Townapedia
Fall Photo in Hawley, Minnesota
Fall Photo in Hawley, Minnesota · Leetwice, CC BY-SA 4.0
Park bench in a Hawley city park
Park bench in a Hawley city park · FargoLee58103, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hawley, Minnesota

Hawley is a city of 2,178 people in Clay County, Minnesota.

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Population2,178 +1.6% since 2019
Elevation1,152 ft 351 m
Land area2.6 sq mi
ZIP code56549
Nearest airportMoorhead Municipal Airport (JKJ) 16 mi

Why visit Hawley

Townapedia lists 7 parks and trails and 4 places to eat in and around town.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 0°F, and about 53 inches of snow fall in a normal year.

About Hawley

Hawley is a town in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, along the Buffalo River. The population was 2,219 at the 2020 census. Part of the Fargo–Moorhead area, it is just 23 miles away.

From the Wikipedia article Hawley, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Parks, trails and playgrounds7

Brekken Park

Park · 0.8 mi

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Hawley Golf and Country Club

Golf course · 0.8 mi

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Hawley Golf Club

Golf course · 0.6 mi

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Hawley Softball Complex

Park · 0.8 mi

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Hawley WPA

Hiking and trails · 1.0 mi

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Riverbend Park

Park · 0.4 mi

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Westgate Park

Park · 0.4 mi

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Restaurants and cafes4

Carl's Lefse

Restaurant

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Spot Lite Bar

Bar and pub

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Whistle Stop

Restaurant

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DQ Grill & Chill

Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger · 0.4 mi

1310 Hobart Street, Hawley

Open in Google Maps · +1 218-483-0293

Churches and places of worship5

St. Andrew's Catholic Church

Church · Roman Catholic · 0.5 mi

1418 Main Street, Hawley

Open in Google Maps · +1-218-483-4264

Hawley Alliance Church

Church · 0.7 mi

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Hawley Lutheran Church

Church

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Hls Rural Lutheran Ministry

Church

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Living Grace Lutheran Church

Church

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Shopping3

Supermarket Foods

Grocery · 0.6 mi

1515 Hartford Street, Hawley

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Unique Design Gifts & Signs

Shop · 0.9 mi

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Wahl General

Shop

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History

The town went through six quick name changes after 1871 until, in 1872, it was finally named after Thomas Hawley Canfield, an officer in the Northern Pacific Railway, which laid out the town. General George Custer visited the town in 1876. The incident was recalled in WCCO Television's short film Incident at Hawley, which aired during America's bicentennial year of 1976.

Hawley was at one time settled by a colony of immigrants from Yeovil, Somerset; among these was Elisabeth Chant, later a painter in Minneapolis.

From the History section of Hawley, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Gas and EV charging1

Schools, colleges and libraries6

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Map of Hawley

26 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

0°20°40°60°80°January: 0.7 in of rainFebruary: 0.7 in of rainMarch: 1.3 in of rainApril: 1.7 in of rainMay: 3.4 in of rainJune: 4.7 in of rainJuly: 3.4 in of rainAugust: 2.7 in of rainSeptember: 2.9 in of rainOctober: 2.5 in of rainNovember: 1.1 in of rainDecember: 0.9 in of rainJanuary: 17°FFebruary: 23°FMarch: 37°FApril: 54°FMay: 68°FJune: 78°FJuly: 82°FAugust: 80°FSeptember: 72°FOctober: 55°FNovember: 38°FDecember: 23°FJanuary: 0°FFebruary: 4°FMarch: 18°FApril: 32°FMay: 45°FJune: 56°FJuly: 61°FAugust: 58°FSeptember: 48°FOctober: 36°FNovember: 21°FDecember: 8°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan17°F0°F0.7 in12.2 in
Feb23°F4°F0.7 in7.7 in
Mar37°F18°F1.3 in9.3 in
Apr54°F32°F1.7 in4.0 in
May68°F45°F3.4 in0.0 in
Jun78°F56°F4.7 in0.0 in
Jul82°F61°F3.4 in0.0 in
Aug80°F58°F2.7 in0.0 in
Sep72°F48°F2.9 in0.0 in
Oct55°F36°F2.5 in0.7 in
Nov38°F21°F1.1 in8.0 in
Dec23°F8°F0.9 in10.8 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Moorhead (20 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$99,188median household income
$280,400median home value
$733median monthly rent
41.1median age
36.2%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
70.2%of homes are owner-occupied
24.5 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1830%18 to 3412%35 to 6442%65 and over15%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Clay County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.

  • 2023-07-19: 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)
  • 2011-05-10: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
  • 2010-04-19: Flooding (Flood)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Moorhead Municipal Airport (JKJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.