Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County. It is located on the shores of Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region. The city is an important place for shipping cargo and had a population of 86,697 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's fifth-largest city.

Duluth is where the largest metropolitan area and the second-largest city on Lake Superior can be found. It is also the largest U.S. city on the lake. From Duluth, ships can travel all the way to the Atlantic Ocean through the Great Lakes Waterway and St. Lawrence Seaway. The Port of Duluth is special because it is the world's farthest inland port that can welcome big ocean ships. Many things like coal, iron ore, grain, and even wind turbine parts are shipped from here.

Many people visit Duluth for its natural beauty and attractions. The city has the Great Lakes Aquarium, a place where you can see freshwater fish and other creatures. There is also the Aerial Lift Bridge in Canal Park, which lifts up to let ships pass through the Duluth Ship Canal. Nearby, Minnesota Point, also called Park Point, is the world's longest freshwater sandbar, stretching for 6 miles. Duluth is also a great starting point for trips along the North Shore of Lake Superior toward Thunder Bay, Ontario.

History

Native history

For the Ojibwe and Dakota peoples, their history with Europeans centered around the fur trade and related activities.

According to Ojibwe traditions, Spirit Island, near the Spirit Valley neighborhood, was where the northern and southern groups of the Ojibwe Nation met during their journey westward. These "Stopping Places" marked where Native Americans lived as they moved west due to conflicts with the Iroquois and pressure from Europeans taking over their lands.

Exploration and fur trade

Several reasons brought fur traders to the Great Lakes in the early 1600s. The popularity of beaver hats in Europe created a big demand for beaver pelts. French traders first sought beavers in the lower St. Lawrence River area, but by the late 1630s, they had used up the beavers there and searched farther west for new sources and routes, forming partnerships with Native American tribes to trap and deliver furs.

Étienne Brûlé is recognized as the first European to discover Lake Superior before 1620. Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers explored the Duluth area in 1654 and again in 1660. The French established fur trading posts near Duluth, and Grand Portage became a major trading center. The French explorer Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, explored the St. Louis River in 1679.

After 1792 and the United States' independence, the North West Company set up several trading posts on Minnesota rivers and lakes, trading with the Ojibwe, Dakota, and other Native tribes. The first post was at what became Superior, Wisconsin, known as Fort St. Louis. It included stockade walls, houses, a shed, a large warehouse, and a canoe yard. Over time, Native Americans and European settlers lived nearby, and a town gradually formed.

In 1808, John Jacob Astor, a German-born businessman, started the American Fur Company. The company began trading at the Head of the Lakes in 1809 and built a new headquarters at present-day Fond du Lac on the St. Louis River in 1817. Ports connected Lake Superior to Lake Vermilion to the north and the Mississippi River to the south. After dominating the trade, Astor left the business around 1830 as it declined. Active trade continued until the fur trade failed in the 1840s due to changing European fashions and a shortage of animals.

In 1832, Henry Schoolcraft visited the Fond du Lac area and wrote about his experiences with the Ojibwe Indians. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow later used Schoolcraft's writings as inspiration for his poem The Song of Hiawatha, which tells the story of an Ojibwe warrior named Hiawatha and his love for Minnehaha, a Dakota woman.

The Ojibwe signed two Treaties of Fond du Lac with the United States in 1826 and 1847, giving up land to the American government. As part of the Treaty of Washington in 1854, the United States established the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation upstream from Duluth near Cloquet, Minnesota, though some hunting and fishing rights were kept.

Permanent settlement

As European settlers moved onto Ojibwe lands, the U.S. government made treaties from 1837 to 1889, taking large areas of tribal land and moving Native American peoples to small reservations. Interest in the area grew in the 1850s with rumors of copper mining. A government survey in 1852 and a treaty in 1854 opened lands for gold seekers and started iron ore mining. The 1854 Ojibwe Land Cession Treaty moved the Ojibwe to the Fond du Lac and Grand Portage Reservations, though they kept some rights to hunt and fish.

Around the same time, new channels and locks allowed large ships to reach the area. A road connecting Duluth to the Twin Cities was built. Eleven small towns formed on both sides of the St. Louis River, establishing Duluth as a city.

