Why visit Ely
Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 19 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Ely State Theater, Pioneer Mine, State Theater and Ely Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 77°F; January lows average -4°F, and about 65 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Ely
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ely
Ely is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Ely, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Miner's Lake Overlook
Scenic view · 0.4 mi
Overlooks Miner's Lake and the old Pioneer Mine
Museums and landmarks13
Pioneer Mine
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Mine in Ely, United States of America
State Theater
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Movie theater in Ely, Minnesota, United States
Tanner's Hospital
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic former hospital building in Ely, Minnesota
Ely Community Center
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
International Wolf Center
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
1396 State Highway 169, Ely
Mo-Su 09:00-17:00
Pioneer Mine Shaft House
Monument and historic site · 0.6 mi
401 North Pioneer Road, Ely
1 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes19
Oriental Orchid
Restaurant · Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai
506 East Sheridan Street, Ely
Mo-Sa 15:00-20:00
Insula Restaurant
Restaurant · 0.5 mi
145 East Sheridan Street, Ely
Tu-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-21:00
Brainstorm Bakery
Bakery · 0.4 mi
402 East Sheridan Street, Ely
7 more on the map.
History
The first Europeans to explore the area were fur traders who made their way into the wilderness in search of furs. But it was the Lake Vermillion gold rush that brought the first large numbers of pioneers to the area in 1865. Although hardly any gold was ever found, it was discovered that the area did contain large deposits of iron ore. Thousands of new immigrants were arriving in America at that time, and many of them came to the area later known as the Minnesota Iron Range, looking for work.
When the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway laid tracks extending the rails from Tower to Ely in 1888, Ely began mining operations with the opening of the Chandler Mine. Ore was shipped by rail to docks on Lake Superior in Two Harbors and Duluth. From there it was shipped by lake freighter for processing in Ashtabula and other points in Ohio.
From the History section of Ely, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship6
Ely United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 0.4 mi
220 North 3rd Avenue East, Ely
LedgeRock Community Church
Church · Protestant · 0.4 mi
1515 East Camp Street, Ely
St. Anthony's Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 0.5 mi
231 East Camp Street, Ely
Shopping14
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare2
Map of Ely
79 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16°F | -4°F | 1.1 in | 13.8 in |
| Feb | 22°F | 0°F | 0.8 in | 9.3 in |
| Mar | 36°F | 14°F | 1.3 in | 8.4 in |
| Apr | 49°F | 27°F | 2.3 in | 7.7 in |
| May | 62°F | 41°F | 3.0 in | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 72°F | 51°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 77°F | 56°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 75°F | 55°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 66°F | 46°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 51°F | 33°F | 2.9 in | 2.1 in |
| Nov | 34°F | 20°F | 1.7 in | 9.8 in |
| Dec | 21°F | 4°F | 1.3 in | 13.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ely (1 mi away), rain and snow from Ely, 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
St. Louis County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2025-05-14: Munger Shaw Fire (Fire)
- 2024-06-28: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-07-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2022-07-13: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ely Municipal Airport (LYU) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Babbitt 18 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Soudan 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- Tower 21 mi west, about 33 min by car
- Hoyt Lakes 26 mi southwest, about 42 min by car
- Aurora 31 mi southwest, about 51 min by car
- Biwabik 34 mi southwest, about 55 min by car
- Virginia 40 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Gilbert 40 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Eveleth 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Chisholm 56 mi southwest, 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
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
- Northern MN - 028, ShakataGaNai, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pioneer Mine 02, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tanner's Hospital, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ely State Theater, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ely Community Center, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
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