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Aitkin, Minnesota

10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1914 and the latest in 1994. It stands in Aitkin City. It lies in ZIP code area 56431. It stands on Ripple River. The Survey maps it on the Aitkin quadrangle. 2,168 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,211 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Aitkin within Aitkin County

On record in Aitkin

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 7 records

Population over time

2 figures

Aitkin grew from 2,165 to 2,168 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20102,165
20202,168+3 (+0%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 10 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

158 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 158 fires within 5 miles of Aitkin between 1992 and 2020, burning about 933 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 12 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning97
Equipment and vehicle use19
Missing data/not specified/undetermined16
Arson/incendiarism12
Natural4
Power generation/transmission/distribution3
Recreation and ceremony3
Misuse of fire by a minor2
Smoking1
Other causes1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
30 September 2012Equipment and vehicle use2.0 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
8 August 1992Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
5 August 1999Debris and open burningunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
25 August 1996Naturalunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
19 August 2018Debris and open burningunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
12 August 2008Naturalunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
1 August 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
4 July 2001Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Aitkin County

Mines and quarries near this place

8 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Aitkin: 5 occurrences, 1 unknown, 1 producer, 1 prospect. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Limestone, General, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Iron, Manganese. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Rice River Reserve St-8Iron, ManganeseProspect
Haddeland Pit & MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Johnson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Aitkin County Marl Beds No 1Limestone, GeneralOccurrence
Aitkin County Marl Beds No 2Limestone, GeneralOccurrence
Aitkin County Marl Beds No 4Limestone, GeneralOccurrence
Aitkin County Marl Beds No 5Limestone, GeneralOccurrence
Aitkin County Marl Beds No 6Limestone, GeneralOccurrence