By 1857, copper became scarce, and the economy shifted to timber harvesting. A financial crisis in 1857, known as the Panic of 1857, caused many early settlers to leave. A history of Duluth from 1910 mentions that in 1859, of the few people left, four were unemployed, and one was a brewer. They decided to build a brewery using water from a stream that flowed into Lake Superior, called Brewery Creek. Though the brewery wasn't very successful financially, it later became the Fitger Brewing Company.

The opening of a canal at Sault Ste. Marie in 1855 and the arrival of railroads made Duluth the only port with access to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The lumber industry, railroads, and mining grew quickly, and workers flooded in. By 1868, Duluth was booming. In a Fourth of July speech, Thomas Preston Foster, the founder of Duluth's first newspaper, called Duluth "The Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas."

In 1869–70, Duluth was the fastest-growing city in the country and was expected to soon surpass Chicago. When Jay Cooke, a wealthy land speculator from Philadelphia, convinced the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad to extend a line from St. Paul to Duluth, the railroad opened areas north and west of Lake Superior to iron ore mining. Duluth's population grew from 14 families in 1869 to 3,500 people by Fourth of July.

In the first issue of the Duluth Minnesotian on August 24, 1869, the editor noted that newcomers would find Duluth small, with limited hotel and boarding room space. However, lumber was cheap, and people could build shanties. Everyone was advised to bring blankets and be ready for rough conditions.

In 1873, Cooke's financial empire collapsed, and the stock market crashed, nearly destroying Duluth. But by the late 1870s, with growth in lumber, mining, and railroads, Duluth recovered. By the turn of the century, it had nearly 100,000 people and was thriving with small businesses, commerce, and trade. Mining continued in the Mesabi Range, and iron was shipped east to mills in Ohio. This trade lasted into the 20th century.

20th century

During the early 20th century, Duluth became a major industrial and shipping center, briefly the busiest port in the United States by amount of cargo. The city prospered, with ten newspapers, six banks, and the tall Torrey Building showing its growth. By 1905, Duluth was home to the most millionaires per person in the United States. The arrival of U.S. Steel in 1907 and the start of the Duluth Works plant in 1915 brought more expectations of growth. The company built Morgan Park as a model town for workers. Other manufacturing companies, like the Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company and Marshall Wells Hardware, also helped the city's industry.

Because of many jobs in mining and industry, the city attracted large numbers of immigrants from Europe during the early 1900s. It became a center for one of the largest Finnish communities outside Finland. For many years, a Finnish-language newspaper, Päivälehti, was published there. The Finnish community included members of the Industrial Workers of the World, who published the labor newspaper Industrialisti. From 1907 to 1941, the Finnish Socialist Federation and the Industrial Workers of the World ran Work People's College, a school teaching working-class perspectives. Immigrants from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, England, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, Romania, and Russia also settled in Duluth. At one time, Duluth had several immigrant neighborhoods, including Little Italy. Today, people of Scandinavian descent make up a large part of Duluth's population.

21st century

As the city's industrial base declined, the economy shifted toward tourism. The downtown area was renovated to focus on walking, with red brick streets, skywalks, and retail shops. The city worked with developers to keep the area's unique architecture, turning old waterfront warehouses into cafés, shops, restaurants, and hotels. Along with a new rock beach and Lakewalk, these changes created the Canal Park district as a tourist area. Duluth's population, which had fallen since 1960, stabilized around 85,000.

In the 21st century, Duluth became a regional center for banking, shopping, and medical care for northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northwestern Michigan. It's estimated that more than 8,000 jobs in Duluth are linked to its two hospitals. Arts, entertainment, year-round activities, and the natural environment have helped the tourism industry grow. About 3.5 million visitors each year bring more than $400 million to the local economy.

In Lincoln Park, an old neighborhood with high unemployment and poverty, a group of businesses began rebuilding and revitalizing the area. Since 2014, at least 25 real estate deals have happened, and 17 businesses have opened, including restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, and artist studios. Because of this renewal, many developers are investing in housing projects expecting more growth.

