Pelican Rapids, Minnesota

Pelican Rapids, Minnesota
City
Pelican Pete, world's largest pelican, is located downtown Pelican Rapids
Location of Pelican Rapids within Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Coordinates: 46°34′9″N 96°4′53″W / 46.56917°N 96.08139°W / 46.56917; -96.08139
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Otter Tail
Area[1]
• Total	2.63 sq mi (6.81 km2)
• Land	2.53 sq mi (6.55 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)
Elevation	1,306 ft (398 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	2,464
• Estimate (2013[3])	2,463
• Density	973.9/sq mi (376.0/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	56572
Area code(s)	218
FIPS code	27-50164
GNIS feature ID	0649246[4]
Website	www.pelicanrapids.com

Pelican Rapids is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,464 at the 2010 census.^[5]

History

Pelican Rapids was platted in 1872, and named for the rapids on the Pelican River.^[6] A post office has been in operation at Pelican Rapids since 1872.^[7] Pelican Rapids was incorporated in 1882.^[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.63 square miles (6.81 km²), of which 2.53 square miles (6.55 km²) is land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km²) is water.^[1]

U.S. Highway 59 and Minnesota State Highway 108 are two of the main routes in the city.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 2,464 people, 904 households, and 569 families residing in the city. The population density was 973.9 inhabitants per square mile (376.0/km²). There were 984 housing units at an average density of 388.9 per square mile (150.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.1% White, 5.8% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 11.6% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.5% of the population.

There were 904 households of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.42.

The median age in the city was 35.4 years. 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 21.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

Rainbow at Faith Lutheran Church in Pelican Rapids

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,374 people, 884 households, and 558 families residing in the city. The population density was 905.8 people per square mile (349.8/km²). There were 962 housing units at an average density of 367.0 per square mile (141.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.43% White, 0.72% African American, 1.93% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 1.04% Pacific Islander, 6.76% from other races, and 4.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.59% of the population.

There were 884 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,232, and the median income for a family was $36,970. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $20,645 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,699. About 9.5% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Dave Goltz - Retired Major League Baseball player
• Roger L. Hanson
• Tucker Hibbert - Professional snowmobile racer for Team Monster Energy/Arctic Cat
• Buck Paulson- American painter with a show on PBS

In Popular Culture

• In the fifth season episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, the character Jenkins (played by Amanda Peet) states that she is from Pelican Rapids and is a huge Minnesota Vikings fan.

See also

• Pelican Pete - fifteen foot sculpture

References

External links

• City Website
• Pelican Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
• War memorial in Pelican Rapids at "Sites of Memory"

Municipalities and communities of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
County seat: Fergus Falls
Cities	Battle Lake Bluffton Clitherall Dalton Deer Creek Dent Elizabeth Erhard Fergus Falls Henning New York Mills Ottertail Parkers Prairie Pelican Rapids Perham Richville Rothsay‡ Underwood Urbank Vergas Vining Wadena‡
Townships	Aastad Amor Aurdal Blowers Bluffton Buse Butler Candor Carlisle Clitherall Compton Corliss Dane Prairie Dead Lake Deer Creek Dora Dunn Eagle Lake Eastern Edna Effington Elizabeth Elmo Erhards Grove Everts Fergus Falls Folden Friberg Girard Gorman Henning Hobart Homestead Inman Leaf Lake Leaf Mountain Lida Maine Maplewood Newton Nidaros Norwegian Grove Oak Valley Orwell Oscar Otter Tail Otto Paddock Parkers Prairie Pelican Perham Pine Lake Rush Lake Scambler St. Olaf Star Lake Sverdrup Tordenskjold Trondhjem Tumuli Western Woodside
Unincorporated communities	Carlisle Dunvilla Luce Parkdale Richdale
Indian reservation	Mille Lacs‡
Ghost towns	Parkton Topelius
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Coordinates: 46°34′15″N 96°04′59″W / 46.57083°N 96.08306°W / 46.57083; -96.08306