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Hawley
City
Hawley's former grain elevator (burned down)
Hawley's former grain elevator (burned down)
Motto(s): 
A Family Friendly Community
Location of Hawley, Minnesota
Location of Hawley, Minnesota
Country United States
State Minnesota
County Clay
Area
 • Total 2.46 sq mi (6.38 km2)
 • Land 2.46 sq mi (6.37 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
1,145 ft (349 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,219
 • Estimate 
(2021)
2,233
 • Density 901.67/sq mi (348.13/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
56549
Area code(s) 218
FIPS code 27-27746
GNIS feature ID 2394332

Hawley is a town in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, along the Buffalo River. The population was 2,219 at the 2020 census.

History

The town went through six quick name changes after 1871 until, in 1872, it was finally named after Thomas Hawley Canfield, an officer in the Northern Pacific Railway, which laid out the town. General George Custer visited the town in 1876. The incident was recalled in WCCO Television's short film Incident at Hawley, which aired during America's bicentennial year of 1976.

Hawley was at one time settled by a colony of immigrants from Yeovil, Somerset; among these was Elisabeth Chant, later a painter in Minneapolis.

Geography

Hawley is east of Moorhead, at the intersection of the Buffalo River, U.S. Route 10, and the Burlington Northern Railroad. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 2.53 square miles (6.55 km2), all land. A number of pastures and farmlands are nearby.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 77
1890 270 250.6%
1900 526 94.8%
1910 800 52.1%
1920 939 17.4%
1930 958 2.0%
1940 1,122 17.1%
1950 1,196 6.6%
1960 1,270 6.2%
1970 1,371 8.0%
1980 1,634 19.2%
1990 1,655 1.3%
2000 1,882 13.7%
2010 2,067 9.8%
2020 2,219 7.4%
2021 (est.) 2,233 8.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,067 people, 854 households, and 553 families living in the city. The population density was 817.0 inhabitants per square mile (315.4/km2). There were 891 housing units at an average density of 352.2 units per square mile (136.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 0.3% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.7% Asian, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 854 households, of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.2% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 34.9 years. 29.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.5% were from 25 to 44; 21.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

Transportation

Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which operates between Seattle/Portland and Chicago, passes through the town on BNSF tracks, but makes no stop. The nearest stations are located in Fargo, 23 miles (37 km) to the west, and Detroit Lakes, 23 miles (37 km) to the east.

Arts and culture

Hawley, Minnesota (1916)
Bringing harvest potatoes into Hawley, fall 1916

Hawley may be best known as the site of construction of the Viking ship Hjemkomst, which sailed from Duluth, Minnesota, to Bergen, Norway, in 1982. Robert Asp began constructing the ship in November 1973 in the former Leslie Welter Potato Warehouse (renamed Hawley Shipyard) in downtown Hawley. The building was demolished on July 17, 1980, to remove the ship and is now marked by a memorial. The ship is on display at the Heritage Hjemkomst Center in nearby Moorhead.

Hawley has a country club with a golf course.

Education

The Hawley School district has a school building for grades K-6, and a separate building for grades 7–12. Its football team has won numerous conference and section championships.

Media

Hawley has one radio station, KNNZ. Hawley's newspaper is the Hawley Herald.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hawley (Minnesota) para niños

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