Duluth's history as a port city gave it early economic benefits, but as industries changed, efforts to use the waterfront for public spaces grew. The St. Louis River corridor, running along the city's western edge, has seen many sites cleaned up and restored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Projects like the Pier B Resort and Hotel show the potential of these renewed areas. The Duluth Waterfront Collective has led efforts to reimagine waterfront spaces, including ideas to change the I-35 corridor through downtown. While the amount of land used for port activities has changed, the goods shipped through the Duluth–Superior port have evolved, with less coal and iron ore and more wind turbine parts and shipping containers.

Geography

See also: Neighborhoods of Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is a city in Minnesota with a total area of 80 square miles, of which 72 square miles is land and 8 square miles is water. It is the second-largest city in Minnesota by land area. Duluth is known for its connection to Lake Superior through its canal and the Aerial Lift Bridge, which links Canal Park to Minnesota Point. Minnesota Point is a long stretch of land that, together with Wisconsin Point, forms the largest freshwater baymouth bar in the world.

The city's landscape features a steep hillside rising from Lake Superior, earning it the nickname "the San Francisco of the Midwest." Duluth has many scenic views, especially from neighborhoods on the hillside and from Skyline Parkway, a roadway that offers views of the lake and surrounding areas. The Miller Hill Mall area is a growing part of the city with shopping and new developments.

Duluth's rocks show evidence of an ancient split in the North American continent that happened over a billion years ago. Glaciers shaped the area during the past few million years, carving out the basin that now holds Lake Superior. The climate in Duluth is marked by very cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with lake effects influencing weather patterns.

Demographics

According to the 2023 American Community Survey, Duluth had about 38,843 households with an average of 2.15 people in each home. The city’s median household income was $61,163, and about 17.7% of people lived at or below the poverty line. Duluth had an employment rate of 68.0%, with many residents having at least a high school diploma and many having a bachelor's degree or higher.

In 2023, most of Duluth’s residents identified as White (85.09%), with smaller groups of African American, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Hispanic or Latino people. The median age in the city was 37.0 years.

Racial and ethnic composition

Historically, Duluth has been mostly populated by non-Hispanic whites. Since 1990, the city has seen a small but growing number of Black, Asian, and Hispanic residents.

Economy

Duluth is an important center for many jobs and services. It helps nearby areas in northeastern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The city is a key place for moving goods like coal, steel, and farm products. Many big ships stop here each year to carry these items.

Duluth also has companies that make planes and other machines. It is a popular spot for visitors who enjoy nature, with many beautiful places nearby to explore.

Arts and culture

Duluth is a place full of museums and cultural spots. It is where the scenic North Shore of Lake Superior begins, a beautiful route that goes from Duluth to Thunder Bay, Nipigon, and Sault Ste. Marie. People have been visiting this area for fun since the mid-1800s.

The Duluth Children's Museum, started in 1930, is one of the oldest in the United States. It is in Lincoln Park and has many hands-on exhibits about the region's history, including stories from Indigenous and immigrant cultures. There are also other interesting places like the Tweed Museum of Art at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum.

The Duluth Art Institute is in downtown Duluth and has art galleries and studios. The city is also home to the Minnesota Ballet and the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. In the summer, free concerts happen in Chester Park. There is also a music festival called the Bayfront Blues Festival in early August. Duluth has several theater groups, including the Duluth Playhouse, which puts on shows in different places around the city.

Since 2004, Duluth has celebrated Pride with a parade on Labor Day weekend. Every May, the city holds the Homegrown Music Festival with many local musicians performing. There is also a battle of the bands for middle and high school students called Junior Achievement High School ROCKS, held in April. Duluth also has a book award for books about the region.

Canal Park used to be a place for storing goods, but now it is full of restaurants, shops, and fun things to do. There is a walking path that gives great views of Lake Superior and a special bridge called the Aerial Lift Bridge. Another path, called the Lakewalk, goes past many interesting spots and ends at a park where concerts and events happen.

One of Duluth's most popular places is the Great Lakes Aquarium, where you can see freshwater animals and learn about ecosystems like the Amazon River and the Great Lakes Basin. Nearby, there is a place where you can see things from old shipwrecks and even a replica of a ship's control room. There is also a museum about trains and a train that takes trips to Two Harbors, Minnesota in the summer. Other fun places include a old brewery turned into shops and restaurants, a big house called the Glensheen Historic Estate, and a zoo with animals from all over the world.

