Benson, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benson
|
|
|---|---|
The Swift County Courthouse is one of several buildings in Benson on the National Register of Historic Places.
|
|
Location of Benson
within Swift County, Minnesota |
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Swift |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.13 sq mi (8.09 km2) |
| • Land | 3.10 sq mi (8.04 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,047 ft (319 m) |
| Population
(2010)
|
|
| • Total | 3,240 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
|
3,043 |
| • Density | 980.35/sq mi (378.48/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
56215
|
| Area code(s) | 320 |
| FIPS code | 27-05212 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0639933 |
| Website | www.bensonmn.org |
Benson is a city in Swift County, Minnesota, United States, along the Chippewa River. The population was 3,240 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat.
Contents
History
Benson was platted in 1870 when the railroad was extended to that point. The city was named for Ben. H. Benson, a Norwegian settler. A post office has been in operation at Benson since 1870. Benson was incorporated as a city in 1908.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.02 square miles (7.82 km2); 3.00 square miles (7.77 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.
U.S. Highway 12 and Minnesota State Highways 9 and 29 are three of the main routes in the city.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 456 | — | |
| 1890 | 877 | 92.3% | |
| 1900 | 1,525 | 73.9% | |
| 1910 | 1,677 | 10.0% | |
| 1920 | 2,111 | 25.9% | |
| 1930 | 2,095 | −0.8% | |
| 1940 | 2,729 | 30.3% | |
| 1950 | 3,398 | 24.5% | |
| 1960 | 3,678 | 8.2% | |
| 1970 | 3,484 | −5.3% | |
| 1980 | 3,656 | 4.9% | |
| 1990 | 3,235 | −11.5% | |
| 2000 | 3,376 | 4.4% | |
| 2010 | 3,240 | −4.0% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 3,043 | −6.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,240 people, 1,469 households, and 828 families living in the city. The population density was 1,080.0 inhabitants per square mile (417.0/km2). There were 1,602 housing units at an average density of 534.0 per square mile (206.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
There were 1,469 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were non-families. 38.7% 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 2.14 and the average family size was 2.85.
The median age in the city was 43.6 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
Climate
| Climate data for Benson, Minnesota | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 19.8 (−6.8) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
38.6 (3.7) |
56.6 (13.7) |
70.6 (21.4) |
79.6 (26.4) |
84.4 (29.1) |
81.6 (27.6) |
71.7 (22.1) |
59.4 (15.2) |
40.1 (4.5) |
24.2 (−4.3) |
54.4 (12.4) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 0.3 (−17.6) |
6.6 (−14.1) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
34.4 (1.3) |
46.4 (8.0) |
56.1 (13.4) |
61 (16) |
58.2 (14.6) |
48.4 (9.1) |
37 (3) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
7 (−14) |
33.2 (0.7) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 0.9 (23) |
0.9 (23) |
1.7 (43) |
2.4 (61) |
3 (76) |
4.4 (110) |
3.5 (89) |
3.4 (86) |
2.8 (71) |
2.4 (61) |
1.3 (33) |
0.8 (20) |
27.5 (700) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.7 (25) |
8.4 (21) |
9.3 (24) |
1.9 (4.8) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
5.6 (14) |
7.6 (19) |
42.7 (108) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Alternative energy
Benson is the home of the United States' first biomass powerplant, Fibrominn which opened in 2007.
Benson is also home to the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC), which produces E85.
Transport
The city owns and operates the Benson Municipal Airport Veterans Field.
Notable people
- Darwin Hall (1844–1919), American politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1889 to 1891. Hall also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate.
- Sandra Peterson, Minnesota state legislator
Bands
- Tiny Moving Parts (from nearby Clontarf), emo/math rock band
See also
In Spanish: Benson (Minnesota) para niños
