Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Demographics
As of the official censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,348 people, 3,319 households, and 1,845 families permanently residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 980.4 people per square mile (378.3/km²). There were 3,782 housing units at an average density of 504.6 per square mile (194.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.98% White, 4.50% Native American, 0.53% Asian American, 0.42% African American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.
There were 3,319 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,264, and the median income for a family was $42,267. Males had a median income of $28,939 versus $21,439 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,509. About 9.9% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Detroit Lakes is the county seat of Becker County, with the county courthouse and law enforcement center being located there. District headquarters for the Minnesota Department of TransportationMinnesota Department of Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state's trunk highway system The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced "min-dot") oversees...
and the Minnesota State Highway Patrol are also located in the city.
A 9-member City Council serves the city, with Mayor Matt Brenk serving as the 10th voting member. There are four election wards, with two council members serving each of the three primary wards with three serving the "at large" area.
14 city boards and commissions are currently in operation, including the Park Board, Library Board, Public Utilities Commission, Planning Commission, Police Civil Service Commission, the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the Airport Commission, and the Tourism Bureau.
Detroit Lakes is located in Minnesota's 7th congressional district, represented by Collin Peterson
Collin Peterson
Collin Clark Peterson , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991, and the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and is the dean of the Minnesota congressional delegation.The district, Minnesota's largest and most rural...
(DFL), the current chairman of the House Agriculture Committee who resides in Detroit Lakes. The city is in Minnesota Senate district 9, represented by Keith Langseth
Keith Langseth
Keith Langseth is a Democratic Farmer Labor Party member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 9 since 1981. Prior to his election to the Senate, he was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from District 9B from 1975 to 1979...
(DFL), and Minnesota House district 9B, represented by Paul Marquart (DFL).
Higher education
The Detroit Lakes campus of the Minnesota State Community and Technical CollegeMinnesota State Community and Technical College
Minnesota State Community and Technical College is a multiple-campus college in the state of Minnesota. Minnesota State Community and Technical College serves more than 6,500 students in credit courses each semester through more than 120 career and liberal arts programs at its four campuses in...
system is one of four campus locations (others are in Moorhead, Fergus Falls, and Wadena). The Detroit Lakes campus, located on Minnesota Highway 34
Minnesota State Highway 34
Minnesota State Highway 34 is a highway in west-central and north-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 9 in Barnesville and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with State Highways 200 and 371 in Walker.The route is concurrent with U.S...
, enrolls approximately 650 students in 25 different degree programs. The college offers both classroom and online distance education programs and grants AAS, AS, diploma, certificate, and AFA degrees.
K-12
- Rossman Elementary School (K-5)
- Roosevelt Elementary School (K-5)
- Detroit Lakes Middle School (6–8)
- Detroit Lakes High SchoolDetroit Lakes High SchoolDetroit Lakes High School is a public high school located in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. It currently serves approx... 950 students and is a part of the Detroit Lakes Public Schools system. The official school colors are red and white and the athletic teams are known as "The Lakers"...
(9–12) - Lakes Area Learning Center Alternative High School (ALC) (9–12)
- Holy Rosary Catholic School (K-8) (Private)
- Faith Christian School (K-8) (Private)
- Adventist Christian School (K-8) (Private)
Carnegie Library
Built in 1913 with a $10,000 grant from the Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
Foundation, the Detroit Lakes Public Library is a branch of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library Network (LARL). Originally 4142 square feet (384.8 m²) on two floors, the library was designed by the architectural firm of Claude and Starck
Claude and Starck
Claude and Starck was an architectural firm in Madison, Wisconsin, at the turn of the twentieth century. The firm was a partnership of Louis W. Claude and Edward F. Starck . Established in 1896, the firm dissolved in 1928...
of Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. The building today is on the National Register of Historic Places. Most notably, the building features a Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
exterior frieze, lead and stained glass windows and doors, and a completely open and unobstructed interior. The building, designed in the prairie school
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
architectural style popularized by such architects as Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
and Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, is also noted for its orange clay-tiled hip roof that defies regional construction convention. In 1985, due to space issues, the original Carnegie building was expanded.
