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Lester Prairie, Minnesota facts for kids

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Lester Prairie, Minnesota
Lester Prairie City Hall
Lester Prairie City Hall
Location in McLeod County and the state of Minnesota
Location in McLeod County and the state of Minnesota
Country United States
State Minnesota
County McLeod
Area
 • Total 1.00 sq mi (2.32 km2)
 • Land 1.00 sq mi (2.32 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
981 ft (299 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,894
 • Density 2,116.20/sq mi (817.36/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
55354
Area code(s) 320
FIPS code 27-36728
GNIS feature ID 2395687

Lester Prairie is a city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States, along the South Fork of the Crow River. The population was 1,894 at the 2020 census.

History

German gravestone in Lester Prairie, MN
Gravestone carved in German, from days when there was a large German population in Lester Prairie

Lester Prairie was platted in 1886 and named for John N. Lester, an original owner of the town site. A post office has been in operation at Lester Prairie since 1888. Lester Prairie was incorporated in 1888.

Lester Prairie fire department and water tower
Fire department and water tower

Geography

The city is in eastern McLeod County. Minnesota State Highway 7 passes 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the city, leading west 16 miles (26 km) to Hutchinson and east 42 miles (68 km) to Minneapolis. Glencoe, the McLeod county seat, is 13 miles (21 km) to the southwest. McLeod County Roads 1, 9, and 23 are the main local routes in the community. A bike trail running east–west through the middle of town, the Dakota Rail Regional Trail, connects Lester Prairie to the Twin Cities.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Lester Prairie has a total area of 1.00 square mile (2.59 km2), of which 0.001 square miles (0.003 km2), or 0.1%, are water. The South Fork of the Crow River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, flows past the southeast corner of the city.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 189
1900 418 121.2%
1910 420 0.5%
1920 434 3.3%
1930 442 1.8%
1940 423 −4.3%
1950 663 56.7%
1960 966 45.7%
1970 1,162 20.3%
1980 1,229 5.8%
1990 1,180 −4.0%
2000 1,377 16.7%
2010 1,730 25.6%
2020 1,894 9.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
Veterans memorial Lester Prairie MN
Veterans memorial in city park

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,730 people, 654 households, and 463 families living in the city. The population density was 2,011.6 inhabitants per square mile (776.7/km2). There were 704 housing units at an average density of 818.6 per square mile (316.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 3.8% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.3% of the population.

There were 654 households, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.2% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.11.

The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 28% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

Lester Prairie Schools

Lester Prairie is home to ISD #424 Lester Prairie Schools. The school is a K-12 school with both elementary and high school located in one building. There are approximately 400 students enrolled. Dr. Melissa Radeke is the district's superintendent. Mike Lee is the K-12 principal.

Notable people

  • Rene Clausen, noted composer and conductor of The Concordia Choir; raised in Lester Prairie

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lester Prairie (Minnesota) para niños

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