Belle Plaine, Minnesota
Belle Plaine is a city of 7,423 people in Scott County, Minnesota, founded in 1853.
Why visit Belle Plaine
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails, 4 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Abraham Bisson House and Hooper–Bowler–Hillstrom House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 5°F, and about 40 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Belle Plaine
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Belle Plaine
Belle Plaine is a city in Scott County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 7,395 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Belle Plaine, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Abraham Bisson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
House in St. Lawrence Township, Minnesota
Hooper–Bowler–Hillstrom House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Belle Plaine, Minnesota, listed on the NRHP in Minnesota
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes4
Where to stay1
HomeTown Inn & Suites
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
331 East Enterprise Drive, Belle Plaine
History
Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court Judge Andrew G. Chatfield selected the townsite of Belle Plaine in 1853 while traveling from Mendota to Traverse des Sioux to hold court, as it was a halfway marker on his usual path of travel. Chatfield chose to name the townsite Belle Plaine, which is French for "Beautiful Prairie."
From 1868 to 1974, Belle Plaine was incorporated as a borough, the only one in Minnesota. In 1974, it became a city.
In 1870, the Minnesota State Legislature passed "An act to aid in the development of the salt springs at Belle Plaine", which donated six pieces of state-owned salt land to a holding company under certain conditions, notably that a well be drilled at Belle Plaine. The funds put the company under great public scrutiny. A year later "An act to further aid the Belle Plaine Salt Company in the development of Salt Springs at Belle Plaine" passed.
From the History section of Belle Plaine, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Healthcare1
Map of Belle Plaine
41 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 5°F | 0.8 in | 6.4 in |
| Feb | 26°F | 9°F | 0.9 in | 10.2 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 21°F | 1.8 in | 5.2 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 34°F | 2.8 in | 3.6 in |
| May | 67°F | 46°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 57°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 61°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 58°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 50°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 38°F | 2.7 in | 0.4 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 25°F | 1.6 in | 3.0 in |
| Dec | 27°F | 12°F | 1.2 in | 11.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Jordan 1Ssw (7 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
Scott County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 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)
- 2014-07-21: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2011-05-10: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2010-04-19: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 miles away.
- Waconia 15 mi north, about 25 min by car
- Chaska 16 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Shakopee 18 mi northeast, about 28 min by car
- Prior Lake 18 mi northeast, about 28 min by car
- Victoria 18 mi north, about 29 min by car
- Chanhassen 19 mi northeast, about 30 min by car
- Eden Prairie 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Savage 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- St. Peter 22 mi southwest, about 36 min by car
- Lakeville 26 mi east, about 41 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
- Belle Plaine Transfiguration 2, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Abraham Bisson House, Appraiser, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hooper-Bowler-Hillstrom House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
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