Duluth, Minnesota
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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 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.
The Current Mayor of Duluth is Herb Bergson.
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The city is named for Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, the first known European explorer of the area.
The northern terminus of Interstate 35 is in Duluth. The highway extends south through the state to the Twin Cities, and continues its southerly course to the city of Laredo, Texas.
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Geography & Climate
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Duluth's geography is dominated by a 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 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".
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 thru March. Summers are cool and comfortable, with daytime temperatures averaging in the 70's F (between 20 and 25 C) due to the cooling easterly winds of the lake, although temperatures may remain below 50 F (10 C) even during June afternoons along the Lake Superior shore. Great local variations are also common, due to the rapid change in elevation between the hill and shore-side.
Demographics
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As of the census2 of 2000, there are 86,918 people, 35,500 households, and 19,915 families residing in the city. The population density is 493.4/km² (1,278.1/mi²). There are 36,994 housing units at an average density of 210.0/km² (544.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 92.65% White, 1.63% Black or African American, 2.44% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. 1.06% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 35,500 households out of which 26.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% are non-families. 34.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.26 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 16.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $33,766, and the median income for a family is $46,394. Males have a median income of $35,182 versus $24,965 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,969. 15.5% of the population and 8.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.4% of those under the age of 18 and 9.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Colleges and universities
- University of Minnesota Duluth
- College of St. Scholastica
- Lake Superior College
- Duluth Business University
Amateur sports
The Duluth Huskies are a baseball team which is based in Duluth and plays in the Northwoods League. The team plays its home games at Wade Stadium.
Grandma's Marathon is Duluth's annual marathon in June, named after its original sponsor, Grandma's Restaurant. The course of the marathon starts just outside Two Harbors, Minnesota, runs down Old Highway 61, the old route for Minnesota State Highway 61, along the North Shore of Lake Superior and finishes in one of Duluth's tourism neighborhoods, Canal Park. The same route is also taken during the North Shore Inline Marathon which takes place in September, drawing racers from all over the world.
The Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is Duluth's annual sled dog race organized in February and named after John Beargrease, the son of the Anishinabe Chief Moquabimetem and one of the first mail carriers between Two Harbors, Minnesota and Grand Marais, Minnesota. He and his brothers carried mail by sled dog, boat, and horse for almost twenty years between the two towns, where there was no road. Competitors can choose between two distances; the longer 400-mile course takes a round trip from Duluth to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and the 150-mile course departs from Duluth and ends in Tofte, Minnesota. The marathon was first held in 1980 and is acknowledged as a training ground for the larger and more elite Iditarod sled dog race.
Famous people
- Bill Berry - former member of the band R.E.M.
- Bob Dylan - born in Duluth, but lived in Hibbing
- Lorenzo Music - voice of the animated cartoon cat Garfield
- Gena Lee Nolin
- Phil Solem - member of the band The Rembrandts, who perform the theme song to the television show Friends
- Low - the slowcore rock band. All three members are from Duluth
- Aaron Meyers - founding member of the band The Modern Liars
- Don LaFontaine - movie trailer voice
Politics
In 2004, Duluth was center to a controversial legal battle between the City Council, local residents, and the ACLU. The debate and eventual lawsuit revolved around a marble fixture enscribed with the ten commandments which resided on the lawn of City Hall. The city eventually agreed to remove the fixture, and it now resides on private property in Canal Park.
Media
Local Television Stations:
Duluth has experienced firsthand the consequences of media consolidation. On March 8, 2005 the sale of Duluth's CBS affiliate was announced to Malara Broadcast Group of Sarasota, Florida. The group agreed to pay Granite Broadcasting Group, which already runs the NBC affiliate KBJR, to take over the operations for KDLH. The majority of the newstaff of KDLH was dismissed.
Local newspaper:
Transportation
The area marks the northern endpoint of Interstate 35, which stretches south to Laredo, Texas. U.S. highways that serve the area are U.S. Highway 53 La Crosse, Wisconsin to International Falls, Minnesota, and U.S. Highway 2 in Everett, Washington to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
There are many state highways that serve the area as well. Minnesota State Highway 23 runs diagonally across Minnesota, indirectly connecting Duluth to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. MN-33 provides a bypass of Duluth connecting Interstate 35 to U.S. Highway 53 providing access from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to the Iron Range while bypassing Duluth. Minnesota State Highway 61 provides access to Thunder Bay, Ontario via the breath taking North Shore of Lake Superior. State Highway MN-194 provides Duluth's "Central Entrance" and 6th Avenue East. WI-13 reach along Lake Superior's South Shore. Wisconsin State Highway 35 runs along Wisconsin's western boarder.
Duluth International Airport serves the city and nearby Superior, Wisconsin.
Power Supply
Duluth, Minnesota gets electric power by the HVDC Square Butte, which ends near the town.
External links
- City of Duluth (http://www.ci.duluth.mn.us/) - Official Website
- Duluth-Superior Dukes (http://www.dsdukes.com/)
- College of St. Scholastica (http://www.css.edu)
- Lake Superior College (http://www.lsc.cc.mn.us)
- University of Minnesota Duluth (http://www.d.umn.edu)
- Duluth Business University (http://www.dbumn.com)
- Duluth News Tribune (http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/)
- Duluth.com (http://www.duluth.com)
- Duluth Chamber of Commerce (http://www.duluthchamber.org)
- Tourist Information (http://www.visitduluth.com)
- Duluth Public Library (http://www.duluth.lib.mn.us)
- National Weather Service - Duluth (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dlh/)
- Greater Downtown Council (http://www.downtownduluth.com)
- Vintage Pictures of Duluth (http://www.duluth-mn-usa.com/)
- Duluth Shipping News (http://www.duluthshippingnews.com)
- Northern Images Photography - Contains scenic pictures of Duluth and surrounding areas. (http://www.northernimages.com/)
- Temple Israel (http://www.templeisraelduluth.org/) - Union for Reform Judaism
- Grandma's Marathon Official Website (http://www.grandmasmarathon.com/)
- Legend of John Beargrease (http://www.beargrease.com/)
- Duluth News Tribune article on 2005 race (http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/sports/11011863.htm/)
- Media consolidation in Duluth (http://www.startribune.com/stories/459/5283579.html/)
