Brainerd, Minnesota

Brainerd
City
Northern Pacific Railroad Shops Historic District
Northern Pacific Railroad Shops Historic District
Official seal of Brainerd
Seal
Location within Crow Wing County
Location within Crow Wing County
Brainerd is located in Minnesota
Brainerd
Brainerd
Location within Minnesota
Brainerd is located in the United States
Brainerd
Brainerd
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 46°21′29″N 94°12′03″W / 46.35806°N 94.20083°W / 46.35806; -94.20083
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountyCrow Wing
Founded1870
IncorporatedMarch 6, 1873[1]
Government
 • MayorDave Badeaux[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total
12.82 sq mi (33.21 km2)
 • Land12.13 sq mi (31.42 km2)
 • Water0.69 sq mi (1.79 km2)  5.78%
Elevation
[4]
1,217 ft (371 m)
Population
 (2020)[5]
 • Total
14,395
 • Estimate 
(2022)[6]
14,580
 • Density1,186.73/sq mi (458.20/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
56401
Area code218
FIPS code27-07300
GNIS feature ID2394238[4]
WebsiteOfficial website

Brainerd (/ˈbreɪnərd/ BRAY-nərd) is a city and the county seat of Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 census.[5][7] Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluence with the Crow Wing River, having been founded as a site for a railroad crossing above the confluence. Brainerd is the principal city of the Brainerd Micropolitan Area, a micropolitan area covering Cass and Crow Wing counties and with a combined population of 96,189 at the 2020 census. The city is well known for being the partial setting of the 1996 film Fargo.[8]

  1. ^ "History Notes". The City of Brainerd. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "StaffDirectory". The City of Brainerd. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Brainerd, Minnesota
  5. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusEst2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dispatch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).