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Detroit Lakes Carnegie Library of the Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
architectural style, by architects Claude and Starck
Claude and Starck
Claude and Starck was an architectural firm in Madison, Wisconsin, at the turn of the twentieth century. The firm was a partnership of Louis W. Claude and Edward F. Starck . Established in 1896, the firm dissolved in 1928...
and significant of the period from 1900–1924, was added to the Register in 1976. The Graystone Hotel, significant of the periods 1900–1924 and 1925–1949, was added in 1999. The Amtrak Depot
Detroit Lakes (Amtrak station)
Detroit Lakes is a train station in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, served by Amtrak, the United States national railroad passenger system. The building was originally built by the Northern Pacific Railroad and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988.Detroit Lakes is served...
, formerly the Northern Pacific Passenger Depot and later the Burlington Northern Depot, significant of the periods 1900–1924 and 1925–1949, now primarily serving as a small shop and eatery, was added in 1988. The Homer E. Sargent House on Lake Avenue, currently a privately-owned domestic dwelling of the Queen Anne architectural style and significant of the periods 1875–1899 and 1900–1924, was added to the Register in 1988. The Edgewater Beach Cottages, also known as Stovewood Cottages, by architects George Jewell and Frederick Wright and significant of the period 1925–1949, were added in 1989. Fairyland Cottages Historic District on W. Lake Shore Drive, significant of the period 1925–1949, were added to the National Register in 1989. Finally, the Holmes Block (also known as the Opera House Block), including downtown commercial buildings occupying addresses 710–718 Washington Avenue, are significant of various historical periods ranging from 1875 to 1974. The downtown block was added to the National Register in 2001.
Economy
The city's economy is largely driven by summer tourism and seasonal population increases. A variety of health care services, retail stores, and service businesses are available to area residents and tourists. Detroit Lakes is home to approximately 15 chain and independent hotels. Numerous resorts in the area provide many additional units. The city's downtown offers a 135000 square feet (12,541.9 m²) shopping center, including Washington Square Mall. Most newer chain retail businesses, including discount and home centers, restaurants, and strip malls, are located along Highways 10 and 59. The city is also home to a number of various businesses servicing tourism ranging from sporting goods retailers to amusement parks and river tubing companies. With two industrial parks in the city's outskirts, it is also home to many manufacturing and industrial businesses, including Snappy, BTD Manufacturing, Friesens, Inc., Swheat Scoop Cat Litter, Hartman Hide and Fur, Lakeshirts, and Land O' Lakes Feed.Recreation
In and around Detroit Lakes are several lakes used for fishing, boating, wake sports, sailing, jet-skiing, swimming, and freshwater scuba diving. Most prominent and heavily used is Lake Detroit, which features the mile-long city beach. The beach annually hosts the city's Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
celebration and fireworks display. In and around Detroit Lakes are 14 golf courses. The area also features an amusement park, a paintball arena, two river tubing companies, and a horseback riding ranch. The city also hosts the annual Becker County Fair. The Shrine Circus performs in Detroit Lakes each year at the Kent Freeman Arena. In the winter off-season, the area remains a popular recreation destination for ice fishing, snowmobiling, and skiing.
Historic Holmes Theatre
The Historic Holmes Theatre, a physical and organizational branch of the Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center complex, is a recently renovated Art DecoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
theatre that hosts year-round music, drama and dance performances. With seating for nearly 1,000, the theatre features a wide variety of professional national and international touring shows (including Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
, the Chinese Golden Acrobats, the New York Theatre Ballet, and the Guthrie Theatre), local performing groups (Playhouse 412, Fargo/Moorhead Jazz Arts Group, Wadena Madhatters) and events (wedding receptions, business meetings, and Detroit Lakes' Annual Festival of the Birds).