Every working recorded in Aitkin County

Storms near this place

60 of 64 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Aitkin in 64 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 28 thunderstorm wind, 21 hail, 8 flood, 3 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 2024Tornado (EF1)Aitkin$500,000Another tornado developed on the northern portion of Hammal lake, where localized pockets of extensive tree damage were located, and one three-season cabin and boat house were completely destroyed and partially thrown into the water. The tornado continued east- southeast, uprooting and snapping several mature tree trunks as it crossed Highway 169 and Hanging Kettle Lake. The tornado then took a east-southeastward path through Ripple Lake, uprooting trees and knocking over an 85 foot tall antenna tower before the tornado ended over southeastern Ripple Lake. No fatalities or injuries were reported.
June 2024Tornado (EF0)Aitkin$50,000The tornado initially formed near Wolford in Crow Wing County and entered Aitkin County near the end of Cedar Lake Drive on Cedar Lake. The tornado path was to the southeast, crossing 456th Place, 320th Street, and, finally, 310th Street before lifting. This last section of the tornado path after Cedar Lake shows damage to numerous trees via satellite imagery before the visible damage path ends just to the southwest of the intersection of 310th Street and Pioneer Avenue. The tornado was rates as an EF-0 in Aitkin County, but produced EF-2 damage in Crow Wing County just before crossing into Aitkin County. No fatalities or injuries were reported.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindAitkin$20,000A large oak tree was down on a house with other trees also down on powerlines.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindAitkin$500Power lines were blown over by strong thunderstorm winds.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindAitkin-County dispatch reported multiple trees and powerlines down in Aitkin.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Two large oak trees were blown down from west to east.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Multiple trees were reported down that were around a foot in diameter. A healthy tree was also snapped a few feet off the ground.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Numerous medium to large trees were snapped and uprooted over roadways and alleyways.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAitkin-The top of a large pine tree was snapped.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Parts of a metal building were ripped off and strewn over semi trucks.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Numerous trees were reported downed.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Multiple trees were snapped and were covering roads and a house.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Aitkin County Sheriff reported that power lines and trees were downed within the city of Aitkin due to the storm.
May 2018HailAitkin-Nickel-size hail was reported on Wilkins Lake.
September 2018Thunderstorm WindAitkin-A pickup truck was lifted by the wind and landed on top of another truck on 2nd Street in Aitkin.
September 2018Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Several trees were downed in the winds. The largest tree was about 2 feet in diameter.
July 2018Flash FloodAitkin-Water was reported flowing into the first floor of an elderly care facility.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindAitkin-The wind caused downed trees and structural damage to a home. A previously secured deck was thrown to the other side of a home.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindAitkin-There were numerous trees blown down in the Aitkin area.
July 2016Flash FloodAitkin-There was 10 to 12 of water of the roadway at the intersection of 344th Street and County Road 12. A car was pushed by the water.
July 2015HailAitkin-There was pea to dime sized hail.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Numerous trees were down throughout the county.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Trees were blown down.
May 2013FloodAitkin-The Mississippi River at Aitkin rose above flood stage on April 30 and fell below flood stage on May 17. Flood stage is 12 feet and the river crested on 13.35 feet on on May 8th at 11:45 pm CDT. There were no impacts.
April 2013FloodAitkin-There was little impact from the flooding. Flood stage is 12.0 feet. The river crested at 13.35 feet on May 8th.
June 2012FloodAitkin-River flooding continued from heavy rains in May 2012, with a crest of 15.09 feet on June 1st. The river fell below the 12 foot flood stage at 400 PM CST on June 12th.
June 2012FloodAitkin-Flooding began at 1100 PM CST, June 17th as the Mississippi River rose to the flood stage of 12 feet. The river crested at 18.72 feet at 600 PM CST on June 29th, and ended the month above flood stage at 18.42 feet.
July 2012FloodAitkin-The Mississippi River at Aitkin began July at 18.40 feet and went below their flood stage of 12 feet at 4:30 PM July 19th.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Trees of one foot diameter were blown down.
April 2009HailAitkin-There were many reports of hail less than one inch.
July 2009Flash FloodAitkin-Parts of a rail road track were washed out by the Ripple River in Aitkin. Also, the heavy rain caused streets to be inundated with standing water. One city block was affected by water in, or approaching, buildings. Rainfall of two to four inches occurred in a few hours.
August 2005Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Trees and power lines were blown down in and around Aitkin. Trees were blown onto Highways 18, 65, and 169. There was also damage near Malmo. The damage area was 25 miles wide and 40 miles long across southern Aitkin County. 3500 households were without power, some for up to 4 days.
September 2004Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Trees and power lines were blown down.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Trees were blown down.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Trees were blown down. The wind speed is estimated.
July 2000LightningAitkin-Lightning started a house fire. There were no injuries.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Strong thunderstorm winds blew down many trees and power lines across a wide area from east and north of Mille Lacs Lake to the vicinity of Aitkin. Wind speed is estimated.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Many trees were blown down.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindAitkin-Numerous large trees were blown down on Highway 18 along the north shore of Mille Lacs Lake. The roadway was blocked in several locations.
July 2025HailAitkin-no account filed
July 2025HailAitkin-no account filed
June 2024HailAitkin-no account filed
June 2024HailAitkin-no account filed
June 2022HailAitkin-no account filed
August 2018HailAitkin-no account filed
August 2018HailAitkin-no account filed
August 2018HailAitkin-no account filed
March 2016HailAitkin-no account filed
June 2016HailAitkin-no account filed
June 2016HailAitkin-no account filed
July 2015HailAitkin-no account filed
May 2012FloodAitkin-no account filed
May 2012HailAitkin-no account filed
April 2011FloodAitkin-no account filed
May 2011FloodAitkin-no account filed
May 2007HailAitkin-no account filed
April 2007HailAitkin-no account filed
May 2006HailAitkin-no account filed
May 2006HailAitkin-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Aitkin County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Pine Knoll4.0 miles10
Rossburg6.9 miles10
Hassman7.0 miles10
Bennettville9.3 miles10
Glory9.9 miles10
Waldeck11.2 miles10
Wealthwood12.1 miles10
Cutler12.3 miles11

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on AitkinAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2232157The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 639235. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.