Thief River Falls, Minnesota
Thief River Falls is a city of 8,823 people in Pennington County, Minnesota, founded in 1887.
Why visit Thief River Falls
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 17 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Falls Cinema, Northland Community & Technical College, Thief River Falls Public Library and Thief River Falls depot.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average -3°F.
Weather in Thief River Falls
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Thief River Falls
Thief River Falls, sometimes abbreviated as TRF, is a city and county seat of Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Thief River Falls, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Northland Community & Technical College
School · 1.2 mi
Education organization in Thief River Falls, United States
Museums and landmarks3
Thief River Falls Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Public library in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, United States
102 1st Street East, Thief River Falls
Thief River Falls depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Former Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie (Soo Line) depot in Minnesota
Parks, trails and playgrounds17
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5 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes13
Las Ranitas Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.3 mi
1845 Highway 59 South, Thief River Falls
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.6 mi
201 West Third Street, Thief River Falls
Mo-Sa 08:00-22:30; Su 09:00-22:30
DQ Grill & Chill
Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger, Chicken · 0.5 mi
700 MN 32, Thief River Falls
1 more on the map.
History
Thief River Falls takes its name from a geographic feature, the falls of the Red Lake River at its confluence with the Thief River. The name of the river is a loose translation of the Ojibwe phrase Gimood-akiwi ziibi, literally, the "Stolen-land river" or "Thieving-land river", which originated when a band of Dakota Indians occupied a secret encampment along the river, hence "stealing" the land, before being discovered and routed by the neighboring Ojibwe. In the Treaty of Old Crossing of 1863, the Moose Dung's Indian Reservation was established on the west bank of the Thief River, at its confluence with Red Lake River. This Indian Reservation was dissolved in 1904 and their population incorporated as part of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa.
Thief River Falls marked the limit of navigation on the Red Lake River. The eponymous town site was established in 1887 and later incorporated as a city in 1896.
From the History section of Thief River Falls, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship11
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare3
Map of Thief River Falls
72 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14°F | -3°F | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 20°F | 2°F | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 35°F | 16°F | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 30°F | 1.4 in |
| May | 68°F | 42°F | 2.9 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 53°F | 4.5 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 57°F | 3.5 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 55°F | 3.1 in |
| Sep | 69°F | 47°F | 2.7 in |
| Oct | 53°F | 35°F | 2.2 in |
| Nov | 34°F | 19°F | 1.0 in |
| Dec | 20°F | 5°F | 0.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Thief Rvr Falls 2 (1 mi away), rain and snow from Goodridge 7.4 Sw, 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
Pennington County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2022-07-13: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, 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)
- 2010-04-19: Flooding (Flood)
- 2009-04-09: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Thief River Falls Regional Airport (TVF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Plummer 15 mi southeast, about 24 min by car
- Red Lake Falls 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Newfolden 18 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Crookston 31 mi southwest, about 49 min by car
- East Grand Forks 41 mi west, about 1 h by car
- Fosston 41 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Grand Forks 44 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Roseau 54 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Bagley 54 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Mahnomen 56 mi south, 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
- Methodist church thief river falls, Andrew Filer, Public domain
- Soo line depot thief river falls, Andrew Filer, Public domain
- Carnegie library thief river falls, Andrew Filer, Public domain
- 1933postcardAuditoriumTRF, Travellers & Tinkers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mikado Class L4 Soo Line 1024 (8063154599), Peter Broster, CC BY 2.0
- Mikado Class L4 Soo Line 1024 (8063156426), Peter Broster, CC BY 2.0
- Mikado Class L4 Soo Line 1024 (8063155664), Peter Broster, CC BY 2.0
- Digi-Key Collegiate Computing Competition 2009 IMG 6646 (4022082109), Nic McPhee from Morris, Minnesota, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Standing wave on a slinky, Nic McPhee from Morris, MN, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS022-E-9719 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS022-E-9720 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-100947 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-293156 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS016-E-17874 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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