Kettle River is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, along the Kettle River, for which it was named. As of the 2020 census, Kettle River had a population of 166. It was incorporated in 1921.
Minnesota State Highway 73 serves as a main route in Kettle River.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Kettle River is located seven miles west-northwest of Moose Lake. Kettle River is located 30 miles southwest of Cloquet.
History
The Kettle River area of Carlton County, Minnesota, was settled by a large concentration of Finnish Immigrants in the years leading up to the First World War and the influence of those immigrants is still noticeable even today.
On October 12, 1918, the Cloquet fire, caused by sparks on the local railroads, left much of western Carlton County area devastated. Several hundred persons were killed by the fire and thousands more left homeless. The only building left standing in Kettle River following the fire was the bank that was made of brick. This building still stands in Kettle River, near the center of the town on the west side of State Highway 73.
Following the fire, with most people homeless and destitute, the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 caused more damage to the community.
Every August, the town hosts Ma and Pa Kettle Days, an annual festival; that includes a pancake breakfast, parade, pageant, Mud Bog and street dances.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 180 people, 79 households, and 52 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 96 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.2% White, 1.7% Native American, and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.
There were 79 households, of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.2% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.81.
The median age in the city was 41 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 2.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.4% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 18.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census