Duluth has many natural beauty spots. From Enger Tower, you can see amazing views. Hawk Ridge is a great place to watch birds, especially in the fall. There is also a park named Gichi-Ode' Akiing with a memorial for a leader who helped protect land for his people.

Duluth holds many special events each year. The Duluth Airshow is Minnesota's largest air show. In January, there is a long sled dog race called the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. In May, there is a fun parade called the Magic Smelt Parade. Every year, Grandma's Marathon brings runners from all over the world. In November, there is a big Christmas parade, and later in the season, a light show called the Bentleyville Tour of Lights with millions of lights.

Sports

See also: Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey and Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey

Duluth has a rich sports history. It was once home to early football teams like the Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos, which inspired a movie called Leatherheads. The city also had a baseball team called the Duluth–Superior Dukes that won a championship in 1997.

The University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs has famous men's and women's ice hockey teams. The men's team won national championships in 2011, 2018, and 2019. The women's team has won five national titles, including exciting games in 2010 and 2003. Duluth also supports many other sports, such as rowing, soccer, and curling.

Parks and recreation

Duluth has many beautiful parks, including six right on the shores of Lake Superior. These parks include Leif Erikson Park with its lakeside rose garden, Brighton Beach Park, Canal Park, the Lakewalk, and Lafayette Park. The Park Point Recreation Area offers a community center, pavilions, a swimming beach, picnic spots, and a boat launch. Park Point Pine Forest is a great place for bird-watching when birds migrate in spring and fall.

Other favorite parks in Duluth include Lester Park, known for its deep pool and waterfalls, and Congdon Park, which has trails. Duluth also has many other parks like Hartley Park, Chester Park, and Enger Park, some with trails and waterfalls. Fairmount Park is home to the Lake Superior Zoo, and Jay Cooke State Park, just southwest of Duluth, is a popular spot for visitors.

Duluth is a great place for outdoor fun. You can go fishing, hiking, skiing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, running, and mountain biking. The city has public and private golf courses, tennis courts, and ice rinks. The University of Minnesota Duluth offers programs for kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, sea kayaking, and rock climbing. Duluth is also home to parts of the Superior Hiking Trail and the Piedmont mountain biking trail.

Skiing is popular at Spirit Mountain and Chester Bowl. The area is also great for Nordic skiing, sailing, and rowing. Duluth hosts big sailing races and Tall Ships festivals. Surfing on Lake Superior is growing, especially when the wind blows just right. Hunting for Lake Superior agates, the state’s official gemstone, is a fun activity along the beaches and trails.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Duluth, Minnesota and Duluth, Minnesota City Council

Duluth is in Minnesota's 8th congressional district, represented by Republican Pete Stauber. The city has a mayor–council form of government. The mayor is Roger Reinert, who began serving in 2024. Before him, Emily Larson was the city’s first female mayor. The Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party has been in control of the mayor’s office since 1975. One of Duluth’s longest-serving mayors was Samuel F. Snively, known for creating parks and scenic roads like the Seven Bridges Road and Skyline Parkway.

Duluth is part of Minnesota's 8th Senate District, represented in the Minnesota Senate by Jen McEwen and in the Minnesota House of Representatives by Liish Kozlowski (District 8B) and Peter Johnson (District 8A). All these representatives belong to the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, which has strongly influenced the city's politics.

Local government

The City Administration suggests new policies to a nine-member City Council. Duluth’s five areas each elect their own council member, and four others represent the whole city. The council chooses a president to lead its meetings. The council also manages the city’s money, including the yearly budget, and helps balance the mayor’s decisions in the government system.

The current president of the council is Roz Randorf.

Presidential election results 1960–2024

Education

See also: List of schools in Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth has many places for learning. One big school is the University of Minnesota Duluth, which even has a medical school. Their sports team, the UMD Bulldogs, has won big hockey prizes in recent years. Other schools in the area include The College of St. Scholastica, Lake Superior College, and Duluth Business University. Nearby in Superior, Wisconsin, you can find the University of Wisconsin–Superior and Northwood Technical College.

The Duluth Public Schools help most students in the city go to school. They are working on a big plan called the "Red Plan" to build and fix schools, though some people are not sure about it.

