Editing Lake Benton, Minnesota

{{short description|City in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Lake Benton, Minnesota
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Lake Benton, Minnesota, viewed from Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie 2021-10-23.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Viewed from [[Hole in the Mountain Prairie]]
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map = Lincoln_County_Minnesota_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Lake_Benton_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Lake Benton<br>within Lincoln County, Minnesota
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Minnesota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Lincoln County, Minnesota|Lincoln]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_27.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 10.50
|area_land_km2            = 8.30
|area_water_km2           = 2.19
|area_total_sq_mi         = 4.05
|area_land_sq_mi          = 3.21
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.85

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 687
|population_density_km2   = 82.74
|population_density_sq_mi = 214.29

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 1752
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|15|51|N|96|17|21|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 56149
|area_code                = [[Area code 507|507]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-34100<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2395586<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2395586}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|www.lakebentonminnesota.com}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
}}
'''Lake Benton''' is a city in [[Lincoln County, Minnesota|Lincoln County]], [[Minnesota]], United States. The population was 687 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2010 Census (City)">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Lake%20Benton%20city,%20Minnesota |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

Lake Benton is also the name of the approximately seven-mile-long (11&nbsp;km) [[lake]] adjacent to the city of Lake Benton.  The town is on the [[Buffalo Ridge]], and is the site for the [[Radio masts and towers|radio tower]] of [[KARZ (FM)|KARZ-FM]] in [[Marshall, Minnesota|Marshall]].

The area is the site of [[Exelon]] Wind's Norgaard Wind Project.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.exeloncorp.com/PowerPlants/exelonwind-minnesota/Pages/profile.aspx | title=Energy Plants & Facilities - Our Locations - Exelon }}</ref>

==History==
A post office called Lake Benton has been in operation since 1873.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MN&county=Lincoln | title=Lincoln County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | accessdate=21 March 2015}}</ref> Lake Benton was [[plat]]ted in 1879,<ref name="history">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA91 | title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways | author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company | year=1908 | page=91}}</ref> and the city took its name from nearby [[Lake Benton (Lincoln County, Minnesota)|Lake Benton]].<ref name="history" /><ref name=WPA>{{cite book |author=<!--The Federal Writer's Project--> |orig-date=1938|date=1985 |title=WPA Guide to Minnesota |url= |publisher=[[Minnesota Historical Society]]|location=[[Saint Paul, Minnesota]] |pages=407 |isbn=0873517121}}</ref> The county seat was located at Lake Benton from 1882 until 1902.<ref>{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n327 308]}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|4.62|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|3.78|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.84|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]] |accessdate=2012-11-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archivedate=2012-07-02 }}</ref>

U.S. Highways [[U.S. Route 14 in Minnesota|14]] and [[U.S. Route 75#Minnesota|75]] are two of the main routes in the community.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 184
|1890= 513
|1900= 890
|1910= 844
|1920= 944
|1930= 903
|1940= 961
|1950= 863
|1960= 905
|1970= 759
|1980= 869
|1990= 693
|2000= 703
|2010= 683
|2020= 687
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2012-11-13}}</ref> of 2010, there were 683 people, 338 households, and 177 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|180.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 383 housing units at an average density of {{convert|101.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.1% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], and 1.2% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 338 households, of which 20.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.6% were non-families. 44.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.76.

The median age in the city was 48.8 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 703 people, 334 households, and 196 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|183.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 365 housing units at an average density of {{convert|95.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.72% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.00% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.28% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.28% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.71% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 334 households, out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 28.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,583, and the median income for a family was $36,750. Males had a median income of $29,125 versus $21,750 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,922. None of the families and 5.7% of the population were living below the [[poverty line]], including no under eighteens and 12.2% of those over 64.

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.lakebentonminnesota.com Official website]
*[http://clarkprinting.dreamhosters.com/lakebenton/ ''Lake Benton News''] - local newspaper
*[http://lakebenton.us Lake Benton visitor information]

{{Lincoln County, Minnesota}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cities in Lincoln County, Minnesota]]