.com/ City of Belle Plaine Minnesota – Official City Website]
*[http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us Belle Plaine Public Schools – website]
*[http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=20845 ePodunk: Profile for Belle Plaine, Minnesota]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120423040732/http://www.belleplainemn.com/chamber/chamber-business-directory List of Belle Plaine Businesses]
*[http://www.ourladyoftheprairie.com Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church and School]

{{Scott County, Minnesota}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cities in Scott County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Boroughs of the United States]]