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International Falls, Minnesota

9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1919 and the latest in 1999. It stands in the Rainy Lake unorganized territory. It lies in ZIP code area 56649. The Survey maps it on the International Falls quadrangle. 5,802 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,122 feet above sea level.

Research this city

International Falls within Koochiching County

On record in International Falls

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

Population over time

2 figures

International Falls fell from 6,424 to 5,802 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
20106,424
20205,802-622 (-10%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 9 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

46 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 46 fires within 5 miles of International Falls between 1992 and 2019, burning about 79 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 6 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 burning19
Arson/incendiarism6
Missing data/not specified/undetermined6
Railroad operations and maintenance5
Smoking3
Recreation and ceremony3
Equipment and vehicle use3
Natural1

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
8 September 2006Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
18 September 2012Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
24 August 2008Debris and open burning1.0 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
2 August 2014Debris and open burningunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
15 August 2006Naturalunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
28 July 1995Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.5 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
12 July 2002Debris and open burningunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
3 June 2002Debris and open burningunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Koochiching County

Mines and quarries near this place

9 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 9 workings within 5 miles of International Falls: 9 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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
Ranier QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Boise Cascade PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
County Pit No 1Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
International Falls PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Kolinski Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Oveson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Peterson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Ranier Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Ranier Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Koochiching County

Storms near this place

37 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names International Falls in 37 storm reports between 1994 and 2022: 19 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind, 3 flood, 2 lightning. 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
May 1998HailInternational Falls$3,000,000no account filed
July 2022FloodInternational Falls$2,400,000Above normal snowfall for the 2021-2022 season was observed across northern portions of Koochiching and St. Louis counties and much of that remained on the ground into April. Heavy rainfall then fell on top of that above normal snowpack at the end of April and sent abnormally high amounts of runoff into the Rainy River Basin leading to rises on Rainy Lake. International Falls experienced their wettest April on record, helping to set the stage for the flooding. By June 15th, the level of Rainy Lake reached 1113.2 feet which was 22 inches above the 2014 peak level and 2.5 inches above the all-time record set in 1950. Having crested and setting a new all-time high, the lake level fell over the remainder of the month to 1112.4 feet (13 inches above 2014 peak and slightly below the 1950 record) by the start of July. The high lake levels led to extensive damage to properties adjacent to the water along with damage to docks and other infrastructure. Lake levels would continue to fall into July and the Flood Warning was canceled on July 11th. Levels on Rainy Lake remained above normal at this time, but were receding and the threat for additional flooding had ended. State and Federal disasters were declared for the event with millions of dollars in infrastructure damage and property loss.
August 1998LightningInternational Falls$25,000no account filed
July 2014Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls$1,000A carport and woodshed were blown down and destroyed.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-A large pine tree was down in International Falls.
May 2022FloodInternational Falls-Above normal snowfall for the 2021-2022 season was observed across northern portions of Koochiching and St. Louis counties and much of that remained on the ground into April. Heavy rainfall then fell on top of that above normal snowpack at the end of April and sent abnormally high amounts of runoff into the Rainy River Basin leading to rises on Namakan Lake and Kabetogama Lake. International Falls experienced their wettest April on record, helping to set the stage for the flooding. By the end of May, the level of Rainy Lake reached 1112.4 feet which was 12 inches above the 2014 peak level and 7 inches below the all-time record set in 1950. The high lake levels led to extensive damage to properties adjacent to the water along with damage to docks and other infrastructure. Lake levels would continue to rise into June.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-Numerous trees and powerlines were downed by the winds.
June 2022FloodInternational Falls-Above normal snowfall for the 2021-2022 season was observed across northern portions of Koochiching and St. Louis counties and much of that remained on the ground into April. Heavy rainfall then fell on top of that above normal snowpack at the end of April and sent abnormally high amounts of runoff into the Rainy River Basin leading to rises on Rainy Lake. International Falls experienced their wettest April on record, helping to set the stage for the flooding. By June 15th, the level of Rainy Lake reached 1113.2 feet which was 22 inches above the 2014 peak level and 2.5 inches above the all-time record set in 1950. Having crested and setting a new all-time high, the lake level fell over the remainder of the month to 1112.4 feet (13 inches above 2014 peak and slightly below the 1950 record) by the start of July. The high lake levels led to extensive damage to properties adjacent to the water along with damage to docks and other infrastructure. Lake levels would continue to fall into July.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-There were trees down across town. Crews were dispatched to clear trees after 6 am.
July 2013HailInternational Falls-A thunderstorm dropped mostly pea sized hail, but there were a few nickel and dime sized hailstones.
July 2010Flash FloodInternational Falls-Water was covering U.S. Highway 53 just south of International Falls.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-The strong thudnerstorm winds blew down trees and caused damage to private homes.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-Strong thunderstorm winds blew decks from homes and blew down many pine trees. One-quarter of a garage roof was blown off.
September 2005LightningInternational Falls-Lightning struck on insulator, which shut down power substations in International Falls and Kabetogama, leaving 1,800 residents without power until 7:30 am CST.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-Downburst winds blew down many trees on Grindstone Island in Rainy Lake. A summer home and boathouse were severely damaged.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-Trees were blown down.
August 1995HailInternational Falls-Numerous reports of broken windshields and glass. Sheetmetal and fiberglass damage to light buildings.
August 1995HailInternational Falls-Numerous reports of broken windshields and glass. Sheetmetal and fiberglass damage to light buildings.
August 1995Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-Numerous reports of broken windshields and glass. Sheetmetal and fiberglass damage to light buildings.
August 1994HailInternational Falls-Dime size hail at the Voyageurs National Park Visitors Center.
June 2022HailInternational Falls-no account filed
June 2016HailInternational Falls-no account filed
May 2006HailInternational Falls-no account filed
April 2005HailInternational Falls-no account filed
July 2003HailInternational Falls-no account filed
April 2002HailInternational Falls-no account filed
June 2002HailInternational Falls-no account filed
July 2002HailInternational Falls-no account filed
June 2000HailInternational Falls-no account filed
June 2000HailInternational Falls-no account filed
August 1999HailInternational Falls-no account filed
July 1999Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-no account filed
June 1999Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-no account filed
June 1999HailInternational Falls-no account filed
May 1998HailInternational Falls-no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindInternational Falls-no account filed
August 1996HailInternational Falls-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Koochiching 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
South International Falls1.2 miles9
Jameson2.4 miles10
Ranier3.4 miles10
Falls Junction3.6 miles10
Nakoda6.4 miles9
Ericsburg8.9 miles8
Pelland10.2 miles8
Spring Lodge Resort and Marina10.6 miles10

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 International FallsAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q946270The 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 645435. 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.