Mora, Minnesota
Mora is a city and the county seat of Kanabec County, Minnesota[4] It is located at the junction of Minnesota highways 23 and 65 and is along the Snake River. The population was 3,665 at the 2020 Census.[5]
Mora | |
|---|---|
 Union Street in downtown Mora in May 2007 | |
| Motto: "A City For All Seasons" | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 45°52′26″N 93°17′32″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Kanabec |
| Named for | Mora, Sweden |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council Government |
| • Mayor | Jake Mathison |
| • Mayor-Protem | Jody Anderson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.42 sq mi (14.04 km2) |
| • Land | 5.16 sq mi (13.38 km2) |
| • Water | 0.26 sq mi (0.66 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,011 ft (308 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 3,665 |
| • Density | 709.72/sq mi (274.01/km2) |
| • Demonym | Moran |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 55051 |
| Area code | 320 |
| FIPS code | 27-44044[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395396[2] |
| Website | ci.mora.mn.us |
History
Mora was platted in 1882[6] by Myron Kent.[7] The city was named after Mora, Sweden. when Israel Israelson suggested the name of his hometown in Dalarna County, Sweden.[7][6] The post office opened February, 27th, 1883 with Kent being the first postmaster of Mora.[7][8]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.27 square miles (13.65 km2), of which 5.00 square miles (12.95 km2) is land and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km2) is water.[9]
Mora is located 72 miles north of Minneapolis-St. Paul at the intersection of Minnesota highways 23 and 65. It is also 52 miles northeast of St. Cloud and 91 miles southwest of Duluth.
Mora is along the Snake River.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 785 | — | |
| 1910 | 892 | 13.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,006 | 12.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,014 | 0.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,494 | 47.3% | |
| 1950 | 2,018 | 35.1% | |
| 1960 | 2,329 | 15.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,582 | 10.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,890 | 11.9% | |
| 1990 | 2,905 | 0.5% | |
| 2000 | 3,139 | 8.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,571 | 13.8% | |
| 2020 | 3,665 | 2.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Census
As of the census[11] of 2010, there were 3,571 people, 1,513 households, and 857 families living in the city. The population density was 714.2 inhabitants per square mile (275.8/km2). There were 1,684 housing units at an average density of 336.8 per square mile (130.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.3% Native American 0.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.
There were 1,513 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.4% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.
2000 Census
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 3,139 people, 1,381 households, and 814 families living in the city. The population density in the year 2000 was 781.2 per square mile (301.4/km2). There were 1,471 housing units at an average density of 359.9 per square mile (139.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.71% White, 0.28% African American, 1.28% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 1.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,381 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,566, and the median income for a family was $40,577. Males had a median income of $32,222 versus $21,797 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,949. 9.0% of the population and 6.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Infrastructure
Historical
On October 27, 1882 the first train to arrive in Mora was a construction train pulled by a wood burner locomotive, eventually the town would be linked to the Hinckley branch of the Minneapolis- St. Cloud line.[12]
Transportation
Mora is served by the Mora Municipal Airport,[13] and Timber Trails Transit, a bus service in Kanabec and Mille Lacs counties.
Major highways
The following routes are located within the city of Mora.
The following county roads also serve as important routes in the city of Mora.
Arts and Culture
Mora is the home of a gigantic Dala horse, and a Mora clock commemorating the town's Swedish roots. Mora's sister city and namesake is Mora, Sweden, known for being the ending point of the Swedish Vasaloppet. They became sister cities in 1972 when the Dala horse was dedicated.[14]
The city of Mora also plays host each February to the Vasaloppet USA, the largest cross-country skiing event in Minnesota, as well as the Snake River Canoe Race, the Mora Half-Marathon, and the Mora Bicycle Tour.
