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Pelican Rapids, Minnesota

11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1914 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Pelican Township. It lies in ZIP code area 56572. The Survey maps it on the Pelican Rapids quadrangle. 2,577 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,306 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Pelican Rapids within Otter Tail County

On record in Pelican Rapids

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 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

Pelican Rapids grew from 2,464 to 2,577 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
20102,464
20202,577+113 (+5%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 11 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.

In the county-history sources

47 words on this township

Otter Tail County, Minnesota, in the World War;, published 1919 has no passage naming this settlement, which was common for smaller places. Its township is covered in full.

The chapter on Pelican Township covers the township.

Read the chapter on Pelican Township - 47 words.

Fires near this place

7 since 2000

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 7 fires within 5 miles of Pelican Rapids between 2000 and 2019, burning about 51 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/undetermined2
Debris and open burning2
Smoking1
Equipment and vehicle use1
Fireworks1

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 June 2003Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
3 May 2007Equipment and vehicle use15 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
22 May 2000Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresFergus Falls Wetland Management DistrictPELICAN VALLEY
30 April 2018Smoking22 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
27 April 2019Fireworksunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
22 April 2019Debris and open burning11 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
14 April 2009Debris and open burning1.0 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Otter Tail County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Pelican Rapids: 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Pelican Ready Mix Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Otter Tail County

Storms near this place

60 of 75 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Pelican Rapids in 75 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 44 hail, 22 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 3 funnel cloud. 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
July 1998Flash FloodPelican Rapids$100,000Rain falling across the same track produced a band of 3 to 5 inches of rain between Pelican Rapids and Dent. A section of the road bank along highway 108 east of Pelican Rapids washed out. Other mud slides occurred in the Lake Lida area on highway 108. The highway was closed for 2 days as the Minnesota DOT assessed the safety of the road. Resort lift stations failed, so vacationers could not use toilets and sinks.
July 1998Flash FloodPelican Rapids$75,000Several basements in Pelican Rapids filled with up to 4 feet of water.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids$25,000Trees were blown down and a building under construction was destroyed.
September 2014Flash FloodPelican Rapids$3,000Widespread street flooding occurred in Pelican Rapids along with the flooding of nearby fields and rural access roads.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids$3,000The strong wind blew down power lines in Pelican Rapids.
August 1999Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids$2,000The strong wind blew in a screened in porch.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids$500Trees were blown down by the wind.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids$4006 inch diameter trees were downed in the strong wind.
June 2025HailPelican Rapids-Reported at Crystal Lake.
July 2024HailPelican Rapids-Trained Spotter reports quarter sized hail.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Tree damage in the town of Pelican Rapids, time estimated from radar.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Multiple trees down near Pelican Rapids, power outages as well.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Public reports 8-10 inch tree branches broken. Wind estimated.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Trees blown down on a pickup truck. Time estimated based on radar.
July 2022HailPelican Rapids-Received a public report of dime to nickel sized hail. Received via social media.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-A dock, pontoon, and lift were flipped. Time is estimated based on radar data.
July 2020Funnel CloudPelican Rapids-The funnel was viewed near the cloud base, looking toward Lake Lida from Pelican Rapids.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Large trees were blown down along highway 59, just north of county road 4.
September 2019HailPelican Rapids-The swath of large hail fell from Erhard to Pelican Rapids.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Three trees were blown down at one lot in town.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Trees were blown down and one camper was tipped over in the Pelican Hills RV park. A couple of windows were broken on the camper, but there were no injuries to the family inside.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Large tree branches were blown down.
July 2017HailPelican Rapids-The hail fell between Pelican Rapids and Lake Lida.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Large branches were blown down at Lida Greens Golf Course.
July 2017HailPelican Rapids-Ping pong ball sized hail or larger fell across northern Maplewood Township. A few large trees were also blown down at Maplewood State Park.
June 2015Funnel CloudPelican Rapids-A persistent wall cloud with funnel were observed over Pelican and Crystal lakes.
June 2014Funnel CloudPelican Rapids-Funnel evident with rotation increasing.
July 2014HailPelican Rapids-The hail fell at Star Lake.
August 2012Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-A twelve inch diameter maple tree was blown down by the strong winds. In addition, many other four to six inch diameter tree branches were broken off.
August 2012Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Several large trees were broken down or uprooted onto homes and vehicles.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-A large tree (about 3 feet in diameter) was uprooted, which damaged the roof of a nearby house.
June 2007Tornado (EF2)Pelican Rapids-A tornado touched down near the southwest end of Lake Lida, crossed Lake Lida and Crystal Lake (moving north-northeast), and lifted around 4 miles west of Vergas. Several houses were structurally damaged on Lake Lida and Crystal Lake. Boats, docks, travel trailers, and mobile homes were lofted and completely destroyed. Numerous power poles and trees were snapped off, cutting power to nearly 400 customers. Peak winds were estimated at 130 to 135 mph.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Large tree branches were broken off in shelterbelts.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-Large tree branches were blown down along the Otter Tail/Wilkin County line.
May 2004Flash FloodPelican Rapids-[See the event description under the Lawndale, Wilkin county, flash flood event.]
June 2001Flash FloodPelican Rapids-Street flooding was reported in Pelican Rapids.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-1000 customers were without power.
August 2000HailPelican Rapids-The hail fell on the southeast shore of Lake Lida.
May 2022HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
September 2016HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2016HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2016HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2016HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
August 2015HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
September 2014HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2014HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
July 2012HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
July 2012HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
October 2004HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
August 2004HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
May 2002HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
July 2002HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
August 2002HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2001HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2001HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2001HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2001HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
June 2001HailPelican Rapids-no account filed
August 2001Thunderstorm WindPelican Rapids-no account filed
July 2000HailPelican Rapids-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Otter Tail 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
Erhard5.9 miles10
Dunvilla7.3 miles11
Norwegian Grove7.8 miles11
Clear View9.5 miles11
Edwards9.8 miles12
Elizabeth13.4 miles10
Carlisle15.1 miles10
Vergas15.9 miles16

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 Pelican RapidsAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q662958The 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 649246. 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.