Big Lake, Minnesota
13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1991. It stands in Big Lake City. It lies in ZIP code area 55309. The Survey maps it on the Big Lake quadrangle. 11,686 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 938 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresBig Lake grew from 10,060 to 11,686 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 | 10,060 | |
| 2020 | 11,686 | +1,626 (+16%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 13 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 Stillwater quadrangle1:250000
- 1955 USGS Stillwater quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Stillwater quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Big Lake quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Elk River quadrangle1:62500
- 1965 USGS Stillwater quadrangle1:250000
- 1975 USGS Stillwater quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Anoka quadrangle1:100000
- 1991 USGS Anoka quadrangle1:100000
- 1991 USGS Big Lake quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
171 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 171 fires within 5 miles of Big Lake between 1992 and 2019, burning about 252 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 21 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 burning | 65 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 25 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 21 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 20 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 8 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 3 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Natural | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 8 August 2007 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 31 August 1992 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 1 August 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | 13 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 July 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 July 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 20 July 2003 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 15 July 2006 | Debris and open burning | 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
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Big Lake: 1 producer. All of them 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
52 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Big Lake in 52 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 33 hail, 16 thunderstorm wind, 2 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. The reports record 1 injury. 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 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | 1 hurt | Five airplanes overturned at local airport. Roof blown off lumberyard, injurying a motorist. Fire hall doors blown off. Hundreds of trees blown down. Roofs ripped off numerous structures including middle school, apartment building and hardware store. Traffic lights down. Restaurant destroyed. Police car blown off the road. Estimated windspeed. |
| September 2005 | Hail | Big Lake | $25,000,000 | Roof damage reported to hundreds of homes, and golf ball size hail punched through some home siding. Numerous vehicles damaged. A newspaper reported that two insurance companies totaled over 1500 claims in this area. Property damage total is for all of Sherburne County on 9-21-05. |
| July 2011 | Hail | Big Lake | $50,000 | Several reports of very large hail occurred from Big Lake, to approximately 5 miles north of Big Lake, Minnesota. |
| September 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | $25,000 | A 20 foot trailer was picked up and blown into a pickup truck and spread across a yard. There was damage to a shed and siding from the debris. |
| September 2016 | Hail | Big Lake | $2,000 | Hail occurred in the Aspen Hills area of Big Lake Township. Damage occurred to a vehicle in this location. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | A large tree blew down in Big Lake. |
| August 2018 | Hail | Big Lake | - | A picture of half dollar size hail was posted on social media. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | There were numerous large branches blown down in Big Lake, some as large as 10 inches in diameter. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Big Lake | - | There were several reports of penny to nickel size hail northwest of Big Lake, and through the north and northeast part of town. The largest hail stone was quarter size, northeast of Big Lake. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | A large tree blew down onto a power line on Riverview Drive in Monticello. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | Several spotters across southern Sherburne County reported severe winds with numerous areas of downed power lines and large trees from near Becker, to Big Lake, Minnesota and northward. A trained spotter measured a wind gust of 70 mph near Big Lake at 1715 CST. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | A trained spotter reported six inch diameter trees blown down. |
| May 2008 | Funnel Cloud | Big Lake | - | Visible funnel formed halfway down toward the ground. Blowing dust near the funnel appears to be unidirectional and did not show rotation. This could have been caused by a rear flank downdraft wind. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Big Lake | - | At the intersection of County Roads 79 and 15. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | Eight inch tree downed 4.6 miles north of Highway 10 on County Road 5. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | Trees up to 18 inches in diameter were downed. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Big Lake | - | Dime sized hail dented cars. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | A large tree was downed over a road on the west side of Eagle Lake. |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | Many garage doors buckled in the strong wind. Numerous trees down. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Big Lake | - | A tornado touched down near Preusse Lake just east of Big Lake Industrial Park. It sucked up water as it crossed the lake then after hitting land it downed trees near a home on 172nd Street. The twister crossed over 172nd Street then went into the Bruggeman residential development before dissipating. A home on Sundstrom Hill lost shingles and soffit and a flag pole was downed. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | Several 12 inch diameter branches felled. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | Several trees down. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | Numerous trees and powerlines down. Estimated windspeed. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | Power lines down. |
| July 2024 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2022 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2022 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| April 2021 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| April 2021 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| September 2013 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| September 2013 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2012 | Funnel Cloud | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| September 2007 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 1994 | Hail | Big Lake | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake Estates | 0.4 miles | 13 | |
| Salida | 4.2 miles | 16 | |
| Bailey | 4.4 miles | 13 | |
| Orrock | 7.7 miles | 14 | |
| Lake Orono Estates | 7.8 miles | 13 | |
| Pine Ridge Court | 7.9 miles | 14 | |
| Becker | 8.1 miles | 16 | |
| Elk River | 9.7 miles | 13 |
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 Big Lake | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1931425 | 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 640098. 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.









