Alexandria is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,335 as of the 2020 census. I-94 passes through Alexandria, along with Minnesota State Highways 27 and 29. It is south of Lake Carlos State Park.

History

First settled in 1858, it was named after brothers Alexander and William Kinkead from Maryland. The form of the name alludes to Alexandria, Egypt, a center of learning and civilization.

The village of Alexandria was incorporated February 20, 1877. Its city charter was adopted in 1908, and it was incorporated as a city in 1909. W. E. Hicks was pivotal to the town's early development. He purchased the townsite in 1868 and established a mill, hotel, newspaper, and store. He donated property for a courthouse, jail, and two churches: Methodist and Congregational.

The Kensington Runestone, a purported artifact left behind by pre-Columbian Norse explorers of the region, was uncovered by farmer Olaf Ohman near Alexandria in 1898. Despite scholarly consensus identifying the stone as a hoax, the stone quickly became a symbol of Alexandria and western Minnesota writ large. The stone is housed in the Runestone Museum, and is commemorated with a 28-foot-tall statue of a viking, "Big Ole", whose shield bears the slogan "Alexandria: The Birthplace of America". The statue, originally built for the 1964 New York World's Fair, currently stands at the north end of the downtown, on the shore of Lake Agnes.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. with cold, snowy winters and warm (sometimes hot and humid) summers. The autumn and spring are generally pleasant. Average annual precipitation (both snow and rain) is about 25 inches.

Lakes

  • Lake Agnes
  • Lake Alvin
  • Lake Andrew
  • Blackwell Lake
  • Lake Brophy
  • Lake Burgen
  • Lake Carlos
  • Cork Lake
  • Lake Cowdry
  • Lake Darling
  • Echo Lake
  • Lake Geneva
  • Lake George
  • Grant Lake
  • Lake Henry
  • Lake Ida
  • Lake Irene
  • Lake Jessie
  • Lake Latoka
  • Laura Lake
  • Lake Le Homme Dieu
  • Lake Louise
  • Maple Lake
  • Lake Mary
  • Mill Lake
  • Lake Miltona
  • Lake Mina
  • Mud Lake
  • North Union Lake
  • Lake Oscar
  • Pocket Lake
  • Rachel Lake
  • Lake Reno
  • Smith Lake
  • Lobster Lake
  • Stony Lake
  • Taylor Lake
  • Lake Charley
  • Union Lake
  • Lake Winona
  • Vermont Lake
  • Lake Victoria

Demographics

left|thumb|297x297px|Statue of Big Ole the Viking, greeting visitors to Alexandria