Music festivals
Each July, the city hosts the 10,000 Lakes Festival10,000 Lakes Festival
The 10,000 Lakes Festival was an annual four-day music festival in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, at the Soo Pass Ranch that was held since 2003. 10KLF is currently on hiatus due to financial losses and was not held in 2010. Its name refers to Minnesota's nickname, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes"...
, a large music festival with past acts including The Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
, Phil Lesh
Phil Lesh
Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
, The String Cheese Incident, Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio is an American guitarist, composer, and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish...
, The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, the Allman Brothers, Ratdog
Ratdog
RatDog , is an American rock band. The group began as a side project for Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in December 1995, following the death of Jerry Garcia on August 9, 1995, RatDog became Bob Weir's primary band...
, and others. The three-day concert attracts around 25,000 people and is held annually at the Soo Pass Ranch on Highway 59
U.S. Route 59
U.S. Route 59 is a north–south United States highway . A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, U.S. 59 is now a border-to-border route, Part of NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallels U.S. Route 75 for nearly its entire route, never much more than away, until it veers southwest...
south of Detroit Lakes. Each August since 1983 the city has hosted WE Fest
WE Fest
WE Fest is a country music festival held every August at the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, United States. The first WE Fest was held in 1983 and is attended by about 50,000 people over a 3 - 4 day period...
, a prominent country music festival. Campgrounds packed with tents surround a large stage, and the three-day concert attracts around 50,000 music-lovers each summer. In 2007, the attendance reached a record high of 83,000 people over the weekend at the themed "Heavin in '07" concert. The music festival is held annually at the Soo Pass Ranch on Highway 59
U.S. Route 59
U.S. Route 59 is a north–south United States highway . A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, U.S. 59 is now a border-to-border route, Part of NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallels U.S. Route 75 for nearly its entire route, never much more than away, until it veers southwest...
south of Detroit Lakes. The 2008 lineup included Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
, Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
, Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
, LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
and other stars of country music.
As of December 18, 2009, 10,000 Lakes Festival
10,000 Lakes Festival
The 10,000 Lakes Festival was an annual four-day music festival in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, at the Soo Pass Ranch that was held since 2003. 10KLF is currently on hiatus due to financial losses and was not held in 2010. Its name refers to Minnesota's nickname, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes"...
has been put on official hiatus status until further notice. According to 10KLF.com the festival could not grow to financial success.
http://www.10klf.com/
Community & Cultural Center
A recently-built Community & Cultural Center serves Detroit Lakes, incorporating a new fitness center with the completely renovated brick building that once was the Holmes School. The fitness and aquatic area features an 8-lane Olympic regulation pool, an indoor track, a fieldhouse featuring 2 basketball courts, a weight room, cardio fitness center, racquetball courts, and a golf driving/putting range. The old 1931 school building houses the renovated 837-seat Historic Holmes Theatre featuring orchestra and balcony level seating, conference rooms, and the Lakes Area Learning Center and Alternative High School. When completed in 2001, a building of 105000 square feet (9,754.8 m²) was the result of $9.5 million dollars in expenses.Religion
Detroit Lakes is a heavily Protestant Christian city. In greatest number are Lutheran churches of varied synodSynod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
affiliations. Exceptions to this are two Roman Catholic parishes and an Episcopal church of the Anglican rite. The city's oldest standing church building is the Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
, anchoring the corner of Lake Avenue and Holmes Street since 1893. The building has since seen multiple renovations and restorations.
Denominational Statistics – Places of Worship
- Lutheran – 10
- Roman Catholic, BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Non-denominational Christian – 2 - Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal Church (United States)The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
, United Methodist, Assemblies of GodAssemblies of GodThe Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
, United Church of ChristUnited Church of ChristThe United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
, MennoniteMennoniteThe Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, EvangelicalEvangelicalismEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
, Vineyard Church – 1
Radio
Detroit Lakes Stations:- 1340 KDLMKDLMKDLM is a radio station airing a News/Talk format. The station serves Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and is owned by Leighton Broadcasting.-On Air Staff:* Morning Show with Andy Lia* Hodge Podge with Carol McCarthy* Lakes Live with Jake Judd...
