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Vergas
Location of Vergas, Minnesota
Location of Vergas, Minnesota
Country United States
State Minnesota
County Otter Tail
Founded 1903
Area
 • Total 1.61 sq mi (4.16 km2)
 • Land 1.57 sq mi (4.06 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation
1,411 ft (430 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 348
 • Estimate 
(2021)
348
 • Density 222.22/sq mi (85.81/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
56587
Area code(s) 218
FIPS code 27-66766
GNIS feature ID 2397125

Vergas is a city in northern Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 348 at the 2020 census.

Vergas claims it is home of the World's Largest Loon, actually a 20-foot-high (6.1 m) sculpture of a loon, the Minnesota state bird.

Vergas Minnesota welcome sign
Sign welcoming visitors to Vergas

History

The community was platted in 1903 as Altona, but quickly changed its name to match the name of its Soo Line Railroad station, which had been named after a series of sleeping cars that traveled between Minneapolis, Minnesota and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.50 square miles (3.88 km2), of which 1.46 square miles (3.78 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is water.

Vergas is located at the junction of County Highway 4, County Highway 17, and former State Highway 228.

The community is at the west end of Long Lake.

Loon Lake is immediately southwest of Vergas.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 237
1920 361 52.3%
1930 323 −10.5%
1940 351 8.7%
1950 301 −14.2%
1960 292 −3.0%
1970 281 −3.8%
1980 287 2.1%
1990 287 0.0%
2000 311 8.4%
2010 331 6.4%
2020 348 5.1%
2021 (est.) 348 5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 331 people, 176 households, and 88 families living in the city. The population density was 226.7 inhabitants per square mile (87.5/km2). There were 202 housing units at an average density of 138.4 per square mile (53.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 99.1% White, 0.3% African American, 0.3% from other races, and 0.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 176 households, of which 14.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.0% were non-families. 42.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.88 and the average family size was 2.55.

The median age in the city was 52.5 years. 13.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.8% were from 45 to 64; and 27.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

The Loon

The loon statue overlooks Long Lake. Standing 20 feet tall, the sculpture was built in the 1960s and paid for by the Vergas Fire Department, who dedicated it to a deceased town postmaster.

See also

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

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