Economy
Top employers
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR),[15] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welia Health | 589 |
| 2 | Mora Public Schools | 354 |
| 3 | Commercial Plastics | 254 |
| 4 | Kanabec County | 217 |
| 5 | St. Clare Living Community | 125 |
| 6 | Coborns, Inc. | 121 |
| 7 | Lakes & Pines Community Action Council | 109 |
| 8 | Recovering Hope Treatment Center | 82 |
| 9 | OlymPak | 76 |
| 10 | RJ Mechanical | 76 |
Climate
| Climate data for Mora, Minnesota, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1904–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 54 (12) |
59 (15) |
80 (27) |
94 (34) |
107 (42) |
101 (38) |
108 (42) |
104 (40) |
105 (41) |
91 (33) |
75 (24) |
59 (15) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 40.7 (4.8) |
46.3 (7.9) |
60.6 (15.9) |
75.5 (24.2) |
85.4 (29.7) |
90.0 (32.2) |
91.0 (32.8) |
89.5 (31.9) |
85.5 (29.7) |
78.0 (25.6) |
59.9 (15.5) |
43.9 (6.6) |
93.2 (34.0) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 20.7 (−6.3) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
38.6 (3.7) |
53.1 (11.7) |
66.7 (19.3) |
75.8 (24.3) |
80.3 (26.8) |
78.4 (25.8) |
70.4 (21.3) |
56.1 (13.4) |
39.4 (4.1) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
52.7 (11.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 10.6 (−11.9) |
15.3 (−9.3) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
42.1 (5.6) |
55.0 (12.8) |
64.7 (18.2) |
69.2 (20.7) |
67.0 (19.4) |
58.7 (14.8) |
45.4 (7.4) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
17.5 (−8.1) |
42.0 (5.6) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 0.5 (−17.5) |
4.3 (−15.4) |
17.7 (−7.9) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
43.3 (6.3) |
53.5 (11.9) |
58.0 (14.4) |
55.6 (13.1) |
47.0 (8.3) |
34.7 (1.5) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
8.9 (−12.8) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −23.7 (−30.9) |
−18.2 (−27.9) |
−6.3 (−21.3) |
17.2 (−8.2) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
39.8 (4.3) |
46.8 (8.2) |
45.1 (7.3) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
20.7 (−6.3) |
3.4 (−15.9) |
−14.9 (−26.1) |
−26.2 (−32.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −48 (−44) |
−46 (−43) |
−35 (−37) |
−4 (−20) |
15 (−9) |
23 (−5) |
33 (1) |
27 (−3) |
13 (−11) |
4 (−16) |
−26 (−32) |
−52 (−47) |
−52 (−47) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.74 (19) |
0.85 (22) |
1.59 (40) |
2.51 (64) |
3.77 (96) |
4.35 (110) |
4.70 (119) |
4.17 (106) |
3.27 (83) |
2.92 (74) |
1.65 (42) |
1.16 (29) |
31.68 (804) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.3 (26) |
10.7 (27) |
8.3 (21) |
4.3 (11) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
5.4 (14) |
12.6 (32) |
52.0 (132) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.3 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 9.2 | 11.0 | 12.1 | 10.8 | 10.3 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 7.1 | 8.4 | 108.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 6.0 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 6.7 | 26.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA[16] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[17] | |||||||||||||
Notable people
- Roger Crawford, state representative
- Bill Diessner, state senator and physician
- Alice Frost, actress
- Henry Rines, Minnesota state treasurer and speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Judy Soderstrom, state representative and businesswoman
- Dan Stevens, state senator[18]
References
- "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mora, Minnesota
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 266.
- "Early Mora History | Mora, MN". www.ci.mora.mn.us. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- "Kanabec County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- "Early Mora History | Mora, MN". www.ci.mora.mn.us. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- "AirNav: KJMR - Mora Municipal Airport". www.airnav.com. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- "Mora's Swedish roots | Sr. Perspective". www.srperspective.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019.
- "Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2022" (PDF). City of Mora, Minnesota. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Mora, MN". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Minneapolis". National Weather Service. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- "Stevens, Dan - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
External links
Media related to Mora, Minnesota at Wikimedia Commons- City of Mora – Official Website
- dala.mn – Mora's community portal
- (in Swedish) Mora, Sweden, about Mora Minnesota
Municipalities and communities of Kanabec County, Minnesota, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  Map of Minnesota highlighting Kanabec County | |
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |