Why visit Dawson
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 2 places to eat and 3 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Commercial Bank Building, Dawson Bank Museum and Dawson Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 3°F, and about 47 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Dawson
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Dawson
Dawson is a city in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,466 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Dawson, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Commercial Bank Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic building in Dawson, Minnesota, United States
Dawson Bank Museum
Museum
Community museum in Dawson, Minnesota, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes2
Where to stay3
History
The land Dawson sits on was originally home to the Wahpekute, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, and Yanktonai people, three bands of the Dakota. Land was ceded to the US government by the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851. The treaties were signed on July 23 and August 6 in Traverse des Sioux and Mendota respectively. The land was ceded in exchange for $3,750,000, about 12 cents per acre. Little of the payment was actually received by the Dakota.
Dawson was platted in 1884. The city was named for William Dawson, a former mayor of St. Paul, and one of three partners in the Dawson Townsite Company. A post office has been in operation at Dawson since 1884. The city was incorporated in 1885.
From the History section of Dawson, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare1
Map of Dawson
18 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 3°F | 0.5 in | 7.7 in |
| Feb | 26°F | 7°F | 0.6 in | 9.3 in |
| Mar | 39°F | 20°F | 1.3 in | 7.7 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 33°F | 2.4 in | 5.8 in |
| May | 69°F | 46°F | 3.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 58°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 61°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 58°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 49°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 36°F | 2.5 in | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 22°F | 1.1 in | 5.5 in |
| Dec | 27°F | 9°F | 0.6 in | 9.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Madison Wwtp (8 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
Lac qui Parle County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2023-07-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2022-08-09: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2022-07-08: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 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)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Montevideo-Chippewa County Airport (MVE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Madison 9 mi northwest, about 14 min by car
- Milan 14 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Clarkfield 15 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Montevideo 16 mi east, about 26 min by car
- Canby 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Appleton 19 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Benson 34 mi northeast, about 55 min by car
- Marshall 36 mi south, about 57 min by car
- Willmar 50 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Watertown 54 mi west, about 1 h 30 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
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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
- Dawson Commercial Bank Building, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dawson Carnegie Library, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dawson Sentinel Building, Cedar Tree, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dawson Armory & Community Building, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
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