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Welcome to Thief River Falls!
LOCATION -- 300 miles NW of the Twin cities on trunk highways 59, 32 and 1. Located at the junction of the Red Lake and Thief Rivers
DISTANCE TO:
Minneapolis/St. Paul: 296 miles
Chicago, IL: 650 miles
Sioux Falls, SD: 300 miles
Grand Forks, ND: 55 miles
Denver, CO: 900 miles
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada: 159 miles
POPULATION -- 8,412
ELEVATION -- 1,130 feet above sea level
WHERE ARE THE FALLS?
In 1896, a series of rapids in the Thief River were converted to a waterfall by a dam. At this time, “Falls” was added to the city’s name.
OUR CLAIM TO FAME
The birthplace of the Arctic Cat snowmobile and one of the top wildlife and birding areas in the country. Thief River Falls is the county seat for Pennington County.
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Avg. High |
Avg. Low |
| Spring |
52°F |
29°F |
| Summer |
79°F |
54°F |
| Fall |
51°F |
32°F |
| Winter |
17°F |
0°F |
| Average Rainfall: 24”/year |
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| Average Snowfall: 50”/year |
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HISTORY OF THIEF RIVER FALLS (by Gretchen Beito) -- Thief River Falls first developed as a lumber milling town. It also became a major agricultural service area because of the rich soil left by ancient, glacial Lake Agassiz.
The unusual name, "Thief River," was given to the river by the Ojibwe and Dakota people. "Falls" was added to the name of the new city in 1896 because a series of rapids in the river had been converted to a waterfall by the construction of the dam. Until 1904, an Ojibwe village of 40 families was located where the Thief River and Red Lake River meet.
The Great Northern and the Soo Line Railroads brought prosperity when Thief River Falls became a center for shipping wheat. Today, the city continues its entrepreneurial spirit, preserving and respecting the past, yet growing and moving toward the future, especially in the manufacturing and distribution industries.
Located 300 miles northwest of the Twin Cities on trunk highways 59, 32 and1, Thief River Falls is a beautiful and welcoming small community with all the amenities of a large city.
Explore our site, and be sure to order a copy of our free visitors guide. We hope you will visit us soon!
Important Phone Numbers:
Thief River Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau:
(218) 686-9785
Winter Road Information: 511
Statewide: 1-800-542-0220
Emergency: 911
Thief River Falls Regional Airport:
1-800-225-2525
Minnesota Office of Tourism:
1-800-657-3700
Meritcare Clinic: (218) 681-0600
Dakota Clinic: (218) 681-4747
MertiCare Thief River Falls
Northwest Medical Center:
(218) 681-4240
Law Enforcement Center:
(218) 681-6161
Fire Department: (218) 681-3943
U.S. Postal Service: (218) 681-3053
Chamber of Commerce: (218) 681-3720
Poison Control Centers: 1-800-222-1222
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