Albert Lea, Minnesota
Albert Lea is a city of 18,330 people in Freeborn County, Minnesota, founded in 1855.
Why visit Albert Lea
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 37 parks and trails, 25 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bessesen Building, Mall Cinema 7 Theatre, Albert Lea station and Freeborn County Historical Society Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 40 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Albert Lea
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Albert Lea
Albert Lea is a city in Freeborn County, in southern Minnesota. It is the county seat. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about 90 miles (140 km) south of the Twin Cities.
From the Wikipedia article Albert Lea, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Bessesen Building
Cinema and theater · 0.5 mi
Former theater in Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States
Museums and landmarks3
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Albert Lea station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Railway station in Albert Lea, Minnesota
Freeborn County Historical Society Museum
Museum · 0.5 mi
1031 Bridge Avenue, Albert Lea
We-Fr 10:00-16:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds37
Albert Lea Splash Pad
Sports field and stadium
Finished at the end of August 2017, new and modern splash pad for children to enjoy and play in.
Bancroft Bay Park
Park · 1.5 mi
Large park with picnic areas, fire rings, Frisbee golf course, and hiking paths.
Dress Island
Park · 0.9 mi
Nice, small island to sit under trees and enjoy the scenario.
Park Ave Park
Park · 0.5 mi
Small neighborhood park in a quiet area on a one way street.
South Edgewater Park
Park · 1.5 mi
Large recreational park that includes a playground, pavilion, cabin, bathrooms, baseball field, large open area, walking trail, and band shell.
Troy Hammer Park
Park · 1.2 mi
Public park with playground, basketball courts, and large open area.
25 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes25
Pizza Ranch
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.9 mi
2430 Bridge Avenue, Albert Lea
Mo-Su 11:00-20:00
Taco King
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.9 mi
1649 H Blake Avenue, Albert Lea
Abelardo's Mexican Fresh
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.0 mi
2530 Bridge Avenue, Albert Lea
13 more on the map.
History
The city is named after Albert Lea Lake, which was named after Albert Miller Lea, a topographer from Tennessee with the United States Dragoons, who surveyed southern Minnesota and northern Iowa in 1835, including the current site of Albert Lea. Captain Nathan Boone, a son of Daniel Boone, was the scout for Lea's Dragoon unit. Lea later served the Southern rebellion as an engineering officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
From the History section of Albert Lea, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Albert Lea Secondary Online Academy
School · 0.8 mi
211 W. Richway Drive, Albert Lea
Healthcare3
Map of Albert Lea
107 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 6°F | 0.9 in | 8.9 in |
| Feb | 27°F | 10°F | 0.9 in | 9.8 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 23°F | 1.9 in | 6.6 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 36°F | 3.7 in | 2.8 in |
| May | 68°F | 48°F | 4.8 in | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 59°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 62°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 51°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 38°F | 2.6 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 42°F | 25°F | 1.5 in | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 28°F | 13°F | 1.1 in | 8.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Albert Lea 3Se Hcn (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Freeborn County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-06-28: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-12: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2016-11-02: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2014-07-21: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Albert Lea Municipal Airport (AEL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Glenville 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Clarks Grove 8 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Alden 10 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Hollandale 11 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Emmons 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Hartland 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Geneva 12 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Freeborn 13 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Mason City 36 mi south, about 58 min by car
- Rochester 51 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- AlbertLeaMNdowntown, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Albert Lea, Minnesota, Wikideas1, CC0
- Albert Lea, Minnesota (cropped), Wikideas1, CC0
- Albert Lea, Minnesota (cropped2), Wikideas1, CC0
- Albert Lea Lake - panoramio (cropped), Bohao Zhao, CC BY 3.0
- Albert Lea Lake - panoramio, Bohao Zhao, CC BY 3.0
- Albert Lea City Hall 2022, McGhiever, CC BY 4.0
- Albert Lea City Hall, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Albert Lea Carnegie Library, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Albert Lea Depot 2022, McGhiever, CC BY 4.0
- Albert Lea Depot, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Albert Lea High School-2, Wikideas1, CC0
- Albert Lea High School-3, Wikideas1, CC0
- Bancroft Bay Park in Albert Lea, Minnesota during a cross country meet, Burtsbeespeppermint, CC0
- Albert Lea High School, Wikideas1, CC0
- Albert Lea airport, Wikideas1, CC0
- Hy-Vee at Albert Lea, Minnesota 05, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hy-Vee at Albert Lea, Minnesota 04, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hy-Vee at Albert Lea, Minnesota 01, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hy-Vee at Albert Lea, Minnesota 02, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Albert Lea, Minnesota 2, Wikideas1, CC0
- Albert Lea Lake in Spring - Myre-Big Island State Park, Minnesota (47926136481), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Albert Lea Lake, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Albert Lea Lake - 52923072750 (cropped), Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Albert Lea Lake - 52923605348, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- DepotAlbertLeaMN, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- Bessessen, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- Marion Ross Performing Arts Center, Suziemarin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Riverland Community College, Wikideas1, CC0
- Myre-Big Island State Park - 52953979638, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Myre-Big Island State Park - 52953979783, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Myre-Big Island State Park - 52949601797, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Myre-Big Island State Park - 52950348184, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Myre-Big Island State Park - 52950652138, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Oak savanna - 52949284950, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Myre-Big Island State Park - 52922573497, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Oak savanna - 52949045529, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Myre-Big Island State Park, 2014, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Oak savanna - 52949355333, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
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