Onamia, Minnesota Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Onamia, Minnesota
City
Onamia City Hall
Location in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Mille Lacs
Area
• Total	1.00 sq mi (2.59 km²)
• Land	0.98 sq mi (2.54 km²)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km²)
Elevation	1,263 ft (385 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	784
• Density	798.37/sq mi (308.23/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	56359
Area code(s)	320
FIPS code	27-48310
GNIS feature ID	0648967

Onamia is a small city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. In 2020, about 784 people lived there. This was a bit less than the 878 people who lived there in 2010. The main roads that go through Onamia are U.S. Highway 169 and Minnesota State Highway 27.

History of Onamia
Geography and Location
Population Information
Education in Onamia
Notable Person
Gallery
Images for kids
See also

History of Onamia

The city of Onamia was formed when two smaller communities joined together. These were the village of Onamia and the village of Ericksonville. The name "Onamia" comes from the Ojibwe word onaman. This word means "red ochre" or "vermilion", which is a type of red color.

Ericksonville became an official village in 1898. Onamia became an official city later, in 1908.

Geography and Location

Onamia is located in the northern part of Mille Lacs County. It sits on the south shore of Lake Onamia. This lake is only about 3 miles (5 km) south of the much larger Mille Lacs Lake.

Main Roads and Travel

U.S. Route 169 goes through the east side of Onamia.
- It leads south about 22 miles (35 km) to Milaca, which is the main town of the county.
- It goes north about 20 miles (32 km) to Garrison, located on the northwest side of Mille Lacs Lake.
State Highway 27 runs through Onamia as its Main Street.
- It goes northeast about 12 miles (19 km) to Isle, which is at the southeast end of Mille Lacs Lake.
- It heads west about 40 miles (64 km) to Little Falls, a city on the Mississippi River.

Lakes and Rivers

The city of Onamia covers about 1 square mile (2.59 square kilometers) of land and a small amount of water. Lake Onamia borders the city to the north. The Rum River flows into and out of Lake Onamia. The river's exit from the lake is in the western part of the city. The Rum River continues south to Milaca and eventually joins the Mississippi River in Anoka.

Nearby Parks and Forests

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park is about 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Onamia.
Parts of the Rum River State Forest are also located nearby.

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	314	—
1920	416	32.5%
1930	514	23.6%
1940	619	20.4%
1950	704	13.7%
1960	645	−8.4%
1970	670	3.9%
1980	691	3.1%
1990	676	−2.2%
2000	847	25.3%
2010	878	3.7%
2020	784	−10.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 878 people living in Onamia. There were 349 households, which are groups of people living together. About 27% of these households had children under 18. The average age of people in the city was about 41.7 years old.

Education in Onamia

The public schools in Onamia are part of the Onamia Public Schools system.

There is also a tribal school called the Nay Ah Shing School. This school teaches students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It has a secondary school and a primary school facility (Abinoojiiyag School) located in an area close to the city.