Belle Plaine, Minnesota
11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Belle Plaine City. It lies in ZIP code area 56011. It stands on Robert Creek. The Survey maps it on the Belle Plaine South quadrangle. 7,395 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 856 feet above sea level.
On record in Belle Plaine
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 2 records
Episcopal Church of the Transfigurationlisted 1980
Hooper-Bowler-Hillstrom Houselisted 1980
Population over time
2 figuresBelle Plaine grew from 6,661 to 7,395 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 6,661 | |
| 2020 | 7,395 | +734 (+11%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 11 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1953 USGS Saint Paul quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1953 USGS St. Paul quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Belle Plaine quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Saint Paul quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS St. Paul quadrangle1:250000
- 1981 USGS Belle Plaine South quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Saint Paul quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
2 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 2 fires within 5 miles of Belle Plaine between 2005 and 2009, burning about 10 acres in total. None started naturally. None was 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 May 2009 | Recreation and ceremony | 10 acres | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge | BELLE PLAIN |
| 14 April 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Belle Plaine: 2 producers, 1 past producer. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Plaine Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Bergs Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Sheperd Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
58 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Belle Plaine in 58 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 24 thunderstorm wind, 24 hail, 3 flash flood, 3 tornado. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | $25,000 | Wind damage occurred throughout the county, but the worst areas were from New Prague to Elko-New Market. This area had multiple reports of trees down, many large, and some affecting power lines. There were a few recorded wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph across the southern part of Scott County. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Report of downed maple tree in backyard near the Belle Plaine High School. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Large tree snapped in Belle Plaine. |
| August 2025 | Funnel Cloud | Belle Plaine | - | There were several reports of a funnel cloud near Belle Plaine. |
| June 2024 | Heavy Rain | Belle Plaine | - | Nearly 3 to 4 inches of rain fell in southern Scott county. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Belle Plaine | - | As temperatures started to rise, a recent heavy rainfall event on the 12th and 13th, the snowpack ripened and began melting. This caused the Sand Creek in Jordan to develop an ice jam from the rapid melt. This also led to the evacuation of some residents in the Valley Green Mobile Home Park, in Jordan along this creek. About 1,000 people were affected by the evacuation which caused water to flow over the bank and onto the property. In addition, the Minnesota River along the western and northern county line had numerous road closures due to flood waters. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Several power lines were blown down on Iago Blvd southeast of Belle Plaine. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A NWS Storm Survey indicated straight-line wind damage to a farmstead and a few large trees uprooted. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Numerous large tree branches, and trees up to one foot in diameter, were blown down around Belle Plaine. |
| June 2014 | Flash Flood | Belle Plaine | - | Excessive rainfall during the overnight hours caused several mud slides near Blakeley, where evaculations were in order due to rising waters. One of the mud slides near Blakeley washed out the local train track. The Valley Green Mobile Home Park in Jordan had severe flooding, and evacuations were voluntary. |
| June 2014 | Heavy Rain | Belle Plaine | - | A local observer had a 12 hour rainfall report of 6.41 inches. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Numerous large trees were blown down around Belle Plaine. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Numerous large trees were blown down around Belle Plaine. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A wind sensor measured a wind gust of 73 mph near the intersection of Highway 19 and County Road 3, south of Belle Plaine, Minnesota. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A Minnesota Department of Transportation Weather Station measured a wind gust of 63 knots. |
| August 2010 | Flash Flood | Belle Plaine | - | Several inches of rain fell across a large portion of Scott County between 2 and 5 AM CST. Some areas in the town of Belle Plaine, Minnesota had significant street flooding during the height of the storm. Some areas in Scott County measured nearly four inches of rainfall overnight. |
| July 2008 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Hail occurred just North of Walnut Street. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Reported on Cedar Street. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Occurred at Highway 169 and County road 60. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A tree was downed onto power lines. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A 67 MPH wind gust was measured by a MNDOT sensor at 5:57 AM CDT. Trees up to 10 inches in diameter were downed. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A MNDOT automated wind sensor recorded a gust of 61 MPH. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | Dime sized hail fell west of town. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | A wind gust of 63 MPH was recorded by an automated weather sensor. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Seven inch branches down. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Tree felled. |
| August 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Belle Plaine | - | Brief touchdown in open field. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Several two foot diameter trees felled. |
| May 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Belle Plaine | - | Tornado passed over open fields, no damage reported. |
| July 1999 | Tornado (F1) | Belle Plaine | - | Roofs partially taken off two downtown businesses. Few trees down. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Large trees blown down. Roof damage in rural areas. Estimated windspeed. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Trees blown down. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Trees blown down. Tree damaged extended to Blakeley. Estimated windspeed. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | Several large trees were blown down by strong thunderstorm winds. |
| May 2022 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Flash Flood | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belle Plaine | - | no account filed |
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 | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley View Terrace | 0.5 miles | 11 | |
| Blakeley | 4.6 miles | 11 | |
| Lawrence | 5.1 miles | 11 | |
| Jordan | 8.1 miles | 11 | |
| Saint Benedict | 8.5 miles | 11 | |
| Mudbaden | 9.3 miles | 12 | |
| Saint Josephs | 11.2 miles | 12 | |
| Baden | 11.4 miles | 12 |
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 Belle Plaine | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1927047 | The 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 639891. 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.