Adult Contemporary - 102.3 KRCQ-FM CountryCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
- 104.1 KBOTKBOTKBOT is a radio station licensed to Pelican Rapids, Minnesota that serves Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The station is owned by Leighton Broadcasting...
CountryCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
Other area ststions:
- 870 KPRMKPRMKPRM is a radio station in Park Rapids, Minnesota. It has a classic country format, from Dial Global. Locally, it broadcasts the popular "Coffee Talk" morning show, and is currently simulcasted on KDKK, WBKK and KAKK....
Classic CountryClassic countryClassic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
and News/Talk - 1070 KVKKKVKKKVKK is a radio station licensed to serve Verndale, Minnesota, USA. The station is owned by De La Hunt Broadcasting and the broadcast license is held by DJ Broadcasting Corp....
CountryCountryA country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously... - 1570 KAKKKAKKKAKK is a radio station licensed to serve Walker, Minnesota, USA. The station is owned by De La Hunt Broadcasting and the broadcast license is held by Edward de la Hunt...
OldiesOldiesOldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day.... - 92.5 KXKKKXKK-External links:*...
CountryCountryA country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously... - 94.7 KSKKKSKKKSKK is a adult contemporary music formatted radio station in Wadena, Minnesota and the Brainerd Lakes Area. . The Arrow is owned by De La Hunt Broadcasting...
Adult Contemporary - 97.5 KDKKKDKKKDKK is a radio station in Park Rapids, Minnesota. It broadcasts with 100,000 watts of effective radiated power. It is owned by De La Hunt Broadcasting, and has an adult standards format as an affiliate of Dial Global's America's Best Music network...
Music of Your LifeMusic of Your LifeMusic of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
Television
- TV3: Lakes Area Television (NewsNewsNews is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
/Local Programming)
TV3 is a "commercial supported Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV station" that broadcasts out of Detroit Lakes for the regional Arvig Communication Cable System.
Newspaper
Forum Communications Company of Fargo, North Dakota, owns and operates the Detroit Lakes Newspapers and also provides the regional daily newspaper, The Forum of Fargo-MoorheadThe Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, previously titled the Fargo Forum, is a daily newspaper printed in Fargo, North Dakota and owned by Forum Communications. The Forum, as it is commonly known, is the primary daily paper for southeast North Dakota, and also much of northwest Minnesota. Its average daily...
, with coverage spanning the Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North...
metropolitan area and much of northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota.
- The Forum of Fargo-MoorheadThe Forum of Fargo-MoorheadThe Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, previously titled the Fargo Forum, is a daily newspaper printed in Fargo, North Dakota and owned by Forum Communications. The Forum, as it is commonly known, is the primary daily paper for southeast North Dakota, and also much of northwest Minnesota. Its average daily...
(daily) - Detroit Lakes Tribune (weekly)
- Becker County Record (weekly)
- Lake Area Press (weekly)
Transportation
- AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Empire BuilderEmpire BuilderThe Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
(stops daily at Detroit Lakes' Amtrak stationDetroit Lakes (Amtrak station)Detroit Lakes is a train station in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, served by Amtrak, the United States national railroad passenger system. The building was originally built by the Northern Pacific Railroad and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988.Detroit Lakes is served...
) - Jefferson LinesJefferson LinesJefferson Lines is a regional intercity bus company operating in United States. The company's name originates in the Jefferson Highway, a north-south route in the early National Auto Trail system which once ran from Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, south to New Orleans, Louisiana. The service to...
Motorcoach - Detroit Lakes AirportDetroit Lakes AirportDetroit Lakes Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located two miles west of the central business district of Detroit Lakes, a city in Becker County, Minnesota, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...
