River Falls, Wisconsin
River Falls is a city of 16,719 people in Pierce County, Wisconsin.
Why visit River Falls
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 21 parks and trails, 40 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Falls Theater, Glen Park Municipal Swimming Pool, North Hall-River Falls State Normal School and River Falls Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 4°F.
Weather in River Falls
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About River Falls
River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is mostly within the town of River Falls, and adjacent to the town of Kinnickinnic in St. Croix County. River Falls is the most populous city in Pierce County. The population was 16,182 at the 2020 census, with 12,546 residing in Pierce County and 3,636 in St.
From the Wikipedia article River Falls, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks6
Glen Park Municipal Swimming Pool
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Swimming center in River Falls, Wisconsin, United States
North Hall-River Falls State Normal School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in River Falls, Wisconsin, United States
South Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Part of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Parks, trails and playgrounds21
9 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes40
Carbone's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi
1025 South Main Street, River Falls
Mo-Th 16:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Paddy's Pub & Boxty House
Restaurant · Irish
212 South Main Street
Tu 15:00-21:00; We,Su 11:00-21:00; Th 11:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-23:00
3 Schweet Sisters
Bakery
127 North Main Street, River Falls
Tu-Fr 10:00-18:00; Sa 10:00-15:00; Su-Mo off
Juniors Bar & Restaurant
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
414 South Main Street, River Falls
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
St. Croix Lanes
Bar and pub · 0.7 mi
1153 St Croix Street
Mo 15:00-22:00; Tu-We 15:00-24:00; Th 11:00-24:00; Fr-Sa...
Tattersall Distillery
Brewery and winery · 1.3 mi
1777 Paulson Road, River Falls
We-Th 16:00-21:00; Fr 16:00-22:00; Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Emma's Bar
Bar and pub
222 South Main Street, River Falls
Mo-Fr 00:00-02:00,09:00-24:00; Sa-Su 00:00-02:30,09:00-24:00
Kinni Cafe
Restaurant · American, Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Diner, Grill, Local, Pancake · 0.5 mi
702 North Main Street
Mo-Su 07:00-15:00
28 more on the map.
History
The city's first settlers were Joel Foster and his indentured servant, Dick, in 1848. The village was started as Kinnickinnic in 1854 by brothers Nathaniel N. and Oliver S. Powell, who were from St. Lawrence County, New York. At the time, the town and village were also known as Greenwood, but this was changed, as another Greenwood, Wisconsin already existed. The present name comes from the Kinnickinnic River rapids.
On June 23, 1893, a lightning bolt hit the center circus pole at a Ringling Brothers circus performance in River Falls, injuring multiple audience members and performers and killing seven.
From the History section of River Falls, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Country Inn River Falls
Motel and hotel · 1.0 mi
1525 Commerce Court, River Falls
Churches and places of worship11
First Congregational Church River Falls
Church · United Church Of Christ
110 North 3rd Street, River Falls
First Covenant Church of River Falls
Church · Evangelical Covenant · 1.0 mi
1374 North Main Street, River Falls
Luther Memorial Lutheran Church
Church · 0.5 mi
420 South 4th Street, River Falls
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries20
Healthcare2
Map of River Falls
122 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 4°F | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 27°F | 8°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 20°F | 1.7 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 32°F | 3.1 in |
| May | 68°F | 43°F | 4.3 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 54°F | 5.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 58°F | 4.4 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 56°F | 4.7 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 49°F | 3.6 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 36°F | 3.0 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 24°F | 1.6 in |
| Dec | 27°F | 12°F | 1.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for River Falls (1 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
Pierce County has had 4 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2001-05-11: Flooding, Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
New Richmond Regional Airport (RNH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 miles away.
- Hudson 9 mi northwest, about 14 min by car
- Hastings 14 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
- Woodbury 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Cottage Grove 15 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Lake Elmo 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
- Stillwater 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Oakdale 19 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- New Richmond 19 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Red Wing 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- South St. Paul 20 mi west, about 33 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
- 2009-0620-RiverFalls-CH, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- River Falls City Hall, Wikideas1, CC0
- River Falls, Wisconsin - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- UW-River Falls, Wikideas1, CC0
- W. H. Hunt Arena, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Mar 2013, Tbc32, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ramer Field, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Mar 2013, Tbc32, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chippewa Valley Technical College in River Falls, Wisconsin, Wikideas1, CC0
- River Falls, Wisconsin, Wikideas1, CC0
- River Falls, Wisconsin-2, Wikideas1, CC0
- River Falls High School-2, Wikideas1, CC0
- River Falls High School, Wikideas1, CC0
- 2009-0620-UW-RiverFalls-NorthHall, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- 2009-0620-UW-RiverFalls-SouthHall, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- Glen Park Municipal Swimming Pool 1, AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 220S4thRiverFallsWI, Travellers & Tinkers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- SideGrimmHouseRiverFallsWI, Travellers & Tinkers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Swinging Bridge 2018, RF WI Rec Asst, CC BY-SA 4.0
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