Virginia, Minnesota

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Virginia, Minnesota
Location of Virginia, Minnesota
Location of Virginia, Minnesota
Coordinates: 47°31′2″N 92°32′29″W / 47.51722, -92.54139
Country United States
State Minnesota
County St. Louis
Area
 - Total 19.2 sq mi (49.7 km²)
 - Land 18.8 sq mi (48.8 km²)
 - Water 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km²)
Elevation 1,437 ft (438 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 9,157
 - Density 486.1/sq mi (187.7/km²)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s) 218
FIPS code 27-67288[1]
GNIS feature ID 0662719[2]

Virginia is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA, on the Mesabi Iron Range. The population was 9,157 at the 2000 census. According to a water tower in the middle of town, the city's nickname is the "Queen City", or The Queen City of the North.

U.S. Highway 53, U.S. Highway 169, and State Highway 135 are three of the main arterial routes in the city.

Virginia is part of the Quad Cities of Eveleth, Gilbert, and Mountain Iron. The nearby town of Eveleth is the location of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame (not to be confused with the Hockey Hall of Fame, in Toronto).

Contents

[edit] Geography

A map of the city of Virginia
A map of the city of Virginia

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.7 km²), of which, 18.8 square miles (48.8 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (1.93%) is water.

[edit] Economy

Virginia is located on the Mesabi Range, one of sub-regions within Minnesota's Iron Range. The town's economy has always been tied to the iron ore mining and processing which occurs in the area. This economic activity peaked during World War II, and has been in decline ever since.[citation needed] Mining and processing activity still occurs in the area, although at a fraction of capacity. In the last decade, the economic focus of the area has shifted away from mining towards tourism and healthcare, the two largest employers in the area.[citation needed]

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 9,157 people, 4,333 households, and 2,270 families residing in the city. The population density was 486.1 people per square mile (187.7/km²). There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of 249.1/sq mi (96.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.17% White, 0.46% African American, 2.24% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population. 21.4% were of Finnish, 13.3% German, 9.9% Norwegian, 8.8% Italian and 7.8% Swedish ancestry.

There were 4,333 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 42.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,873, and the median income for a family was $43,419. Males had a median income of $38,834 versus $22,473 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,776. About 10.6% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] People from Virginia, Minnesota

All of the following are hockey players (* denotes retired) except Mondavi who was a famous winemaker, Berrigan who is a nonviolent peace activist and Metsa who is a folk singer.

[edit] Points of interest

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Coordinates: 47°31′24″N, 92°32′12″W