- DL Taxi Services
- Becker County Transit
- Clay County Rural Transit
- White Earth Transit
In popular culture
Detroit Lakes is referred to in the author John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
's book, Travels with Charley
Travels With Charley: In Search of America
Travels with Charley: In Search of America is a travelogue written by American author John Steinbeck. It recounts tales of a 1960 road trip with his French standard poodle, Charley, around the United States. He wrote that he was moved by a desire to see his country on a personal level, since he...
, as he and his dog Charley drove through the upper midwestern United States. A fictional version of its courthouse and rural countryside are also featured in director Ali Selim
Ali Selim
Ali Selim is an Arab-American advertising and independent film director. Over the past fifteen years he has directed over 850 television commercials, five half-hour documentaries and several music videos.-Early life:...
's 2006 independent film Sweet Land
Sweet Land
Sweet Land is a 2005 American independent period drama film written and directed by Ali Selim. It is an adaptation of the 1989 short story "A Gravestone Made of Wheat" by Will Weaver...
, a love story revolving around a German immigrant's settlement in rural Becker County, Minnesota
Becker County, Minnesota
Becker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 32,504. Its county seat is Detroit Lakes. A portion of the White Earth Indian Reservation extends into the county.-History:...
in the aftermath of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. A postcard depicting the Fairyland Cottages in Detroit Lakes appear in the opening credits of the 1983 movie National Lampoon's Vacation
National Lampoon's Vacation
Vacation, sometimes referred as National Lampoon's Vacation, is a 1983 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall...
, though the cabins no longer stand.
Notable residents
- Dick BeardsleyDick BeardsleyDick Beardsley is an American long-distance runner best known for his close finish with Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon.-Running career:...
, champion marathon runner, motivational speaker and author, 3rd-fastest American born male marathon runner, Grandma's MarathonGrandma's MarathonGrandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the town of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth...
record holder, Boston MarathonBoston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
silver medalist (1982), founder of Dick Beardsley Running Company, formerly resided in Detroit Lakes - Jason BlakeJason Blake (ice hockey player)Jason Blake is an American professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:He played for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League...
, current National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
player, Anaheim DucksAnaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
left/right wing, currently resides in Detroit Lakes - Phil Hansen, retired American football player for the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive end 1991–2001, 3-time Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
participant, currently resides in Detroit Lakes - Collin PetersonCollin PetersonCollin Clark Peterson , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991, and the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and is the dean of the Minnesota congressional delegation.The district, Minnesota's largest and most rural...
, current United States Congressman, chairman of House Agriculture Committee, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, 7th Congressional District of Minnesota, currently resides in Detroit Lakes - Dave ReichertDave ReichertDavid George Reichert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as Sheriff of King County, Washington.-Early life, education and career:...
, current United States Congressman, Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, 8th Congressional District of Washington, was born in Detroit Lakes - Ed SchultzEd SchultzEdward Andrew "Ed" Schultz Is an American television and radio host and a liberal political commentator . He is the host of The Ed Show, a daily news talk program on MSNBC, and The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio show, nationally syndicated by Dial Global, promising "straight talk."-Early...
, syndicated talk radio host, cable news anchor of The Ed ShowThe Ed ShowThe Ed Show is an hour-long weeknight news commentary program on MSNBC. The program is hosted by Ed Schultz, who hosts the nationally syndicated radio program, The Ed Schultz Show. It debuted on MSNBC on April 6, 2009, at 6 P.M. ET. It moved to 10 P.M. ET, filling the time slot previously...
on MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, seasonally resides in Detroit Lakes - Jessica LangeJessica LangeJessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. The recipient of several awards, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and one Emmy, Lange is regarded as one of the première female actors of her generation.Lange was discovered by producer...
, actress, briefly lived in Detroit Lakes where she attended her junior year of high school (ca. 1968).