Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is a town in and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 86,918. It is a seaport at the westernmost point on the north shore of Lake Superior, perhaps farther from the ocean than any other seaport. It is linked to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and then either the Erie Canal/New York State Barge Canal or the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

Geography & Climate

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 226.2 km² (87.3 mi²). It is Minnesota's second largest city in terms of land area, surpassed only by Hibbing. 176.1 km² (68.0 mi²) of it is land and 50.0 km² (19.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 22.11% water.

Related Topics:
United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi²

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Duluth's geography is dominated by a rather steep, San Francisco-like hill which represents a transition from the elevation of Lake Superior's beach to that of the inland. For example, Sky Harbor airport near the lake on the Park Point sandbar has an elevation of 610 ft (185.9 m), while Duluth International Airport atop the hill is at 1,428 ft (435.3 m) (source). As a result, Duluth is primarily a southwest-northeast city. A considerable amount of development on the hill's upslope gives Duluth a reputation for

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deathly steep streets. Some neighborhoods, such as Piedmont Heights and Bayview Heights, are atop the hill, at times giving scenic views of the city. Perhaps the most rapidly developing part of the city is a commercial auto-oriented shopping strip "over the hill".

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The city's climate is known for long, cold winters and cool summers, hence the nickname "the air-conditioned city". During the winter months, temperatures often remain below freezing for periods of weeks. A normal winter brings consistent snow cover from December through March. Summers are cool and comfortable, with daytime temperatures averaging in the 70-80°F range (21-26°C) due to the cooling easterly winds of the lake (as opposed to occasional temperatures over 90°F (32°C) inland), although temperatures may remain below 50°F (10°C) even during June afternoons along the Lake Superior shore, even when the inland temperature is in the 70s°F (mid-20s°C). Great local variations are also common, due to the rapid change in elevation between the hill and shore-side.

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