Prior Lake, Minnesota
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Prior Lake City. It lies in ZIP code area 55372. It lies near Reeds Island. The Survey maps it on the Prior Lake quadrangle. 27,617 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 948 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresPrior Lake grew from 22,796 to 27,617 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 | 22,796 | |
| 2020 | 27,617 | +4,821 (+21%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 12 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 Prior Lake quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Saint Paul quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS St. Paul quadrangle1:250000
- 1974 USGS Prior Lake quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Saint Paul quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
3 since 2009Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 3 fires within 5 miles of Prior Lake between 2009 and 2013, burning about 144 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 |
|---|---|
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Debris and open burning | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 August 2013 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge | LOUISVILLE SWAMP |
| 11 May 2013 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge | 126TH STREET |
| 15 April 2009 | Debris and open burning | 144 acres | 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 Prior Lake: 3 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prior Lake Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Highway Quarry & Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Jordan Quartz Pit & Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 71 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Prior Lake in 71 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 40 hail, 21 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 3 heavy rain. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1996 | Lightning | Prior Lake | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | $17,600,000 | 2500 trees lost. 100 boats, lifts and docks damaged. 28 homes sustained major damage. Damage estimate for entire county. |
| September 2005 | Lightning | Prior Lake | $604,000 | Three homes were struck by lightning and were damaged by the resulting fire. The first home on Highview Court suffered damage when lightning struck the outside gas meter. An outer wall caught fire and damage was estimated at $4,000. The second house on Prairie Hills Lane was engulfed in flames and has extensive roof and garage damage totaling $500,000. The third home on Century Lane suffered $100,000 in fire damage to interior walls after two bolts struck the building. |
| June 2001 | Hail | Prior Lake | $500,000 | Wind driven hail damaged houses and vehicles. |
| September 2021 | Tornado (EF0) | Prior Lake | $250,000 | An EFO tornado touched down near Highway 13 and Connelly Parkway and moved east for 2.1 miles. There was sporadic damage along this path with maximum winds of 85 mph. Most of the damage was due to trees falling on houses and vehicles. The worst damage occurred near the intersection of Connelly Parkway and Dakota Avenue South where roof damage occurred at the Savage Public Works and Light. The city of Savage transformer station also had damage near this intersection, and most of the street lights and signs were damage. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | $5,000 | Several power lines and a street lamp were damaged between 154th and 150th Streets, along Allen Street, or County Road 27, east of Prior Lake. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Tree down across Cassandra St in Prior Lake. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Large tree down 2 miles west of Prior Lake in the Spring Lake Estates neighborhood. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Large tree branches were down. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Several trees were blown down near County Road 21 & 18. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Several trees were blown down near Highway 169, and County Road 21. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | A 12 inch in diameter tree was snapped in half. |
| August 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | Prior Lake | - | A tornado developed near the intersection of 145th Street NW and Mystic Lake Drive. It tracked 1.2 miles northwest. Fencing and tents were blown over, trees were uprooted, and a fish house was spun around. The maximum estimated wind speed was 70 mph. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Several trees were blown down in Credit River Township. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | A measured wind gust near Highway 13 and 42 in Savage. |
| August 2016 | Flash Flood | Prior Lake | - | There was eight inches of water along Eagle Creek Ave Southeast in Prior Lake. It affected traffic on the northbound side of the bridge between Upper and Lower Prior Lake. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Several reports of hail occurred near the city of Prior Lake. The largest hail stone was ping pong size. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Several areas between Prior Lake and Savage had hail up to the size of dimes for nearly 10 to 15 minutes. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | A few large trees blew down in Prior Lake around Memorial Park. |
| July 2013 | Heavy Rain | Prior Lake | - | A measured rainfall amount of 4.95 inches fell in less than 4 hours. |
| July 2013 | Heavy Rain | Prior Lake | - | A measured rainfall amount of 4.30 inches fell in less than 3 hours. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Hail fell at County Road 44 and Franklin Trail. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Prior Lake | - | Several streets in Prior Lake had major street flooding due to rainfall rates as high as two inches per hour. It caused several cars to stall on Eagle Creek Road, and Grainwood Road. |
| August 2009 | Heavy Rain | Prior Lake | - | Two off duty National Weather Service employees in Prior Lake, Minnesota reported nearly four inches of rainfall in a six hour period. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Largest hailstone measured 0.8 inch but most were 0.5 inches in diameter. |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Tree toppled onto power line along East Lower 167th Street. |
| August 2007 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Occurred at Highway 13 and County Road 44, and also at the intersections of County Roads 21 and 42. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Trees down. |
| June 2007 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Occurred at intersection of Highway 13 and 17. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Six inch branches were downed. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Several trees were downed. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Dime to nickel sized hail fell. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Dime to quarter sized hail fell near the intersection of County Road 44 and Highway 13. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Branches up to 5 inches in diameter were downed. A trained spotter recorded a wind gust of 60 MPH. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Two towers were downed and two were damaged at a radio station. Several outbuildings were damaged nearby. Numerous trees were also downed in the vicinity. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Tree toppled. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Trees down. Estimated windspeed. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prior Lake | - | Trees blown down. Estimated windspeed. |
| July 1994 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | Strong thunderstorm winds damaged several buildings near Jordan. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2018 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| August 2016 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| April 2012 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Prior Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Prior 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grainwood | 1.1 miles | 12 | |
| Spring Lake | 2.2 miles | 12 | |
| Credit River | 3.5 miles | 12 | |
| Glendale | 3.7 miles | 25 | |
| Barden | 5.4 miles | 25 | |
| Lydia | 5.9 miles | 12 | |
| Marystown | 6.3 miles | 12 | |
| Savage | 6.4 miles | 26 |
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 Prior Lake | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q993458 | 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 649740. 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.






