Editing Mountain Iron, Minnesota

{{short description|City in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Not to be confused with|Iron Mountain, Michigan}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Mountain Iron
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = Taconite Capital of the World
<!-- Images --------------->
|image_skyline            = Mountain Iron IMG 1410.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = This city is founded on the taconite iron ore deposits discovered by Leonidas Merritt in the 1880s.
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps ----------------->
|image_map                = St._Louis_County_Minnesota_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Mountain_Iron_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of the city of Mountain Iron<br>within [[St. Louis County, Minnesota|Saint Louis County, Minnesota]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
<!-- 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        = [[St. Louis County, Minnesota|Saint Louis]]
<!-- Government ----------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Peggy Anderson
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Founded
|established_date         = 1892
|established_title1       = Incorporated (village)
|established_date1        = November 28, 1892
|established_title2       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] (city)
|established_date2        = June 20, 1913
<!-- 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           = 183.61
|area_land_km2            = 176.40
|area_water_km2           = 7.21
|area_total_sq_mi         = 70.89
|area_land_sq_mi          = 68.11
|area_water_sq_mi         = 2.79
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 2860
|pop_est_as_of            = 2022
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2022"/>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
|population_total         = 2878
|population_density_km2   = 16.32
|population_density_sq_mi = 42.26
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = −6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_m              = 451
|elevation_ft             = 1480
|coordinates              = {{coord|47|31|57|N|92|37|25|W|type:city_region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
|postal_code              = 55768 and 55792
|area_code                = [[Area code 218|218]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-44548
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0661972<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|0661972}}</ref>
|blank2_name              = [[Sales tax]]
|blank2_info              = 7.375%<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avalara.com/taxrates/en/state-rates/minnesota/cities/mountain-iron.html|title=Mountain Iron (MN) sales tax rate|access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://mtniron.com/|mtniron.com}}
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Mountain Iron''' is a city in [[St. Louis County, Minnesota|Saint Louis County]], [[Minnesota]], United States, in the heart of the [[Mesabi Range]]. The population was 2,878 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Mountain_Iron_city,_Minnesota?g=160XX00US2744548 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 3, 2024}}</ref>

[[U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota|U.S. Highway 169]] serves as a main route in Mountain Iron.

The city's motto is "[[Taconite]] Capital of the World". The local mine, Minntac, is owned by the [[U.S. Steel|United States Steel Corporation]] (U.S. Steel).

Mountain Iron is part of the [[Quad Cities (Minnesota)|Quad Cities]], with [[Virginia, Minnesota|Virginia]], [[Eveleth, Minnesota|Eveleth]], and [[Gilbert, Minnesota|Gilbert]].

==History==
Mountain Iron was founded in 1892 as a mining village in the former Nichols Township. It was named after the nearby [[Mountain Iron Mine]].<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/n503 486]}}</ref>

Mountain Iron was incorporated as a city in 1972.

[[File:Mountain Iron Town Hall.jpg|thumb|alt=two brick buildings from the early twentieth century|upright=1.3|Mountain Iron power plant building and village hall building (2020)]]

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|71.31|sqmi|sqkm|2}}; {{convert|68.52|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|2.79|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/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=January 25, 2012}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 470
|1910= 1343
|1920= 1546
|1930= 1349
|1940= 1492
|1950= 1377
|1960= 1808
|1970= 1698
|1980= 4134
|1990= 3362
|2000= 2999
|2010= 2869
|2020= 2878
|estyear=2022
|estimate=2860
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2022">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=January 3, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=January 3, 2024}}</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|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2010, there were 2,869 people, 1,336 households, and 796 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|41.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 1,442 housing units at an average density of {{convert|21.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.8% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.7% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.2% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 2.0% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.6% of the population.

There were 1,336 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.72.

The median age in the city was 45.4 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.8% were from 25 to 44; 33% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 2,999 people, 1,326 households, and 847 families living in the city.  The population density was {{convert|60.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,409 housing units at an average density of {{convert|28.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 98.30% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.77% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.23% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.13% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.57% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.40% of the population. 27.3% were of [[finns|Finnish]], 11.2% [[germans|German]], 9.8% [[italians|Italian]], 8.8% [[norwegians|Norwegian]], 6.1% [[swedish people|Swedish]] and 5.1% [[slovenes|Slovene]] ancestry.

There were 1,326 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,163, and the median income for a family was $52,695. Males had a median income of $41,806 versus $22,837 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,761.  About 7.8% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
<references />

==Further reading==
* Beck, J. Robert. ''Well, Here We Are! The Hansons and the Becks''. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, 2005. {{ISBN|0-595-35772-5}}. A history of a Swedish-Finnish immigrant family in Mountain Iron and the surrounding area.

==External links==
{{commons category|Mountain Iron, Minnesota}}
* [https://www.mtniron.com/ City of Mountain Iron]—''[[Taconite]] Capital of the World''—The city's official site

{{St. Louis County, Minnesota}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cities in St. Louis County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Mining communities in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1892]]
[[Category:1892 establishments in Minnesota]]