# Elbow Lake, Grant County, Minnesota *City and county seat of Grant County, Minnesota, United States* Elbow Lake is a city in Grant County, [[Minnesota]], and serves as the county seat.[^1] The 2020 census counted 1,276 residents, compared with 1,176 in 2010 and 1,275 in 2000.[^1] The city was platted in 1886 and is named for a nearby lake of the same name.[^1] Its land area is just over one and a third square miles. It lies on U.S. Highway 59 and Minnesota State Highways 55 and 79, west of Interstate 94.[^1] It is home to the only public library in Grant County.[^1] ## History Elbow Lake's town plat dates from 1886.[^1] The city's name comes from Elbow Lake, a lake close to the town.[^1] ## Geography Figures from the [[United States Census Bureau]] give the city a total area of 1.34 square miles (3.47 km²), with no water area.[^1] The routes serving the city include U.S. Highway 59 and Minnesota State Highways 55 and 79.[^1] Interstate Highway 94 lies 12 miles east of the city, which places Elbow Lake 12 miles to its west.[^1] Telephone service in the city uses area code 218.[^1] ## Demographics In 2010 the census recorded 1,176 residents living in 538 households, 313 of them families.[^1] Density stood at 877.6 inhabitants per square mile, and the city had 623 housing units.[^1] Residents had a median age of 40.9 years. Of the population, 45.1% was male and 54.9% female.[^1] Of the 538 households, 27.7% included children under 18, and the average household size was 2.16.[^1] Ten years earlier, the 2000 census had recorded 1,275 residents in 560 households, 348 of them families.[^1] That count gave a density of 944.9 inhabitants per square mile across 624 housing units.[^1] ## Education The city belongs to the West Central Area School system. The system also takes in Barrett, Hoffman, Kensington, Wendell and other communities.[^1] Elementary schools operate in both Elbow Lake and Kensington.[^1] The system's secondary school opened in 1995. It stands in Barrett, seven miles from Elbow Lake.[^1] ## Parks Parks inside the city limits offer softball fields, a volleyball court and lighted tennis courts.[^1] They also have an ice rink with a warming house, a running track, playgrounds, picnic shelters, and a bandshell used for summer performances.[^1] Four miles east of the city, the Tipsinah Mounds Campground and park sits on Pomme de Terre Lake. Its facilities include a public beach, a playground, hiking and nature trails, and an above-ground tornado shelter.[^1] Fairhaven Beach is another public swimming beach on Pomme de Terre Lake.[^1] ## Libraries Elbow Lake houses Thorson Memorial Public Library, the sole library in Grant County.[^1] The library's home is the Scofield Memorial Building. That building was constructed in 1933 with donated money and funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA).[^1] The Scofield Memorial Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.[^1] The library belongs to the Viking Library Regional Library System.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Elbow Lake, Grant County, Minnesota* (revision 1373559972, retrieved 2026-10-25) — establishes the city's county-seat status, census counts for 2000, 2010 and 2020, platting date, geography, schools, parks and library. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbow_Lake,_Grant_County,_Minnesota