La Crescent, Minnesota
La Crescent is a city of 5,251 people in Houston County, Minnesota, founded in 1851.
Why visit La Crescent
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 6 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include I-90 Mississippi River Bridge, La Crosse Rail Bridge, 10th and Cass Streets Neighborhood Historic District and Freight House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 38 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in La Crescent
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About La Crescent
La Crescent ( lə KRESS-ənt) is a city in Houston and Winona counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 5,276 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article La Crescent, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
I-90 Mississippi River Bridge
Bridge · 2.0 mi
Dresbach Bridge crossing the Mississippi River connecting La Crosse, Wisconsin and Dresbach, Minnesota
La Crosse West Channel Bridge
Bridge · 1.8 mi
Bridge in United States of America
University of Wisconsin–La Crosse
School · 3.8 mi
Public university in Wisconsin
Viterbo University
School · 3.5 mi
American university in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Stoney Point
Scenic view · 0.6 mi
An old rock formation located in city limits and ontop of ridge that over looks all of La Crescent and over the Mississippi River into...
Museums and landmarks9
10th and Cass Streets Neighborhood Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic district in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Freight House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Freight station in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Gideon C. Hixon House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
House in La Crosse, Wisconsin
John L. Callahan House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic house in Wisconsin, United States
La Crosse Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic district in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
La Crosse station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Train station in La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
LaCrosse State Teachers College Training School Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Building in Wisconsin, United States
Mons Anderson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
House in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
St. Rose of Viterbo Convent
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic church in Wisconsin, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Pettibone Park
Park · 2.3 mi
Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
Riverside Park
Park · 2.7 mi
Park in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States of America
Vetsch Park
Park · 0.6 mi
Small park, tucked back into the ridges of La Crescent that has many trails
Restaurants and cafes6
Kaddy's Kafe
Cafe · American
263 East Main Street, La Crescent
Sa-Th 06:00-14:00; Fr 06:00-14:00,16:00-20:00
corky's Legendary Pizza/Ice cream
Restaurant · Pizza, Burger, American, Sandwich, Ice Cream
25 South Walnut Street, La Crescent
11:00-21:00
Schmitty's TimeOut Tavern
Restaurant · American, Bar And Grill
444 North Chestnut Street, La Crescent
Mo-Su 11:00+
History
Lying on the west bank of the Mississippi River, the city is surrounded by bluffs with views of the river and abundant wildlife. Humans have inhabited this area for thousands of years. The most recent inhabitants before the arrival of white settlers were the Dakota people, a branch of the Sioux, and the Ho-Chunk, or Winnebago.
Following the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, Nathan Boone, youngest son of Daniel Boone, was among the early surveyors of this area. The various Indian tribes who had lived here were forced out and relocated in the 1840s to accommodate white settlement.
La Crescent was founded in 1851 by Peter and Emma Cameron, who called it "Camerons". The Camerons were two of the town's most colorful characters; he tried to dig a canal to change the flow of the Mississippi River so it would flow closer to La Crescent and bypass La Crosse, Wisconsin across the river. He died 10 weeks before its scheduled completion in 1857, and the canal was never finished, although the canal can still be seen in aerial photographs of the city. The Presbyterian missionary Sheldon Jackson lived in La Crescent prior to 1872, when he moved westward to Denver and later Alaska.
From the History section of La Crescent, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Best Western Plus Lacrescent / Lacrosse
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
509 North Chestnut Street, La Crescent
Churches and places of worship4
Christ Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries32
Healthcare1
Map of La Crescent
74 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°F | 12°F | 1.2 in | 11.2 in |
| Feb | 30°F | 14°F | 1.2 in | 8.4 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 27°F | 1.9 in | 5.7 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 40°F | 4.1 in | 1.6 in |
| May | 68°F | 52°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 63°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 67°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 64°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 56°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 44°F | 3.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 31°F | 2.0 in | 1.2 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 19°F | 1.4 in | 9.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for La Crescent Dam 7 (2 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
Houston County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-06-28: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 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)
- 2016-11-02: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- La Crosse 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Onalaska 7 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Holmen 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Winona 24 mi northwest, about 38 min by car
- Goodview 26 mi northwest, about 42 min by car
- Lansing 33 mi south, about 53 min by car
- Waukon 40 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Decorah 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Chatfield 44 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Eyota 47 mi west, 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
- La Crescent MN swing bridge opened to river traffic, Slyfry91, CC BY-SA 3.0
- StRoseChapelInteriorLaCrosseWisconsin, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 10th CassStNeighborhoodHistoricDistrict, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- HixonHouseFrontLaCrosse, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ChristChurchLaX, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- Amtrak station La Crosse 2, Wikideas1, CC0
- La Crosse Commercial Historic District 2, Wikideas1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 933RoseLAX, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Morris Hall, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, OehlerLaura, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MonsAndersonHouse, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Freight house 2, Wikideas1 Wikideas1 ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC0
- La Crosse rail bridge, Wikideas1, CC0
- Bridge on Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pettibone Park - panoramio, Bohao Zhao, CC BY 3.0
- Hoeshler Tower, TheTrashMan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CathedralLaCrosseWI, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Viterbo University, Wikideas1, CC0
- Riverside park aerial, Wikideas1, CC0
- Mississippi River Lock and Dam number 7, USGS, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.