Other schools in Duluth include the Proctor Public School District and many private and public charter schools. One well-known charter school is Duluth Edison Charter Schools for grades K-8. There are also special schools like Marshall School and Stella Maris Academy, plus a few Montessori schools and other private schools.

Because Duluth is close to the Great Lakes, it is home to the Large Lakes Observatory. This group runs a big research boat called the R/V Blue Heron, used by scientists to study the lakes.

Media

Main article: Media in Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth has several local newspapers, such as the monthly BusinessNorth and the twice-weekly Duluth News Tribune. Other free papers include The Transistor, The Zenith, and The Reader Weekly.

There are also magazines like Lake Superior Magazine and New Moon Magazine that are made in Duluth but sold nationwide. The city has television stations such as KBJR-TV, KDLH, WDIO-DT, and KQDS-TV. Most radio stations are owned by Midwest Communications or Townsquare Media. Townsquare Media runs the oldest station, WEBC, which began broadcasting on June 1, 1924. You can also listen to non-commercial stations from Wisconsin Public Radio and Minnesota Public Radio.

Infrastructure

Public transportation

The local bus system in Duluth is run by the Duluth Transit Authority, or DTA. It serves Duluth and nearby towns. The DTA uses buses made by Gillig and Proterra, including new hybrid and battery electric buses. Duluth also has services like the Skyline Shuttle to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Jefferson Lines to the Twin Cities, and Indian Trails to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Railways

Duluth was once connected to Minneapolis by the North Star passenger train from 1978 to 1985. Today, the North Shore Scenic Railroad offers seasonal train rides to Two Harbors. The area is also served by several large railways, including the Canadian National Railway, BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, and Union Pacific Railroad.

Air transport

Duluth International Airport offers daily flights to Minneapolis and Chicago. There are also smaller airports nearby, such as Duluth Sky Harbor and the Richard I. Bong Airport in Superior.

Highways

Duluth is the northern end of Interstate Highway 35, which goes all the way down to Laredo, Texas. Other important roads include U.S. Highway 53 and U.S. Highway 2. Travelers entering Duluth on I-35 can see much of the city, including the Aerial Lift Bridge and the waterfront.

Port of Duluth–Superior

The Duluth–Superior port is North America's largest and farthest-inland freshwater port. It handles millions of tons of cargo each year, mainly taconite pellets for steel mills. The port sees many large ships, called lakers, and smaller ones called salties. Even though the Great Lakes can freeze in winter, shipping still happens when it’s possible.

Utilities

Duluth gets its electricity from Minnesota Power, which uses coal and hydroelectric power. The city’s water comes from Lake Superior and is treated at the Lakewood Water Treatment Plant.

Fire department

The Duluth Fire Department protects the city with paid firefighters and operates from eight fire stations. They respond to many fire and emergency calls each year and have a fleet of vehicles to help with different situations.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth, Minnesota, has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some of these individuals have made important contributions in areas like entertainment, sports, and public service. The city continues to be a place where interesting and accomplished people live and grow.

Duluth innovations

Duluth has been the place where some fun and useful things were first made. In 1882, people there created the Duluth pack, a special bag for carrying things when traveling by canoe. In 1885, someone invented Pie à la Mode, which is a slice of pie with ice cream on top. In 1887, Alexander Miles made an electric way to open and close elevator doors.

Duluth was also home to the Lark of Duluth, the very first airline in the United States, which flew people over the harbor in 1913 and 1914. The Lake View Store, opened in 1916, was the first indoor shopping mall in the country. In 1967, a local food maker created Pizza rolls. In 1982, a special suit for motorcyclists was invented, and in 1998, a safety system for airplanes was tested here for the first time.

In popular culture

The city of Duluth has appeared in several famous books, movies, and TV shows. The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald includes scenes set in Duluth. Movies such as You'll Like My Mother, Far North, Iron Will, Leatherheads, and the TV series The Louie Show and Fargo also feature Duluth. Additionally, the Broadway musical Girl from the North Country is set in the city during the winter of 1934.

Sister cities

Duluth has five sister cities around the world. These include Isumi in Japan, Petrozavodsk in Russia, Ranya in Iraq, Thunder Bay in Canada, and Växjö in Sweden. These partnerships help the cities learn from each other and work together on projects.